1939 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
Encyclopedia
The 1939 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska in the 1939 college football season
. The team was coached by Biff Jones
and played their home games at Memorial Stadium
in Lincoln, Nebraska
.
's legacy. After suffering a 3-5-1 campaign in 1938, the most losses in a single season since 1899, coach Jones needed to get the program back on its feet.
Indiana scored first and held Nebraska off with the narrow 7-0 lead for most of the rest of the game. Finally, as time was running out, the Cornhuskers pulled up to the Hoosier 1 yard line. After two subsequent scoring attempts were turned away, Nebraska executed a reverse around the right and scored with less than 90 seconds remaining to play. Indiana responded valiantly, quickly driving from their own 35 to the Nebraska 10 before a turnover ended their last hope with 35 seconds still on the clock. Indiana thus remained winless against Nebraska in all four of their attempts.
Kansas State found the scoreboard first on an early field goal, but a punt returned for a touchdown turned the tide, and two Wildcat fumbles later on handed additional points to the Cornhuskers, who never looked back. It was Nebraska's fourth straight win over Kansas State as the series was advanced to 20-2-2 all time.
The game was the second televised college football game of all time, and the first ever televised homecoming
game.
Missouri handed Nebraska its first and only loss of the season in Columbia, easily holding Nebraska off by a two-touchdown margin to hold onto the Missouri-Nebraska Bell. It was the second straight Tiger victory, but Missouri still lagged in the series 8-22-3.
The bitter rivalry with Pittsburgh was continued when the Cornhuskers arrived for the game at Pitt Stadium with hopes to end the long streak of Nebraska futility against the Panthers. The Cornhuskers battled to a slim 7-6 halftime lead, a margin which would eventually prove enough for the win after both teams each managed a second half touchdown apiece. Nebraska's six-game losing streak and twelve-game winless streak against Pittsburgh, both all-time program records to date, were snapped at last. Still, this was only Nebraska's second win against Pittsburgh in all 14 attempts, leaving a long way for the Cornhuskers to go to catch up.
1939 college football season
The 1939 college football season concluded with the Aggies of The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas being named as the national champions by the voters in the Associated Press writers' poll....
. The team was coached by Biff Jones
Biff Jones
-External links:...
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 Jones was under some scrutiny upon the start of his third year at the helm of the program, as it wasn't entirely clear if his successful first year in 1937 was a product of his leadership or a remnant of former head coach Dana X. BibleDana X. Bible
Dana Xenophon Bible was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi College , Louisiana State University , Texas A&M University , the University of Nebraska , and the University of Texas...
's legacy. After suffering a 3-5-1 campaign in 1938, the most losses in a single season since 1899, coach Jones needed to get the program back on its feet.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank# | Site | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 30* | at | Memorial Stadium Memorial Stadium (Indiana University old) Memorial Stadium was a stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. It was primarily used for college football, and was the home field of the Indiana University football team between 1925 and 1959, prior to the opening of the new Memorial Stadium. The stadium held 20,000 people and was built in 1925. The... • Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census.... |
T 7-7 | - | |
| October 7* | Minnesota | 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 6-0 | 33,000 | |
| October 14 | 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 10-7 | - | |
| October 21* | #19 | #16 | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | W 20-0 | - |
| October 28 | at | #10 | Memorial Stadium Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium is a stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Kansas State University Wildcats football team. It is named after head coach Bill Snyder and his family... • Manhattan, Kansas Manhattan, Kansas Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281... |
W 25-9 | - |
