1923 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
Encyclopedia
The 1923 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska in the 1923 college football season
. The team was coached by Fred Dawson
and played their home games at Memorial Stadium
in Lincoln, Nebraska
.
, but it was a hard start to the season. The most prounounced change was the absence of Jack Best, the team's trainer of the previous 32 seasons dating to the beginning of the program, who had died shortly after the end of the 1922 season. The first team on the schedule was not the typical tune-up patsy scrimmage of most seasons past, as coach Dawson had arranged an opening battle on the road against Illinois in order to infuse his team with a heavy dose of experience early in the year. Making things additionally rough to start the year, only nine starters from last season's title team were returning to play for the Cornhuskers.
Nebraska had not faced Illinois since 1905, but had racked up victories in every contest against the Fighting Illini to date. This time, however, the game was to be played in Champaign instead of Lincoln, and the Cornhuskers had only two weeks of practice to prepare for this opening contest. The game was held close, and the outcome was in doubt until the fourth quarter, when Illinois finally overpowered Nebraska and pulled away for the win. The Cornhuskers went home with an opening loss, but held the series advantage at 4-1.
The Cornhuskers hosted Oklahoma for the first game played at the new Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. The lopsided score does not tell the tale of the game, which was a bitter contest of near equals except for the breaks that fell in favor of the Cornhuskers. The Sooners repeatedly threatened to score and were thwarted by untimely errors, and the final Nebraska score came on another near-touchdown by Oklahoma that was turned over and returned 90 yards. Oklahoma remained winless in the series, trailing Nebraska 0-4-1.
For the second game in a row, Nebraska came out looking solid and played strong football, only to be met by an equally strong team opposing them. It was not a game filled with errors and mishaps, but rather two well-coached teams that matched up equally. As a result, the game ended in a 7-7 tie, the second consecutive tie game for Nebraska. The only other time Nebraska had tied two games in a row was in 1919, and it never happened again. Missouri still had a long way to go if they hoped to catch up the series, as they still lagged behind 3-13-1.
were looking to exact revenge for the defeat handed them by Nebraska the previous year. The game opened with Notre Dame shocked at their struggle to gain the upper hand. Nebraska scored once, and then again, going up 14-0 by halftime, stunning the crowd entirely - both those rooting for Notre Dame and for Nebraska. Knute Rockne
finally managed to coach his team to a single fourth quarter touchdown, but the day belonged to the Cornhuskers. For the second time in a row, Nebraska handed the Four Horsemen a loss, which was also only the second time they had lost to any team. Notre Dame went on to win the next three games, finishing their season with just the one loss in Lincoln, again not allowing any of those other opponents more than 7 points per game. The Nebraska win caught them up with the Fighting Irish, to 4-4-1 all time.
Nebraska ran right out to a 26-0 lead, never seriously being challenged by Iowa State for most of the game despite a hard-fought and physical battle on the field. In the fourth quarter, however, injuries and substitutions disrupted the rhythm of the Cornhuskers, which allowed Iowa State to come to life and put in a late 14 points. Iowa State's record against Nebraska fell to 4-15-1.
Nebraska had some players still out from injury, while many who stayed in were slowed by various problems still carried since the Iowa State game. In another battle against a strong eastern team, both squads fought to a standstill for most of the game. Near the end, however, as in the previous week, the Cornhuskers began to bend and then finally allowed Syracuse a single touchdown, which was enough for to Syracuse to be the first visiting team to win in Nebraska's new stadium. Nebraska's frustration against the Orangemen was extended as they fell to 1-3 against Syracuse all time.
Nebraska found success in the final game of the season by controlling the time of the possession, with a punishing ground game that prevented Kansas State from opportunities to touch the ball. Although the final score implied a convincing win, the Kansas State squad threatened to score throughout the entire game when they were able to get the ball, and the outcome was not decided until late in the day. The Nebraska win extended the futility of the Kansas State squad in the series, as they remained winless in all eight games played to date.
1923 college football season
The 1923 college football season saw several teams finish their seasons unbeaten and untied. Illinois and Michigan The 1923 college football season saw several teams finish their seasons unbeaten and untied. Illinois (coached by Bob Zuppke) and Michigan The 1923 college football season saw...
