▁before ▁the ▁game , ▁both ▁teams ▁held ▁practices . ▁The ▁B ears ▁elected ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁double - wing ▁formation ▁as ▁they ▁hoped ▁the ▁Kr ush ers ▁would ▁expect ▁them ▁to ▁run ▁the ▁more ▁popular ▁T ▁formation ; ▁in ▁a ▁photo ▁for ▁the ▁camp ' s ▁newspaper , ▁the ▁B ears ▁also ▁pos ed ▁in ▁the ▁T ▁formation . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 3 , ▁the ▁game ▁was ▁held ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁camp - wide ▁sports ▁festival . ▁A ▁s occer ▁game ▁was ▁held ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁football ▁game , ▁with ▁the ▁former ' s ▁first ▁half ▁occurr ing ▁before ▁kick off ▁and ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁during ▁hal ft ime . ▁Lar ge ▁grand stand s ▁were ▁built ▁for ▁the ▁game , ▁with ▁attend ance ▁r anging ▁from ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁spect ators ▁and ▁consisting ▁of ▁fellow ▁prisoners ▁and ▁American ▁military ▁personnel ; ▁German ▁par atro oper ▁and ▁running ▁back ▁Richard ▁Stat etz ny ▁described ▁the ▁fan ▁excitement ▁as ▁mostly ▁domin ated ▁by ▁Americans ▁since ▁the ▁P OW s ▁did ▁not ▁understand ▁the ▁sport ' s ▁rules . ▁ ▁The ▁Kr ush ers ▁scored ▁first ▁on ▁a ▁ 3 0 - yard ▁touch down ▁run ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁quarter , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁null ified ▁by ▁a ▁holding ▁penalty . ▁In ▁the ▁third ▁quarter , ▁the ▁team ▁mounted ▁a ▁ 9 0 - yard ▁drive ▁that ▁ended ▁with ▁a ▁touch down ▁on ▁a ▁quarter back ▁s ne ak ▁by ▁Hub ert