1902 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

The 1902 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1902 college football season. The team was coached by third-year head coach Walter C. Booth and played their home games at Antelope Field in Lincoln, Nebraska. They competed as an independent.[1]

1902 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Conference	Independent
1902 record	9–0
Head coach	Walter C. Booth (3rd season)
Home stadium	Antelope Field

1902 Midwestern college football independents records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
South Dakota			–					10	–	0	–	0
Nebraska			–					9	–	0	–	0
North Dakota Agricultural			–					4	–	0	–	0
Ohio Medical			–					9	–	1	–	0
Marquette			–					6	–	1	–	1
Knox			–					9	–	2	–	0
Haskell			–					8	–	2	–	1
Notre Dame			–					6	–	2	–	1
Drake			–					5	–	2	–	1
Mount Union			–					6	–	3	–	0
Iowa State			–					6	–	3	–	1
Carthage			–					2	–	1	–	1
Cincinnati			–					4	–	2	–	2
Missouri			–					5	–	3	–	0
Kansas			–					6	–	4	–	0
Fairmount			–					4	–	3	–	1
Detroit College			–					3	–	3	–	0
Lake Forest			–					4	–	4	–	1
Michigan Agricultural			–					4	–	5	–	0
Wittenberg			–					3	–	4	–	2
Washburn			–					3	–	4	–	0
Doane			–					2	–	3	–	0
Heidelberg			–					3	–	5	–	1
Wabash			–					2	–	4	–	2
Buchtel			–					2	–	5	–	0
Washington University			–					2	–	6	–	1
Butler			–					1	–	3	–	0
Kansas State			–					2	–	6	–	0
Michigan State Normal			–					1	–	5	–	1
Iowa State Normal			–					1	–	6	–	1
Ohio			–					0	–	5	–	1

NU compiled a 9–0 record and shut out every opponent by a combined score of 164–0. NU's hopes to be considered the Western Champion were dashed when 11–0 Michigan was selected instead selected following their season-ending 23–6 win over Minnesota (Nebraska defeated the Gophers 6–0). Believing Michigan's membership in the Big Nine Conference elevated its title chance, Nebraska applied to the conference following the season, but the application was denied on account of Lincoln's distance from other schools in the Big Nine. Nebraska would ultimately join the conference over 100 years later.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
September 20	Lincoln High	Antelope Field Lincoln, NE	W 27–0
September 27	Doane	Antelope Field Lincoln, NE	W 51–0
October 4	at Colorado	Gamble Field Boulder, CO	W 10–0
October 11	Grinnell	Antelope Field Lincoln, NE	W 17–0
October 18	Minnesota	Northrop Field Minneapolis	W 6–0
October 25	vs. Missouri	Saint Joseph, MO	W 12–0	2,000
November 1	Haskell	Antelope Field Lincoln, NE	W 28–0	6,000
November 8	Kansas	Antelope Field Lincoln, NE	W 16–0
November 15	Knox	Antelope Field Lincoln, NE	W 7–0
November 27	Northwestern	Antelope Field Lincoln, NE	W 12–0	6,000[2]

[3]

Coaching staff

Coach[4][5]	Position	First year	Alma mater
Walter C. Booth	Head coach	1900	Princeton
Lew Palmer	Assistant coach	1902	Princeton
Jack Best	Trainer	1890	Nebraska
Charles Engel	Manager	1902	Nebraska
John Westover	Assistant manager	1904	Nebraska

Roster

[6]

Bell, Johnny HB Bender, Johnny HB Benedict, Maurice QB Borg, Charles C Briggs T Cortelyou, Spencer E Cotton, Charles RG Engelhart, William FB Follmer, Eugene E Hunter, Fred RG Mason, Cyrus LT Mickel, Oliver FB Ringer, John LG Shedd, Charlie E Symondynes HB Thorpe, Orley QB Tobin, John G Westover, John RT Wilson, Harry LT

Game summaries

Lincoln High

Lincoln High at Nebraska

1 2 Total Lincoln High 0 • Nebraska 27 Date: September 20 Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

For the fourth consecutive season, NU opened the year with an exhibition game against Lincoln High School.[7]

Doane

Doane at Nebraska

1 2 Total Doane 0 0 0 • Nebraska 22 29 51 Date: September 27 Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

