1939 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1939 Nebraska Cornhuskers football Big Six Conference Big 6 18 7–1–1 4–1 Biff Jones 3rd Single-wing Memorial Stadium The 1939 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1939 college football season. In its third season under head coach Biff Jones, the team compiled a 7–1–1 record (4–1 against conference opponents), finished second in the Big Six, and was ranked No. 18 in the final AP Poll. The Cornhuskers outscored opponents by a total of 115 to 70.1939 Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule and Results Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football March 1, 2019 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/nebraska/1939-schedule.html They were also ranked at No. 9 in the 1939 Williamson System ratings,Texas Aggies Ranked Nation's Top The Atlanta Constitution Paul Williamson December 8, 1941 26 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123188995/texas-aggies-ranked-nations-top/ Newspapers.com at No. 8 in the Boand System ratings,Azzi Ratem Puts Huskers Eighth Evening World-Herald Azzi Ratem (William F. Boand) December 5, 1939 13 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123189914/azzi-ratem/ Newspapers.com and at No. 23 in the Litkenhous Ratings.Vols Second In Final Litkenhous Grid Rankings; Southern California Tenth E. E. Litkenhous Johnson City Sunday Press December 31, 1939 11 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123000367/vols-second-in-final-litkenhous-grid/ Newspapers.com The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. 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. Bible'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 1939 AP Central y y y y September 30 2:00 p.m. at Indiana<ncg> Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN T 7–7 18,000 Indiana, Nebraska Tie: Late Passes Get Huskers 7–7 Deadlock The Indianapolis Star W. Blaine Patton October 1, 1939 Sports 1 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122291121/indiana-nebraska-tie-late-passes-get/ Newspapers.com October 7 2:00 p.m. Minnesota<ncg> Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry) W 6–0 33,000 Nebraska Beats Minnesota, 6–0 Sunday Journal and Star John Bentley October 8, 1939 A1 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122288240/nebraska-beats-minnesota-6-0/ Newspapers.com October 14 2:00 p.m. at Iowa State Clyde Williams Field Ames, IA (rivalry) W 10–7 11,770 October 21 2:00 p.m. No. 19 Baylor<ncg> 16 Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE W 20–0 October 28 2:00 p.m. at Kansas State 10 Memorial Stadium Manhattan, KS (rivalry) W 25–9 November 4 2:00 p.m. at Missouri 10 Memorial Stadium Columbia, MO (rivalry) L 13–27 18,000 Christman's 'Flips' Beat Nebraska: Missouri Upsets Dope And Huskers Lose 27 To 13 The Sedalia Democrat and Capital Harold Claasen November 5, 1939 8 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122308519/christmans-flips-beat-nebraska/ Newspapers.com November 11 2:00 p.m. Kansas<hc> Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry) W 7–0 November 18 1:00 p.m. at Pittsburgh<ncg> Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA W 14–13 30,000 Tom Hopkins Fumbles Help Nebraska Beat Pitt Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph November 19, 1939 Pat 3–2 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113889832/fumbles-help-nebraska-beat-pitt/ November 30, 2022 Newspapers.com November 25 2:00 p.m. No. 14 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry) W 13–7 Roster Abel, George #47 G Alfson, Warren #22 G Ashburn, Jack #55 E Behm, Forrest #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 #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 http://www.huskers.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=4&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100&Q_SEASON=1939 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302174500/http://www.huskers.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=4&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100&Q_SEASON=1939 dead March 2, 2012 Nebraska Football 1939 Roster 2010-02-18 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, 1938–1940Charles Armstrong 19371937–1942, 1944Adolph J. Lewandowski 19371937–1944 NebraskaPaul Amen 19381938–1941Glenn Presnell 19381938–1942, 1946NebraskaRobert Mills 19391939William Pfeiff 19391939, 1942http://www.huskermax.com/coaches.html Nebraska head coaches 2010-02-18 HuskerMax https://web.archive.org/web/20100308010749/http://huskermax.com/coaches.html 8 March 2010 livehttp://www.huskermax.com/coaches/assistants.html Assistant coaches 2010-02-18 HuskerMaxhttp://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1940&page=172 1940 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 172) 2010-02-18 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Game summaries Indiana Nebraska at Indiana Nebraska 7 Indiana 7 September 30 Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, 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.http://www.huskermax.com/1930s.html The 1930s 2010-02-18 HuskerMaxhttp://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1940&page=174 1940 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 174) 2010-02-18 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Minnesota Minnesota at Nebraska Minnesota Nebraska 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 October 7 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska CST 33,000 Minnesota–Nebraska football rivalry Minnesota visited Lincoln to face Nebraska, with Nebraska relying primarily on its rushing offense throughout the game. Nebraska completed only one pass, while its defense prevented Minnesota from scoring. Nebraska’s only touchdown came on the same play used for a score in its previous game against Indiana. Despite the win, Minnesota continued to lead the all-time series 15–4–2. Iowa State Nebraska at Iowa State Nebraska Iowa State 3 0 7 0 0 0 0 7 October 14 Clyde Williams Field • Ames, Iowa CST 11,770 Iowa State–Nebraska football rivalry 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 #19 Baylor at #16 Nebraska #19 Baylor #16 Nebraska 0 0 0 0 6 0 14 0 October 21 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska CST 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.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1940&page=176 1940 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 176) 2010-02-18 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Kansas State #10 Nebraska at Kansas State #10 Nebraska 25 Kansas State 9 October 28 Memorial Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas Kansas State–Nebraska football rivalry 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. Televised Game Morning Chronicle Manhattan, Kansas October 28, 1939http://www.kstatesports.com/blog/2010/10/purple-pride-vs-big-red---4-0-vs-4-0.html Kansas State Wildcats Purple Pride vs. Big Red – 4–0 vs. 4–0 October 7, 2010 Mark Janssen February 11, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110215224819/http://www.kstatesports.com/blog/2010/10/purple-pride-vs-big-red---4-0-vs-4-0.html 15 February 2011 dead Missouri #10 Nebraska at Missouri #10 Nebraska 13 Missouri 27 November 4 Faurot Field • Columbia, Missouri Missouri–Nebraska football rivalry 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 Kansas at Nebraska Kansas Nebraska 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 November 11 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska CST Kansas–Nebraska football rivalry 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.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1940&page=178 1940 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 178) 2010-02-18 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Pittsburgh Nebraska at Pittsburgh Nebraska 14 Pittsburgh 13 November 18 Pitt Stadium • 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 #14 Oklahoma at Nebraska #14 Oklahoma Nebraska 7 0 0 0 0 13 0 0 November 25 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska CST Nebraska–Oklahoma football rivalry 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 All Big 6 Warren Alfson, Herman Rohrighttp://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1940&page=173 1940 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 173) 2010-02-18 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries References Nebraska Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football seasons Nebraska Cornhuskers football Category:1939 college football season