1902 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

American college football season

1902 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–0
Head coach
Home stadiumAntelope Field
Seasons
1902 Midwestern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Nebraska  900
South Dakota  900
North Dakota Agricultural  400
Central Michigan  400
Ohio Medical  910
Marquette  611
Knox  920
Northern Illinois State  511
Haskell  821
Notre Dame  621
Drake  521
Lincoln (MO)  210
Mount Union  630
Iowa State  631
Carthage  211
Cincinnati  422
Missouri  530
Miami (OH)  531
Kansas  640
South Dakota Agricultural  320
Fairmount  431
Detroit College  330
Lake Forest  441
Lincoln (MO)  110
Western Illinois  220
Michigan Agricultural  450
Wittenberg  342
Washburn  340
Doane  230
Heidelberg  351
Wabash  242
Buchtel  250
Washington University  261
Butler  130
Kansas State  260
Michigan State Normal  151
Iowa State Normal  161
Ohio  051

The 1902 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska as an independent during the 1902 college football season. Led by third-year head coach Walter C. Booth, the Cornhuskers compiled a record of 9–0, excluding one exhibition game. Nebraska played home games at Antelope Field in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Cornhuskers compiled a 9–0 record and shut out every opponent by a combined score of 164–0. The Cornhuskers 's hopes to be considered the western champion were dashed when 11–0 Michigan was selected instead selected following their season-ending 23–6 win over Minnesota (Nebraska defeated the Gophers 6–0). Believing Michigan's membership in the Western Conference elevated its title chances, Nebraska applied to the conference following the season, but the application was denied on account of Lincoln's distance from other schools in the conference. Nebraska ultimately joined the conference over 100 years later, in 2011.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 20Lincoln High School
W 27–0 (exhibition)
September 27Doane
  • Antelope Field
  • Lincoln, NE
W 51–0
October 4at ColoradoW 10–0
October 11Grinnell
  • Antelope Field
  • Lincoln, NE
W 17–0
October 18MinnesotaW 6–07,000
October 254:00 p.m.vs. Missouri
W 12–02,000[1][2]
November 1Haskell
  • Antelope Field
  • Lincoln, NE
W 28–06,000
November 8Kansas
  • Antelope Field
  • Lincoln, NE (rivalry)
W 16–02,000[3]
November 15Knox
  • Antelope Field
  • Lincoln, NE
W 7–0
November 27Northwestern
  • Antelope Field
  • Lincoln, NE
W 12–06,000[4][5]

[6]

Coaching staff

Coach[7][8]PositionFirst yearAlma mater
Walter C. BoothHead coach1900Princeton
Lew PalmerAssistant coach1902Princeton
Jack BestTrainer1890Nebraska
Charles EngelManager1902Nebraska
John WestoverAssistant manager1904Nebraska

Roster

[9]

Bell, Johnny HB
Bender, Johnny HB
Benedict, Maurice QB
Borg, Charles C
Briggs T
Cortelyou, Spencer E
Cotton, Charles RG
Engelhart, William FB
Follmer, Eugene E
Hunter, Fred RG
Mason, Cyrus LT
Mickel, Oliver FB
Ringer, John LG
Shedd, Charlie E
Symondynes HB
Thorpe, Orley QB
Tobin, John G
Westover, John RT
Wilson, Harry LT

Game summaries

Lincoln High

Lincoln High at Nebraska
12Total
Lincoln High0
Nebraska27
  • Date: September 20
  • Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

For the fourth consecutive season, NU opened the year with an exhibition game against Lincoln High School.[10]

Doane

Doane at Nebraska
12Total
Doane000
Nebraska222951
  • Date: September 27
  • Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

[10][11]

At Colorado

Nebraska at Colorado
12Total
Nebraska5510
Colorado000

Nebraska met Colorado for the second time in Boulder. A touchdown in each half and a stiff defensive effort secured Nebraska's third straight shutout victory.[10][11]

Grinnell

Grinnell at Nebraska
12Total
Grinnell000
Nebraska12517
  • Date: October 11
  • Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE
  • Game weather: Rain

Nebraska was shorthanded due to injury, but the Cornhuskers posted another shutout victory on a rainy day in Lincoln.[10][11]

Minnesota

Nebraska at Minnesota
12Total
Minnesota000
Nebraska066

Nebraska traveled to Minneapolis to face the Gophers for a third time. The game remained scoreless until the final minutes, when the Cornhuskers scored a touchdown for what would be the only points of the day. Minnesota lost only one other game the rest of the season, outscoring its opponents 335–34.[10][11]

Missouri

Nebraska vs. Missouri
12Total
Nebraska6612
Missouri000

Meeting Missouri on new neutral ground, in St. Joseph for the first time, the Cornhuskers ended an early scoring attempt by Missouri at the Nebraska 7-yard line, and then shut down the Tigers for the rest of the day, while making two touchdowns of their own to extend the shutout streak to 6, and the series lead to 8-3.[10][11]

Haskell

Haskell at Nebraska
12Total
Haskell000
Nebraska62228
  • Date: November 1
  • Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE
  • Game attendance: 6,000

[10][11]

Kansas

Kansas at Nebraska
12Total
Kansas0
Nebraska16

Nebraska ran its shutout streak to seven consecutive games, thanks in part to a "trick placekick", that was instead run for a touchdown.[10][11]

Knox

Knox at Nebraska
12Total
Knox000
Nebraska707

Nebraska hosted Knox in the first game between the teams, in what would become one of only two one-score game NU played all season. Knox held Nebraska to just seven points, but the Cornhuskers made a goal-line stand in the second half to record an eighth consecutive shutout.[10][11]

Northwestern

Northwestern at Nebraska
12Total
Northwestern0
Nebraska12

Nebraska met Northwestern in the first matchup between teams that would become division rivals over 100 years later when NU joined the Big Ten. Northwestern players complained of rough treatment from NU throughout the penalty-ridden game. Nebraska was penalized for seven holding penalties, each of which required turning over the ball according to the rules of the time, but held Northwestern scoreless for a ninth straight shutout win to end the season with a perfect record.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ "Missouri Tigers Fight Hard Against The Nebraska Cornhuskers". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. November 9, 1902. p. 10, part two. Retrieved January 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  2. ^ "Nebraska 12, Missouri 0". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. October 26, 1902. p. 9. Retrieved January 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  3. ^ "Jayhawks Lose: Nebraska Adds Another Victory to the List". The Nebraska State Journal. November 9, 1902. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Pace Too Fast: Northwestern Loses to the Men from Nebraska Score Twelve to Nothing". The Nebraska State Journal. November 28, 1902. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Nebraska is Triumphant, The Independent Era, Thursday, Dec 4, 1902, : Page 2, Column 4
  6. ^ "1902 Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  7. ^ "Nebraska head coaches". HuskerMax. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  8. ^ "1904 Sombrero - University of Nebraska Yearbook". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  9. ^ "Nebraska Football 1902 Roster". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "the 1900s". HuskerMax. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i "1902 Game Recaps". Husker Press Box. Retrieved November 13, 2009.[permanent dead link]
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