| November 4 | at | #10 | Faurot Field Faurot Field Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium is the home field of the University of Missouri Tigers in Columbia, Missouri. It is primarily used for football. In 1972, Memorial Stadium's playing surface was named Faurot Field in honor of longtime coach Don Faurot. During the offseason, soccer goals are set up... • 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... |
L 13-27 | - |
| November 11† | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | W 7-0 | - | ||
| November 18* | at | Pitt Stadium Pitt Stadium Pitt Stadium was a stadium located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1925 to 1999. It served primarily as the home of the University of Pittsburgh's football team, the Pittsburgh Panthers... • Pittsburgh, Pennysylvania |
W 14-13 | - | |
| November 25 | #14 Oklahoma | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | W 13-7 | - | |
| *Non-Conference Game †Homecoming #Rankings from AP | |||||
Roster
Abel, George #47 G Alfson, Warren Warren Alfson Warren Alfson was an American football guard and linebacker for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, as well as the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National Football League.-Early years:He was born and raised in Wisner, Nebraska... #22 G Ashburn, Jack #55 E Behm, Forrest Forrest Behm Forrest Edwin Behm was an American football player. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988.-External links:*... #33 T Blue, Wayne #39 HB Burruss, Robert #49 C Carper, Charles #58 E DeFruiter, Robert #46 HB Dobson, Adna #53 G Francis, Vike #38 FB Fuenning, Sam #57 G Haynes, Edgar #36 T Herndon, Clarence #34 T Herrmann, William #29 G Hopp, Harry #37 FB Kahler, Robert #35 HB Kahler, Royal #42 T Kelly, Howard #56 C Klum, Arlo #51 G Knickrehm, Hubert #40 T Knight, George #21 QB Leik, Francis #60 T Ludwick, Robert #30 E Luther, Walter #27 HB Meier, Fred #20 C |
Monsky, Hubert #45 G Muskin, Leonard #43 T Myers, Lynn #64 G Nelson, Jack #65 T Petsch, Roy #13 QB Porter, George #18 HB Preston, Fred #52 E Prochaska, Jerome #32 E Prochaska, Ray #31 E Ramey, Robert #16 C Rohn, Henry #15 FB Rohrig, Herman Herm Rohrig Herm Rohrig was a former player in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1941 NFL Draft and would play three seasons with the team. Following his retirement as a player, he worked as an official and a scout in the NFL and would serve as an... #25 HB Rubottom, Don #10 HB Schwartzkopf, Ed #17 G Schwartzkopf, Sam #54 T Seeman, George #41 E Simmons, Kenneth #19 HB Stearns, George #48 G Thompson, Marvin #44 HB Thompson, Theos #26 HB Vincent, Jack #23 HB Waddick, Donald #24 E Ziegler, Donald #50 E Zorn, Howard #68 G |
|||||
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | First year in this position |
Years at Nebraska | Alma Mater |
| Lawrence Mcceney "Biff" Jones | |Head Coach | 1937 | 1937–1941 | Army United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City... |
| W. Harold Browne | |Assistant Coach | 1930 | 1930–1940 | |
| Roy Lyman | | | 1936 | 1936–1941 | |
| Harold Petz | | | 1938 | 1936, 1938–1940 | |
| Charles Armstrong | | | 1937 | 1937–1942, 1944 | |
| Adolph J. Lewandowski Adolph J. Lewandowski Adolph J. "A. J." "Lew" Lewandowski was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1943 to 1944, compiling a record of 4–12... |
| | 1937 | 1937–1944 | Nebraska |
| Paul Amen | | | 1938 | 1938–1941 | |
| Glenn Presnell Glenn Presnell Glenn Emery "Press" Presnell was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He set the NFL single-season scoring record in 1933 and led the league in total offense. He was the last surviving member of the Detroit Lions inaugural 1934 team and helped lead the team to... |
| | 1938 | 1938–1942, 1946 | Nebraska University of Nebraska–Lincoln The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska... |
| Robert Mills | | | 1939 | 1939 | |
| William Pfeiff | | | 1939 | 1939, 1942 |
Indiana
|
Indiana scored first and held Nebraska off with the narrow 7-0 lead for most of the rest of the game. Finally, as time was running out, the Cornhuskers pulled up to the Hoosier 1 yard line. After two subsequent scoring attempts were turned away, Nebraska executed a reverse around the right and scored with less than 90 seconds remaining to play. Indiana responded valiantly, quickly driving from their own 35 to the Nebraska 10 before a turnover ended their last hope with 35 seconds still on the clock. Indiana thus remained winless against Nebraska in all four of their attempts.
