1902 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

1902 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–0
Head coach
Home stadiumAntelope Field
Seasons
← 1901
1903 →
1902 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Nebraska   –   9 – 0 – 0
South Dakota   –   9 – 0 – 0
North Dakota Agricultural   –   4 – 0 – 0
Central Michigan   –   4 – 0 – 0
Ohio Medical   –   9 – 1 – 0
Marquette   –   6 – 1 – 1
Knox   –   9 – 2 – 0
Northern Illinois State   –   5 – 1 – 1
Haskell   –   8 – 2 – 1
Notre Dame   –   6 – 2 – 1
Drake   –   5 – 2 – 1
Lincoln (MO)   –   2 – 1 – 0
Mount Union   –   6 – 3 – 0
Iowa State   –   6 – 3 – 1
Carthage   –   2 – 1 – 1
Cincinnati   –   4 – 2 – 2
Missouri   –   5 – 3 – 0
Miami (OH)   –   5 – 3 – 1
Kansas   –   6 – 4 – 0
South Dakota Agricultural   –   3 – 2 – 0
Fairmount   –   4 – 3 – 1
Detroit College   –   3 – 3 – 0
Lake Forest   –   4 – 4 – 1
Lincoln (MO)   –   1 – 1 – 0
Western Illinois   –   2 – 2 – 0
Michigan Agricultural   –   4 – 5 – 0
Wittenberg   –   3 – 4 – 2
Washburn   –   3 – 4 – 0
Doane   –   2 – 3 – 0
Heidelberg   –   3 – 5 – 1
Wabash   –   2 – 4 – 2
Buchtel   –   2 – 5 – 0
Washington University   –   2 – 6 – 1
Butler   –   1 – 3 – 0
Kansas State   –   2 – 6 – 0
Michigan State Normal   –   1 – 5 – 1
Iowa State Normal   –   1 – 6 – 1
Ohio   –   0 – 5 – 1

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

[edit]
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 20Lincoln High School
W 27–0 (exhibition)
September 27Doane
  • Antelope Field
  • Lincoln, NE
W 51–0
October 4at Colorado
W 10–0
October 11Grinnell
  • Antelope Field
  • Lincoln, NE
W 17–0
October 18Minnesota
W 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

[edit]
Coach[7][8] Position First year Alma mater
Walter C. Booth Head coach 1900 Princeton
Lew Palmer Assistant coach 1902 Princeton
Jack Best Trainer 1890 Nebraska
Charles Engel Manager 1902 Nebraska
John Westover Assistant manager 1904 Nebraska

Roster

[edit]

[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

[edit]

Lincoln High

[edit]
Lincoln High at Nebraska
1 2Total
Lincoln High 0
• Nebraska 27
  • 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

[edit]
Doane at Nebraska
1 2Total
Doane 0 0 0
• Nebraska 22 29 51
  • Date: September 27
  • Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

[10][11]

At Colorado

[edit]
Nebraska at Colorado
1 2Total
• Nebraska 5 5 10
Colorado 0 0 0
See also: Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry

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

[edit]
Grinnell at Nebraska
1 2Total
Grinnell 0 0 0
• Nebraska 12 5 17
  • 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

[edit]
Nebraska at Minnesota
1 2Total
Minnesota 0 0 0
• Nebraska 0 6 6
See also: Minnesota–Nebraska football rivalry

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

[edit]
Nebraska vs. Missouri
1 2Total
• Nebraska 6 6 12
Missouri 0 0 0
See also: Missouri–Nebraska football rivalry

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

[edit]
Haskell at Nebraska
1 2Total
Haskell 0 0 0
• Nebraska 6 22 28
  • Date: November 1
  • Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE
  • Game attendance: 6,000

[10][11]

Kansas

[edit]
Kansas at Nebraska
1 2Total
Kansas 0
• Nebraska 16
See also: Kansas–Nebraska football rivalry

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

[edit]
Knox at Nebraska
1 2Total
Knox 0 0 0
• Nebraska 7 0 7
  • Date: November 15
  • Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

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

[edit]
Northwestern at Nebraska
1 2Total
Northwestern 0
• Nebraska 12
  • Date: November 27
  • Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

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

[edit]
  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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