1938 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1938 Nebraska Cornhuskers football Big Six Conference Big 6 3–5–1 2–3 Biff Jones 2nd Single-wing Memorial Stadium The 1938 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1938 college football season. In its second season under head coach Biff Jones, the team compiled a 3–5–1 record (2–3 against conference opponents), tied for third place in the Big Six, and was outscored opponents by a total of 84 to 68.1938 Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule and Results Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football March 1, 2019 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/nebraska/1938-schedule.html The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. Before the season Coach Jones returned for his second season since taking over for the popular and successful Dana X. Bible, and the transition seemed to have been completed without difficulty as he had brought another league title to Lincoln in his first season. However, a large number of starters had graduated or otherwise left after 1937, and the depth chart established for 1938 was made up mainly of underclassmen, especially sophomores, making for a young and inexperienced team.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1939&page=331 1939 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 331) 2010-01-15 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Schedule 1948 AP Central y y y October 1 2:00 p.m. at Minnesota<ncg> Memorial Stadium Minneapolis, MN (rivalry) L 7–16 46,000 October 8 2:00 p.m. Iowa State Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry) L 7–8 28,468 October 15 2:00 p.m. Indiana<ncg> Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE T 0–0 October 22 2:30 p.m. at No. 14 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK (rivalry) L 0–14 October 29 2:00 p.m. Missouri<hc> Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry) L 20–26 November 5 2:00 p.m. at Kansas Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS (rivalry) W 16–7 November 12 2:00 p.m. No. 3 Pittsburgh<ncg> Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE L 0–19 35,000 Chester L. Smith Panthers Regain Top Stride, Overpower Nebraska, 19 to 0 The Pittsburgh Press November 13, 1938 Sports 1 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110769545/panthers-beat-huskers-19-to-0/ October 5, 2022 Newspapers.com November 19 2:00 p.m. at Iowa<ncg> Iowa Stadium Iowa City, IA (rivalry) W 14–0 November 24 2:00 p.m. Kansas State Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry) W 14–7 Roster Alfson, Warren #22 G Andreson, William #32 QB Ashburn, Jack #55 E Behm, Forrest #33 T Brock, Charles #47 C Burruss, Robert #49 C Callihan, William #34 FB Cather, Bud #10 HB Dobson, Adna #53 G Dodd, Edward #24 HB Elam, Frank E Farmer, LeRoy #11 G Goetowski, Paul #48 T Grimm, Lloyd #44 E Hann, Leo #23 E Herrmann, William #29 G Hitchcock, Richard #39 T Hopp, Harry #37 FB Iverson, William #30 G Kahler, Robert #35 E Kahler, Royal #42 T Klum, Arlo #51 G Knickrehm, Hubert #40 T Knight, George #21 QB Lomax, Everett #12 G Luther, Walter #27 HB Meier, Fred #20 C Mills, Robert #46 T Muskin, Leonard #43 G Neprud, Vernon #52 T Nuernberger, Eldon #36 FB Petsch, Roy #13 QB Pfeiff, William #50 G Phelps, Thurston #17 QB Plock, Marvin #15 HB Porter, George #18 HB Preston, Fred #56 E Prochaska, Ray #31 E Rohrig, Herman #25 HB Ruser, Dale #14 C Schluckebier, Glen #58 E Schwartzkopf, Sam #54 T Seeman, George #41 E Shindo, Kenneth #28 E Simmons, Kenneth #19 HB Thompson, Theos #26 HB Wibbels, Edsel #45 FB Worrall, Charles HB http://www.huskers.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=4&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100&Q_SEASON=1938 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302173743/http://www.huskers.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=4&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100&Q_SEASON=1938 dead March 2, 2012 Nebraska Football 1938 Roster 2010-01-15 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Athletics Department Coaching staff Name Title First yearin this position Years atNebraska Alma materLawrence Mcceney "Biff" JonesHead coach19371937–1941ArmyW. Harold BrowneAssistant coach19301930–1940Roy Lyman 19361936–1941Harold Petz 19381936, 1938–1940Adolph J. Lewandowski 19371937–1944 NebraskaCharles Armstrong 19371937–1942, 1944Paul Amen 19381938–1941Rob Mehring 19381938Glenn Presnell 19381938–1942, 1946Nebraskahttp://www.huskermax.com/coaches.html Nebraska head coaches 2010-01-15 HuskerMaxhttp://www.huskermax.com/coaches/assistants.html Assistant coaches 2010-01-15 HuskerMaxhttp://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1939&page=330 1939 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 330) 2010-01-15 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Game summaries Minnesota Nebraska at Minnesota Nebraska Minnesota 0 0 7 0 7 7 0 2 October 1 Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis CST Minnesota–Nebraska football rivalry Minnesota was not happy at having their long winning streak over the Cornhuskers broken in 1937, and was ready to pounce on Nebraska in Minneapolis to open the season. Scoring once in each of the first two quarters, the Golden Gophers were in command 14–0 by the half. Undaunted, the young Husker team managed a touchdown to answer in the third quarter to make it a one-possession game, but near the end of the game, and pressed against their own end zone, Nebraska suffered a blocked shovel pass. The Huskers recovered it in the end zone to hand Minnesota two more points, putting the game out of reach. The Gophers had restored what had become the typical order, and moved to 15–3–2 against Nebraska all time.http://www.huskermax.com/1930s.html The 1930s 2010-01-15 HuskerMaxhttp://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1939&page=332 1939 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 332) 2010-01-15 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Iowa State Iowa State at Nebraska Iowa State Nebraska 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 7 October 8 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska CST 28,468 Iowa State–Nebraska football rivalry Both teams held each other scoreless for the first half, but the Cyclones broke away with a touchdown and a safety to move up in the third. Nebraska answered near the end of the game, but still fell short by one point. Iowa State celebrated snapping the longest winning streak the Cornhuskers had ever held over another team at 15 straight, and it was the first 0–2 start to a Nebraska season since 1924. Still, the Cyclones had a long way to go to ever catch Nebraska overall, as they lagged against the Huskers 5–27–1.