1947 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1947 Nebraska Cornhuskers football Big Six Conference Big 6 2–7 2–3 Bernie Masterson 2nd T formation Memorial Stadium The 1947 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska as a member of the Big Six Conference during the 1947 college football season. Led by Bernie Masterson in his second and final season as head coach, the Cornhuskers compiled an overall record of 2–7 with a mark of 2–3 in conference play, placing fourth in the Big 6. Nebraska was ranked at No. 76 (out of 500 college football teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1947.Michigan National Champion in Final Litkenhous Ratings Times Dr. E. E. Litkenhous December 18, 1947 47 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123152970/michigan-national-champion-in-final/ Newspapers.com Nebraska played home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. Before the season Head coach Masterson, hired last year to restore the T formation offense, and Nebraska's historic dominance that had faded over the past several years, returned in his attempt to stem the program's unprecedented string of losing seasons at six. Never before this stretch had the Cornhuskers ever had even two consecutive losing football seasons, and as the fifth head coach of the Cornhuskers in the last eleven years, and with four of the six 1946 assistants departed and replaced with three new position coaches, turnover and instability at the top that had likely contributed to the long run of frustration was still a concern. It remained to be seen whether coach Masterson would be up to the challenge of Nebraska's recovery. Schedule 1947 AP y y September 27 Indiana<ncg> Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE L 0–17 33,000 Indiana's Power Flails Nebraska, 17–0 The Des Moines Register Jack North September 28, 1947 3S https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28589164/indianas_power_flails_nebraska_170/ Newspapers.com October 4 Minnesota<ncg> Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry) L 13–28 34,500 NU Rally Short as Gophers Win 28–13 Sunday Journal and Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) Walt Dobbins October 5, 1947 11, 33 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28465763/nu_rally_short_as_gophers_win_281/ Newspapers.com October 11 at Iowa State Clyde Williams Field Ames, IA (rivalry) W 14–7 12,500 Outplayed Huskers Trip Cyclones, 14–7 The Des Moines Register Leighton Housh October 12, 1947 6S https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28378535/outplayed_huskers_trip_cyclones_147/ Newspapers.com October 18 at No. 2 Notre Dame<ncg> Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry) L 0–31 56,000 Notre Dame Whips Nebraska Eleven, 31–0 The South Bend Tribune Jim Costin October 19, 1947 III-1, III-2 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28644907/notre_dame_whips_nebraska_eleven_310/ Newspapers.com October 25 at Kansas State Memorial Stadium Manhattan, KS (rivalry) W 14–7 17,000 N. U. Turns Back Cats Manhattan Mercury-Chronicle October 26, 1947 1 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28634058/n_u_turns_back_cats/ Newspapers.com November 1 at Missouri Memorial Stadium Columbia, MO (rivalry) L 6–47 20,000 Missouri Finds Nebraska Easy, 47–6; Leads Big Six St. Louis Post-Dispatch Bob Broeg November 2, 1947 III-1 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12170105/1947_nebraskamissouri_part_1_st_louis/ Newspapers.com November 8 Kansas<hc> Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry) L 7–13 37,000 Last-Minute Tally Gives KU 13–7 Win Over Huskers Beatrice Daily Sun November 9, 1947 8 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28640842/lastminute_tally_gives_ku_137_win/ Newspapers.com November 22 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry) L 13–14 28,000 Sooners Squeeze Past Nebraska, 14–13 Sunday Journal and Star Walt Dobbins November 23, 1947 1B, 8B https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28475340/sooners_squeeze_past_nebraska_1413/ Newspapers.com November 29 Oregon State<ncg> Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE L 6–27 20,000 Beavers Overwhelm Cornhuskers 27–6 Sunday Journal and Star Norris Anderson November 30, 1947 1B, 4B https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28099060/beavers_overhwhelm_cornhuskers_276/ Newspapers.com Roster Ackerman, Robert #10 HB Adams, Dale #25 FB Becker, Harold #19 T Bostwick, George #11 HB Cochrane, Alex #67 E Collopy, Frank #28 FB Copenhagen, Otto #43 E Costello, Robert #12 C Damkroger, Ralph #21 E Doyle, John #45 E Fischer, Cletus #14 QB Fischer, Kenneth #15 HB Gade, Gail #44 C Golan, Fred #40 T Hoy, Rex #63 G Hutton, Richard #66 HB Jacupke, Gerald #74 G Lipps, Robert G Lorenz, Fred #53 G Mandula, Francis #73 G Means, Arden #58 G Moomey, William #42 HB Mueller, William #23 HB Mullen, Robert #17 C Myers, James #70 FB Novak, Tom #68 C Nyden, Ed #16 E Partington, Joe #20 QB Pesek, Jack #50 E Riedy, Robert #51 FB Sailors, Don #65 E Salestrom, Darwin #18 G Samuelson, Carl #55 T Sedlacek, John #24 G Sim, Eugene #29 T Thompson, Edgar #38 T Thompson, Richard #13 QB Toogood, Charles #77 T Wiegand, Delbert #41 QB Wilkins, Frank #37 G Young, Philip #46 FB http://www.huskers.