1920 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

The 1920 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1920 college football season. The team was coached by second-year head coach Henry Schulte and played its home games at Nebraska Field in Lincoln, Nebraska. The team competed as an independent.[1][2] Schulte departed shortly after the end of the season, though he remained at the school to coach track until 1939.

1920 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record5–3–1
Head coach
Home stadiumNebraska Field
Seasons
← 1919
1921 →
1920 Midwestern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Notre Dame     9 0 0
Michigan Mines     2 0 0
Butler     7 1 0
St. Xavier     7 1 0
Detroit     8 2 0
Marquette     7 2 0
Haskell     7 2 1
St. Ignatius (OH)     4 2 0
Iowa State Teachers     4 2 1
South Dakota State     4 2 1
Indiana State     3 2 0
Valparaiso     5 3 0
Nebraska     5 3 1
Central Michigan     4 3 1
Akron     4 4 0
Wabash     3 4 0
Western State Normal (MI)     3 4 0
North Dakota Agricultural     2 3 1
Michigan Agricultural     4 6 0
Earlham     2 3 0
Northern Illinois State     3 5 0
Dayton     2 4 0
Kent State     1 2 0
Saint Louis     3 6 0
Bowling Green     1 4 0
Toledo     0 3 0

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 22:30 p.m.WashburnW 14–0
October 92:30 p.m.Colorado Agricultural
  • Nebraska Field
  • Lincoln, NE
W 7–0[3]
October 162:30 p.m.Notre Dame 
  • Nebraska Field
  • Lincoln, NE (rivalry)
L 7–168,000–10,000[4]
October 232:30 p.m.South Dakota
  • Nebraska Field
  • Lincoln, NE
W 20–0
November 21:30 p.m.vs. RutgersW 28–015,000
November 61:30 p.m.at Penn StateL 0–209,000
November 132:30 p.m.at KansasT 20–20
November 202:30 p.m.Michigan Agricultural
  • Nebraska Field
  • Lincoln, NE
W 35–7[5]
November 252:30 p.m.Washington State
  • Nebraska Field
  • Lincoln, NE
L 20–2110,000

Coaching staff

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Coach[6] Position First year Alma mater
Henry Schulte Head coach 1919 Michigan
Paul J. Schissler Assistant coach 1918
Jack Best Trainer 1890 Nebraska

Roster

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Bassett, Henry (So.) T
Dale, Fred FB
Dana, Herbert (Jr.) E
Day, William (Sr.) C
Hartley, Harold (So.) FB
Henry, Stanley HB
Howarth, Harry (Jr.) QB
Hoy, George (So.) HB
Kellogg, Sam T
Moore, Vern (So.) H
Munn, Monte (Jr.) G
Munn, Wade (Jr.) G
Newman, Richard (Jr.) Q
Pucelik, John (Jr.) G
Russell, Robert QB

 

Schellenberg, Elmer HB
Scherer, Leo (So.) E
Schissler PLAYER
Schoeppel, Andrew (Jr.) E
Schulte PLAYER
Swanson, Clarence (Jr.) E
Thomsen, Fred (So.) E
Tripplett, Richard (So.) E
Weller, Raymond (So.) T
Wenke, Adolph (So.) G
Wilder, Harold T
Wright, Floyd (Jr.) HB
Young, Farley (Sr.) G
[7]

Game summaries

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Washburn

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Washburn at Nebraska
1 2Total
Washburn 0
Nebraska 14

Nebraska rested many key players in its season-opening shutout of Washburn, the final meeting between the teams.

Colorado Agricultural

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Colorado Agricultural at Nebraska
1 2Total
Colorado Agricultural 4
Nebraska 7

Nebraska edged out Colorado Agricultural (now Colorado State University) in the first meeting between the teams.

Notre Dame

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Notre Dame at Nebraska
1 234Total
Notre Dame 2 707 16
Nebraska 7 000 7

Nebraska took a lead into the second quarter but did not score again. Notre Dame and head coach Knute Rockne controlled time of possession in the second half through a series of low-risk, lengthy drives. The Irish pulled ahead to win largely due to the efforts of George Gipp, who rushed for 218 yards despite Notre Dame netting only 174 yards.

South Dakota

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South Dakota at Nebraska
1 2Total
South Dakota 0
Nebraska 20

Rutgers

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Nebraska vs. Rutgers
1 234Total
Nebraska 0 14014 28
Rutgers 0 000 0

Nebraska dominated Rutgers in what was NU's farthest-ever trip east. This was the only meeting between the schools until Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014.

At Penn State

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Nebraska at Penn State
1 234Total
Nebraska 0 000 0
Penn State 0 7013 20

At Kansas

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Nebraska at Kansas
1 2Total
Nebraska 20
Kansas 20

NU led 20–0 at halftime, but Kansas responded with twenty unanswered points in the second half and the game ended in a draw.

MAC at Nebraska
1 2Total
MAC 7
Nebraska 35

Washington State

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Washington State at Nebraska
1 2Total
Washington State 21
Nebraska 20

Nebraska blew a twenty-point halftime lead for the second time in 1920, losing to Washington State 21–20. This was the first meeting between Nebraska and Washington State.

References

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  1. ^ "1920 Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e "1921 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 229)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  3. ^ "Huskers Win Close Battle: Colorado Aggies Defeated 7 to 0 Saturday". Nebraska State Journal. October 10, 1920. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Huskers Lose To Notre Dame 16-7: Hoosier Speed Demons Too Fast For Nebraska". The Nebraska State Journal. October 17, 1920. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Aggies Trounced By Husker Attack". The Nebraska State Journal. November 21, 1920. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Nebraska head coaches". HuskerMax. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  7. ^ "Nebraska Football 1920 Roster". University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "the 1920s". HuskerMax. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  9. ^ a b "1920: Notre Dame Stalls Their Way To 16-7 Win". Husker Press Box. Archived from the original on August 16, 2001. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  10. ^ a b c "1921 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 231)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved December 3, 2009.