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1939&page=334 1939 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 334) 2010-01-15 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Indiana Indiana at Nebraska Indiana Nebraska 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 October 15 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska CST Nebraska outplayed Indiana and kept the ball on the visitors' side of the field for most of the game, and even recovered seven of the nine Indiana fumbles, but was still unable to ever put the ball over the line. The Hoosiers to their credit never gave up, and managed to hold the Cornhuskers to a scoreless game. Nebraska remained undefeated in the series after two previous wins against Indiana to date.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1939&page=335 1939 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 335) 2010-01-15 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Oklahoma Nebraska at #14 Oklahoma Nebraska #14 Oklahoma 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 7 October 22 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, Oklahoma CST Nebraska–Oklahoma football rivalry Oklahoma was ranked and on a roll when Nebraska arrived in Norman, and this time the Sooners were not willing to settle for a tie after the 0–0 result of last year. Nebraska fought to keep it a one-possession game after an early Sooner score, and held almost until the end, when Oklahoma secured another touchdown and put the outcome out of reach. Nebraska's undefeated stretch against the Sooners was snapped after seven games, but they still owned the 12–3–3 series. Missouri Missouri at Nebraska Missouri Nebraska 0 7 0 6 0 3 7 0 October 29 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska CST Missouri–Nebraska football rivalry It seemed that the season was beginning to collapse around the ears of the young Cornhusker squad, and the story was sadly continued in Lincoln. The Tigers, sensing the vulnerability of a Nebraska team with four straight winless games, was still set back when the Huskers scored first, but a touchdown to pull ahead by four by halftime served to encourage Missouri. The Huskers tried to take control with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half, but could not prevent the Tigers from the late game-winning touchdown near the end. Nebraska's 10-game undefeated stretch against Missouri was the latest streak to be broken, and Missouri at last took the Missouri-Nebraska Bell back to Columbia. The Cornhuskers still held a commanding 22–7–3 edge over the Tigers all time. Kansas Nebraska at Kansas Nebraska Kansas 7 0 0 9 0 0 0 7 November 5 Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, Kansas CST Kansas–Nebraska football rivalry Under the weight of only the second five-winless season start in Cornhusker football history, which had last happened in 1919, the Nebraska squad took the field against the Jayhawks in Lawrence. The Cornhuskers had won 13 in a row against Kansas, but had the streak of victories broken last year when the teams fought to a tie. This was the last active major successful string without a loss, and the Husker team didn't want to lose it, too. Although Nebraska struck first, the teams settled into a scoreless battle afterwards until the fourth quarter. Kansas tied it up and put the pressure on, but a subsequent Nebraska field goal and touchdown kept the undefeated streak against Kansas alive at 15 in a row, while Nebraska improved over Kansas to 33–9–3.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1939&page=336 1939 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 336) 2010-01-15 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Pittsburgh #3 Pittsburgh at Nebraska #3 Pittsburgh Nebraska 0 6 6 7 0 0 0 0 November 12 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska CST The struggling Cornhuskers had suffered a long string of disappointments at the hands of the Panthers, and Nebraska was glad to have home-field advantage when facing Pitt under the circumstances. The Panthers were held scoreless in the first while the Huskers pulled up within 15 yards of a score before a field goal was blocked. After that, Nebraska could not keep up as the Panthers secured one touchdown in each subsequent quarter to pull away, setting two new undesired Nebraska records against any single team: 6 losses in a row and 12 winless games in a row. Nebraska's series frustration against Pitt was extended to 1–9–3.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1939&page=333 1939 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 333) 2010-01-15 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Iowa Nebraska at Iowa Nebraska 14 Iowa 0 November 19 Iowa Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry The sting of yet another loss in the Pittsburgh grudge match was wiped away with a shutout victory over Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. Both Cornhusker scores came as a result of converted turnovers, one a fumble and one an interception. Nebraska's 6th straight win over Iowa moved the series record to 18–7–3 in favor of Nebraska. Kansas State Kansas State at Nebraska Kansas State 7 Nebraska 14 November 24 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska Kansas State–Nebraska football rivalry Nebraska's spirits had been lifted somewhat by the shutout delivered to Iowa last week, and so entered the annual Kansas State game intent on closing the season with a win. Making good on that intent, the Cornhuskers advanced to a 14–0 lead by halftime. The Wildcats were only able to come up with a single touchdown and therefore dropped to 2–19–2 in their Nebraska series.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1939&page=337 1939 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 337) 2010-01-15 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries After the season Coach Jones' second season was without a doubt a surprising disappointment, though the annual university yearbook praised the student body and football fans in particular for standing behind the team through the rough experience. The five losses in a single season were the most since the disastrous 1–7–1 campaign of 1899 in former head coach A. Edwin Branch's first (and only) season at Nebraska. Coach Jones saw his two-year overall record at Nebraska slip to 9–6–3 (.583) as his conference career total also slipped to 5–3–2 (.600), and the program's overall record fell to 279–95–30 (.728) while the Big 6 record slipped to 92–14–11 (.833). References Nebraska Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football seasons Nebraska Cornhuskers football