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=4&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100&Q_SEASON=1947 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302183545/http://www.huskers.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=4&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100&Q_SEASON=1947 dead March 2, 2012 Nebraska Football 1947 Roster 2010-03-01 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Athletics Department Coaching staff Name Title First yearin this position Years atNebraska Alma materBernie MastersonHead coach19461946–1947L. F. "Pop" KleinAssistant coach19451945–1958John JohnsonLine Coach19451945, 1947Ray ProchaskaEnd Coach19461946–1948, 1950–1954NebraskaTony BlazineLine Coach19471947–1948Illinois WesleyanDougal RussellBackfield Coach19471947–1948Kansas Statehttp://www.huskermax.com/coaches.html Nebraska head coaches 2010-03-01 HuskerMax https://web.archive.org/web/20100308010749/http://huskermax.com/coaches.html 8 March 2010 livehttp://www.huskermax.com/coaches/assistants.html Assistant coaches 2010-03-01 HuskerMaxhttp://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1948&page=254 1948 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 254) 2010-03-01 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Game summaries Indiana Indiana at Nebraska Indiana Nebraska 0 7 3 7 0 0 0 0 September 27 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska CST 37,000 The Hoosiers, long a source of frustration for Nebraska, continued their string of wins in the series by blanking the Cornhuskers to start coach Masterson's second season with a sound defeat. Though Nebraska once held the edge over Indiana at 3–0–2, the Hoosiers had run off seven wins straight to take command of the series.http://www.huskermax.com/1940s.html The 1940s 2010-03-01 HuskerMaxhttp://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1948&page=255 1948 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 255) 2010-03-01 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Minnesota Minnesota at Nebraska Minnesota 28 Nebraska 13 October 4 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska 34,000 The Cornhuskers sought to bounce back from the season opening loss, yet initially found themselves behind 0–14 against longtime rival Minnesota. Nebraska overcame the deficit as the game wore on, eventually drawing up within one point of the Golden Gophers in the fourth quarter, but Minnesota poured on the pressure and put away two more touchdowns to seal the game and take their 7th straight victory in the series, improving their edge over the Cornhuskers to 23–4–2.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1948&page=256 1948 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 256) 2010-03-01 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Iowa State Nebraska at Iowa State Nebraska 14 Iowa State 7 October 11 Clyde Williams Field • Ames, Iowa 13,590 Underdog Iowa State made their first serious attempt to get a win against Nebraska in several years, and rolled up the statistical advantage for their efforts, yet did not actually obtain the points to match. It was the bad luck of the Cyclones that a blocked punt was recovered by the Cornhuskers to put up the winning points and secure the first Nebraska win of the season and snap their three-game losing streak in the series. Iowa State fell to 8–32–1 against the Cornhuskers overall.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1948&page=257 1948 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 257) 2010-03-01 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Notre Dame Nebraska at #2 Notre Dame Nebraska 0 #2 Notre Dame 31 October 18 Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, Indiana 56,000 After a long, twenty-six year layoff, Nebraska and Notre Dame finally resumed their series tied at 5–5–1 since their last meeting in 1925. Both schools hoped that the cultural aftereffects of the war in Europe would put to bed the hate-filled interactions that ended the series twenty years prior. Unlike their last meeting, however, Notre Dame was still in the position as national power and ranked #2 entering the game, while the Cornhuskers remained in the throes of trying to recover from a six-season slide. Thus it was not much of a surprise when Nebraska ended the day at Notre Dame Stadium with a shutout loss to the Fighting Irish in front of one of the largest crowds that the Cornhuskers had played in front of in many years. Despite the score, the game should have been closer than it seemed, but numerous scoring opportunities handed to Nebraska were time and again wasted on fumbles and other errors, putting Notre Dame in charge of the series for the first time since 1924. Notre Dame went on to finish 1947 unbeaten at 9–0 and shared the national title with Michigan.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1948&page=258 1948 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 258) 2010-03-01 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Librarieshttp://www.huskernews.