. The team was coached by Fred Dawson
Fred Dawson
-References:...
and played their home games at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium, Lincoln
Memorial Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. It is the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team....
in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
.
Before the season
Coach Dawson returned for his third season with two conference championships to his credit and a new home playing field following the completion of Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium, Lincoln
Memorial Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. It is the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team....
, but it was a hard start to the season. The most prounounced change was the absence of Jack Best, the team's trainer of the previous 32 seasons dating to the beginning of the program, who had died shortly after the end of the 1922 season. The first team on the schedule was not the typical tune-up patsy scrimmage of most seasons past, as coach Dawson had arranged an opening battle on the road against Illinois in order to infuse his team with a heavy dose of experience early in the year. Making things additionally rough to start the year, only nine starters from last season's title team were returning to play for the Cornhuskers.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 6* | at | Memorial Stadium Memorial Stadium (Champaign) thumb|right|300px|Original plan for Memorial Stadium circa 1921. Caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] Magazine, 1921Memorial Stadium is a football stadium located in Champaign, Illinois, in the United States, on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The stadium is dedicated as... • Champaign, Illinois Champaign, Illinois Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of... |
L 7-24 | - |
| October 13 | Oklahoma | Memorial Stadium Memorial Stadium, Lincoln Memorial Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. It is the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.... • Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379.... |
W 24-0 | - |
| October 20† | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379.... |
T 0-0 | 20,000+ | |
| October 27 | at | Rollins Field • Columbia, Missouri Columbia, Missouri Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the... |
T 7-7 | - |
| November 10* | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | W 14-7 | 30,000 | |
| November 17 | at | Clyde Williams Field • Ames, Iowa Ames, Iowa Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa... |
W 26-14 | - |
| November 24* | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | L 0-7 | - | |
| November 29 | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | W 34-12 | - | |
| *Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming | ||||
Roster
Bassett, Henry (Sr.)T Berquist, Joy (Sr.)RG Bloodgood, Elbert (So.) QB Collins, Melvin (So.) E Dewitz, Herbert (Sr.)HB Dewitz, Rufus (Jr.) HB Gately QB Halberslaben G Hartman, Cecil (Sr.)FB Hendrickson, Emil (Jr.) G Hill T Hubka, Ladimer (So.) E Hutchinson, Harold (So.) C Lewellen, Verne (Sr.)QB Locke, Roland (So.) HB Mackey C |
McAllister, Eugene (Jr.) E McGlasson, Ross (Sr.)G Myers, Douglas (So.) E Noble, Dave (Sr.)HB Ogden, Warren (So.) G Packer, Bloyce G Popelar E Pospisil, Frank G Randolph, George HB Reed G Rhodes, John (So.) E Robertson, Rob (So.) E Rorby, Noel C Weir, Ed Ed Weir Samuel Edwin Weir was an American collegiate and professional football player.He was the first Nebraska Cornhusker football player elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and is known as one of Nebraska's greatest athletes... (Jr.) T Wostoupel, Joseph (So.) E |
|||||
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | First year in this position |
Years at Nebraska | Alma Mater |
| Fred Dawson Fred Dawson -References:... |
|Head Coach | 1921 | 1921–1924 | Princeton Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.... |
| Henry Schulte Henry Schulte Henry Frank Schulte was an American football player and coach and also a college track and field coach... |
|Lineman Coach | 1921 | 1919–1924, 1931–1937 | Michigan University of Michigan The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan... |
| Owen Frank | |Backfield Coach | 1921 | 1921–1925 | Nebraska |
| Bill Day | |Centers Coach | 1921 | 1921–1925, 1928–1931 | Nebraska |
| Leo Sherer | |Ends Coach | 1923 | 1923–1928 | Nebraska |
| Hartley | |Backfield Coach | 1923 | 1923 | |
| James Tyson | |Manager |
Illinois
|
Nebraska had not faced Illinois since 1905, but had racked up victories in every contest against the Fighting Illini to date. This time, however, the game was to be played in Champaign instead of Lincoln, and the Cornhuskers had only two weeks of practice to prepare for this opening contest. The game was held close, and the outcome was in doubt until the fourth quarter, when Illinois finally overpowered Nebraska and pulled away for the win. The Cornhuskers went home with an opening loss, but held the series advantage at 4-1.