Overall	Last meeting	Result
7–2	October 5, 1901	Nebraska, 29–0

[7][8]

at Colorado

Nebraska at Colorado

1 2 Total • Nebraska 5 5 10 Colorado 0 0 0 Date: October 4 Location: Boulder, CO

Overall	Last meeting	Result
1–0	November 17, 1898	Nebraska, 23–10

Nebraska met Colorado for the second time in Boulder. A touchdown in each half and a stiff defensive effort secured Nebraska's third straight shutout victory.[7][8]

Grinnell

Grinnell at Nebraska

1 2 Total Grinnell 0 0 0 • Nebraska 12 5 17 Date: October 11 Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE Game weather: Rain

Overall	Last meeting	Result
2–2	November 10, 1900	Nebraska, 33–0

Nebraska was shorthanded due to injury, but the Cornhuskers posted another shutout victory on a rainy day in Lincoln.[7][8]

Minnesota

Nebraska at Minnesota

1 2 Total Minnesota 0 0 0 • Nebraska 0 6 6 Date: October 18 Location: Northrop Field, Minneapolis, MN

Overall	Last meeting	Result
0–2	October 12, 1901	Minnesota, 19–0

Nebraska traveled to Minneapolis to face the Gophers for a third time. The game remained scoreless until the final minutes, when the Cornhuskers scored a touchdown for what would be the only points of the day. Minnesota lost only one other game the rest of the season, outscoring its opponents 335–34.[7][8]

Missouri

Nebraska vs. Missouri

1 2 Total • Nebraska 6 6 12 Missouri 0 0 0 Date: October 25 Location: St. Joseph, MO Game attendance: 2,000

Overall	Last meeting	Result
7–3	November 9, 1901	Nebraska, 51–0

Meeting Missouri on new neutral ground, in St. Joseph for the first time, the Cornhuskers ended an early scoring attempt by Missouri at the Nebraska 7-yard line, and then shut down the Tigers for the rest of the day, while making two touchdowns of their own to extend the shutout streak to 6, and the series lead to 8-3.[7][8]

Haskell

Haskell at Nebraska

1 2 Total Haskell 0 0 0 • Nebraska 6 22 28 Date: November 1 Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE Game attendance: 6,000

Overall	Last meeting	Result
1–0	November 28, 1901	Nebraska, 18–10

[7][8]

Kansas

Kansas at Nebraska

1 2 Total Kansas 0 • Nebraska 16 Date: November 8 Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

Overall	Last meeting	Result
5–5	November 16, 1901	Nebraska, 29–5

Nebraska ran its shutout streak to seven consecutive games, thanks in part to a "trick placekick", that was instead run for a touchdown.[7][8]

Knox

Knox at Nebraska

1 2 Total Knox 0 0 0 • Nebraska 7 0 7 Date: November 15 Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

Overall	Last meeting	Result
0–0	–	–

Nebraska hosted Knox in the first game between the teams, in what would become one of only two one-score game NU played all season. Knox held Nebraska to just seven points, but the Cornhuskers made a goal-line stand in the second half to record an eighth consecutive shutout.[7][8]

Northwestern

Northwestern at Nebraska

1 2 Total Northwestern 0 • Nebraska 12 Date: November 27 Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

Overall	Last meeting	Result
0–0	–	–

Nebraska met Northwestern in the first matchup between teams that would become division rivals over 100 years later when NU joined the Big Ten. Northwestern players complained of rough treatment from NU throughout the penalty-ridden game. Nebraska was penalized for seven holding penalties, each of which required turning over the ball according to the rules of the time, but held Northwestern scoreless for a ninth straight shutout win to end the season with a perfect record.[7][8]

References

1. "1902 Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
2. Nebraska is Triumphant, The Independent Era, Thursday, Dec 4, 1902, : Page 2, Column 4
3. "Football - 1902 Schedule/Results". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
4. "Nebraska head coaches". HuskerMax. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
5. "1904 Sombrero - University of Nebraska Yearbook". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
6. "Nebraska Football 1902 Roster". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
7. "the 1900s". HuskerMax. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
8. "1902 Game Recaps". Husker Press Box. Retrieved 2009-11-13.