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2000/09/06/39b7029e2 https://web.archive.org/web/20010816211347/http://www.huskernews.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2000/09/06/39b7029e2 dead August 16, 2001 1947: Renewed Rivalry Brings Irish Rout 2010-03-01 Husker Press Box Kansas State Nebraska at Kansas State Nebraska 14 Kansas State 7 October 25 Memorial Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas 17,000 Nebraska was unable to finally put points up until the second half, but by holding Kansas State to a single touchdown, the Cornhuskers remained perfect in conference play. This was the fifth straight win for Nebraska in the series as the Cornhuskers improved over the Wildcats to 26–4–2 overall.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1948&page=259 1948 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 259) 2010-03-01 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Missouri Nebraska at Missouri Nebraska 6 Missouri 47 November 1 Faurot Field • Columbia, Missouri 22,000 Missouri–Nebraska football rivalryHopes for a respectable season began to crumble when the mighty Missouri football squad crushed Nebraska in Columbia. With Tiger starters pulled from the game, the Cornhuskers were still unable to prevent the Missouri backups from putting three scores up in the final quarter. Only a third-quarter touchdown prevented the insult of a shutout loss. It was Missouri's eighth win in the last ten meetings of the teams, but the Tigers were still ten wins behind in the series at 24–34–3. The Missouri-Nebraska Victory Bell was re-introduced after a period of inactivity during World War II, but the series trophy remained in custody of Missouri after the game.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1948&page=260 1948 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 260) 2010-03-01 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Kansas Kansas at Nebraska Kansas 13 Nebraska 7 November 8 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska 35,000 Kansas managed to secure a rare win in Lincoln with a touchdown punched through Nebraska's defenses in the final 40 seconds of the contest to deny celebration to the crowd of 22,000 present for the Cornhusker homecoming game. The Jayhawks went on to finish the season 8–0–2 and ranked 12th by the AP Poll, sharing the Big 6 championship with Oklahoma. Nebraska's firm series ownership was still safe at 40–11–3.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1948&page=261 1948 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 261) 2010-03-01 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Oklahoma Oklahoma at Nebraska Oklahoma Nebraska 0 7 7 0 0 6 7 0 November 22 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska CST 25,000 Nebraska–Oklahoma football rivalryOklahoma snatched away their fifth straight win over Nebraska in a hard-fought contest decided by a single missed conversion in the second quarter. Attempts by both teams to decide the game in the fourth quarter were turned away. The Cornhuskers still owned a 16–8–3 edge in the series, though the Sooners were slowly and steadily chipping away at the lead. Oklahoma went on to finish 1947 with a 7–2–1 record, a #16 AP Poll ranking, and shared the Big 6 title with Kansas.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1948&page=262 1948 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 262) 2010-03-01 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries Oregon State Oregon State at Nebraska Oregon State 27 Nebraska 6 November 29 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska 20,000 The Oregon State Beavers had not met Nebraska on the field since 1936, and arrived in Lincoln with several losses behind them, leading some to assume the Cornhuskers would not have serious trouble securing a season-ending win. Someone forget to tell Oregon State that they were supposed to lose, however, and the Beavers spent the day romping and outplaying the Nebraska squad in every way. The Cornhuskers managed just a single touchdown as Oregon State out-rushed them 190–42 and out-passed them 254–31. It was a harsh ending to Nebraska's season, as the Beavers secured their first win in the series after six attempts.http://yearbooks.unl.edu/yearbook.php?year=1948&page=263 1948 Cornhusker – University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 263) 2010-03-01 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries After the season Head coach Masterson's second season was step backwards for a team already in a record-setting slide. This was the seventh losing season in a row, and coach Masterson's first head coaching position became his last. His overall coaching career of 5–13–0 (.278) was the third-lowest in program history to date, though his Big 6 record broke even at 5–5–0 (.500). Nebraska's overall record slipped to 314–140–31 (.679) and the Cornhuskers Big 6 total also fell slightly, to 118–33–11 (.762). Another coaching change was upon Nebraska, where the continuing turnover was causing harm but could not be avoided. References Nebraska Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football seasons Nebraska Cornhuskers football