Oklahoma
|
The Cornhuskers hosted Oklahoma for the first game played at the new Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. The lopsided score does not tell the tale of the game, which was a bitter contest of near equals except for the breaks that fell in favor of the Cornhuskers. The Sooners repeatedly threatened to score and were thwarted by untimely errors, and the final Nebraska score came on another near-touchdown by Oklahoma that was turned over and returned 90 yards. Oklahoma remained winless in the series, trailing Nebraska 0-4-1.
Kansas
Although this was not the first game to be played at the new Memorial Stadium, this was the game associated with the official dedication of the facility, scheduled to coincide with homecoming. According to the Nebraska yearbook, there was apparently a streak of home field losses for area teams dedicating new stadiums at about this time, and although Nebraska did not drop this game, they also failed to get a win against visiting Kansas. Where Nebraska had the offense to move the ball, Kansas produced some stingy goal line stands to keep the Cornhuskers off the board for all four quarters, leaving both teams scoreless at the final whistle. Nebraska's overall lead in the series thus remained unchanged, at 19-9-2.Missouri
|
For the second game in a row, Nebraska came out looking solid and played strong football, only to be met by an equally strong team opposing them. It was not a game filled with errors and mishaps, but rather two well-coached teams that matched up equally. As a result, the game ended in a 7-7 tie, the second consecutive tie game for Nebraska. The only other time Nebraska had tied two games in a row was in 1919, and it never happened again. Missouri still had a long way to go if they hoped to catch up the series, as they still lagged behind 3-13-1.
Notre Dame
Nebraska's season began rather weakly as the Cornhuskers managed to scrape up to a 1-1-2 record to date. Unsurprisingly, things looked grim for the home team as the undefeated Notre Dame team returned to Lincoln with a 6-0 record, having prevented all opponents from scoring more than a single touchdown in each game. The Four Horsemen of Notre DameFour Horsemen (football)
The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame comprised a winning group of American football players at the University of Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne. They were the backfield of Notre Dame's 1924 football team...
were looking to exact revenge for the defeat handed them by Nebraska the previous year. The game opened with Notre Dame shocked at their struggle to gain the upper hand. Nebraska scored once, and then again, going up 14-0 by halftime, stunning the crowd entirely - both those rooting for Notre Dame and for Nebraska. Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
finally managed to coach his team to a single fourth quarter touchdown, but the day belonged to the Cornhuskers. For the second time in a row, Nebraska handed the Four Horsemen a loss, which was also only the second time they had lost to any team. Notre Dame went on to win the next three games, finishing their season with just the one loss in Lincoln, again not allowing any of those other opponents more than 7 points per game. The Nebraska win caught them up with the Fighting Irish, to 4-4-1 all time.
Iowa State
|
Nebraska ran right out to a 26-0 lead, never seriously being challenged by Iowa State for most of the game despite a hard-fought and physical battle on the field. In the fourth quarter, however, injuries and substitutions disrupted the rhythm of the Cornhuskers, which allowed Iowa State to come to life and put in a late 14 points. Iowa State's record against Nebraska fell to 4-15-1.
Syracuse
|
Nebraska had some players still out from injury, while many who stayed in were slowed by various problems still carried since the Iowa State game. In another battle against a strong eastern team, both squads fought to a standstill for most of the game. Near the end, however, as in the previous week, the Cornhuskers began to bend and then finally allowed Syracuse a single touchdown, which was enough for to Syracuse to be the first visiting team to win in Nebraska's new stadium. Nebraska's frustration against the Orangemen was extended as they fell to 1-3 against Syracuse all time.
Kansas State
|
Nebraska found success in the final game of the season by controlling the time of the possession, with a punishing ground game that prevented Kansas State from opportunities to touch the ball. Although the final score implied a convincing win, the Kansas State squad threatened to score throughout the entire game when they were able to get the ball, and the outcome was not decided until late in the day. The Nebraska win extended the futility of the Kansas State squad in the series, as they remained winless in all eight games played to date.