Minnesota
Nebraska brought old nemesis Minnesota to Lincoln and attacked the Gophers with a powerful running offense, while the Cornhusker defense put up an outstanding effort to keep Minnesota off the scoreboard all day long. Nebraska threw only a single pass during the contest, and made their lone score using the same play that slipped past Indiana in the previous game. The rare win was savored by the Cornhuskers, but Nebraska had a long way to go if they ever hoped to even up the series, as the Gophers still held a dominating edge of 15-4-2 over the Cornhuskers.Iowa State
Nebraska opened the 1939 conference slate with a relatively easy win over Iowa State, running out to a 10-0 lead by the start of the 4th quarter. The Cyclones did manage a late rally to put up 7 late points, but the Cornhuskers successfully avenged the previous year's upsetting loss to Iowa State and padded the series lead over the Cyclones to 28-5-1.Baylor
Baylor met Nebraska for the first time in what was presented initially as a marquee matchup of two highly touted lines. The day belonged to Nebraska all the way, however, as the Cornhuskers pulled up to a 6-0 lead by the half before breaking away with two more touchdowns in the 3rd quarter on their way to blanking the Bears in Lincoln.Kansas State
|
- See also 1939 Nebraska vs. Kansas State football game1939 Nebraska vs. Kansas State football gameThe 1939 Nebraska vs. Kansas State football game was a college football game between the and the Nebraska Cornhuskers played on October 28, 1939...
Kansas State found the scoreboard first on an early field goal, but a punt returned for a touchdown turned the tide, and two Wildcat fumbles later on handed additional points to the Cornhuskers, who never looked back. It was Nebraska's fourth straight win over Kansas State as the series was advanced to 20-2-2 all time.
The game was the second televised college football game of all time, and the first ever televised homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
game.
Missouri
|
Missouri handed Nebraska its first and only loss of the season in Columbia, easily holding Nebraska off by a two-touchdown margin to hold onto the Missouri-Nebraska Bell. It was the second straight Tiger victory, but Missouri still lagged in the series 8-22-3.
Kansas
The Cornhuskers wasted no time in finding the scoreboard early on, but wasted two scoring attempts soon afterward to lost fumbles. The game remained fairly evenly matched thereafter, until a late spirited attack by the Jayhawks put a brief minor scare in Nebraska before being warded off. This was the 14th straight game dropped to the Cornhuskers, and the Jayhawks fell to 9-34-3 against the Cornhuskers in the series.Pittsburgh
|
The bitter rivalry with Pittsburgh was continued when the Cornhuskers arrived for the game at Pitt Stadium with hopes to end the long streak of Nebraska futility against the Panthers. The Cornhuskers battled to a slim 7-6 halftime lead, a margin which would eventually prove enough for the win after both teams each managed a second half touchdown apiece. Nebraska's six-game losing streak and twelve-game winless streak against Pittsburgh, both all-time program records to date, were snapped at last. Still, this was only Nebraska's second win against Pittsburgh in all 14 attempts, leaving a long way for the Cornhuskers to go to catch up.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma, a recent source of frustration to Nebraska after defeating the Cornhuskers in the previous year and drawing up a tie the year before that, once again fell to Nebraska as the Cornhuskers wrapped up the conference slate with just one loss overall, to Big 6 champion Missouri. Though the Sooners scored early, Nebraska promptly answered before the half to take the lead, and no further scores were attained by either team afterwards. Nebraska improved in the series to 13-3-3.After the season
Coach Jones redeemed himself in a convincing manner following the disappointing 1938 season. Although Nebraska did not bring home a conference title this year, the Cornhuskers were able to defeat both bitter rivals Minnesota and Pittsburgh in the same season for the first time ever, and wrapped up the season with a defeat of #14 Oklahoma to move into the rankings themselves in the postseason poll. Coach Jones saw his overall career record at Nebraska bounce back substantially, to 16-7-4 (.667), while his conference total also improved to 9-4-2 (.667). The Cornhuskers now owned an overall record of 286-96-31 (.730) and a Big 6 conference record of 96-15-11 (.832).Awards
| Award | Name(s) |
|---|---|
| All American 2nd team | Warren Alfson Warren Alfson Warren Alfson was an American football guard and linebacker for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, as well as the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National Football League.-Early years:He was born and raised in Wisner, Nebraska... |
| All Big 6 | Warren Alfson, Herman Rohrig |