1926 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

The 1926 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1926 college football season. In its second season under head coach Ernest Bearg, the team compiled a 6–2 record (5–1 against conference opponents), finished second in the MVC, and outscored opponents by a total of 123 to 46.[1] The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

1926 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Conference	Missouri Valley Conference
1926 record	6–2 (5–1 MVC)
Head coach	Ernest Bearg (2nd season)
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium

1926 Missouri Valley football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Oklahoma A&M $	3	–	0	–	1			3	–	4	–	1
Nebraska	5	–	1	–	0			6	–	2	–	0
Grinnell	3	–	1	–	1			6	–	1	–	1
Missouri	4	–	1	–	0			5	–	1	–	2
Oklahoma	3	–	2	–	1			5	–	2	–	1
Kansas State	2	–	2	–	0			5	–	3	–	0
Iowa State	3	–	3	–	1			4	–	3	–	1
Drake	1	–	4	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
Kansas	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
Washington University	0	–	6	–	0			1	–	7	–	0
$ – Conference champion

Before the season

Coach Bearg started his second year with a substantially increased roster, up to 60 players from the 35 players on the 1925 roster. No specific game was recorded as the season's Homecoming game.[2]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 2	2 p.m.	Drake*	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	W 21–0
October 9	2 p.m.	Missouri	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	L 7–14
October 16	2 p.m.	at Washington (MO)*	Francis Field St. Louis, MO	W 20–6
October 23	2 p.m.	at Kansas	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS	W 20–3
October 30	2 p.m.	Iowa State	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	W 31–6
November 13	2 p.m.	Kansas State	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	W 3–0
November 20	2 p.m.	NYU*	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	W 15–7
November 25	3:30 p.m.	at Washington*	Husky Stadium Seattle, WA	L 6–10
*Non-conference game

[3]

Roster

Andrews, Ralph FB Ashburn, Clifford E Ayres PLAYER Beck, Victor FB Betts PLAYER Brant PLAYER Brd PLAYER Bronson, Willard QB Brown, John QB Burnham, Willard E Busby PLAYER Carcoski PLAYER Dailey, Frank HB Drath, Walter G Durisch PLAYER DuTeau G Fish PLAYER Gates PLAYER Grow, Lloyd C Hecht FB Holm, Elmer G Holmes PLAYER Hooper PLAYER Howell, Edward FB Hunt PLAYER James, Theodore E Johnson PLAYER Lawson, Vinton E Lee, Evard E Lindell, Don QB		Lucas, Leroy T Mandery, Avard HB Mandery, Roy E Marrow, Wallace QB McMullen, Dan G Mielenz, Frank HB Molzen, Cecil G Morrison, Paul C Nimmo PLAYER Oehlrich, Arnold FB Peaker, Harold QB Presnell, Glenn HB Raish, Clarence LG Randels, Ray T Reeves, Joe C Reller PLAYER Schews PLAYER Schulz, William G Shaner, George E Sprague, Leon E Staats PLAYER Stephens, Robert QB Stiner, Lonnie T Sturak PLAYER Voris, Earl HB Weir, Joe E Whitmore, Robert G Wickman HB Wyatt PLAYER Zuver, Merle G [4]

Coaching staff

Name	Title	First year in this position	Years at Nebraska	Alma Mater
Ernest Bearg	Head Coach	1925	1925–1928	Washburn
Leo Sherer	Ends Coach	1923	1923–1928	Nebraska
Charlie T. Black	Backfield Coach	1926	1926–1930
Bunny Oakes	Line Coach	1926	1926–1930
Ed Weir	Assistant Line Coach	1926	1926, 1929–1937, 1943	Nebraska
Harold Hutchison		1926	1926	Nebraska

[2][5]

Game summaries

Drake

Drake at Nebraska

1 2 Total Drake 0 • Nebraska 21 Date: October 2 Location: Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska

Nebraska opened the 1926 season by trouncing conference foe Drake in Lincoln, in a game where nearly every player on the large roster found playing time, as the Cornhuskers avenged the surprise loss handed to them by Drake in 1925. This was the last game played between Nebraska and Drake, closing out one of the oldest series in Nebraska football history, dating back to 1898, with Nebraska dominating the matchup 6-2 all-time. [6][7]

Missouri

Missouri at Nebraska

1 2 Total • Missouri 14 Nebraska 7 Date: October 9 Location: Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska

Nebraska stumbled early in the season when Missouri came into Lincoln and shut down the Cornhuskers despite their quick jump to an early 7-0 lead. Those would be the last points scored in the game, as Missouri managed 14 in response. Nebraska produced respectable offensive output over the course of the game, but was unable to create any points for their efforts. Missouri's win helped them chip away at the series lead held by the Cornhuskers, moving them to 5-14-1.[6][8]

Washington University

Nebraska at Washington University

1 2 Total • Nebraska 20 Washington University 6 Date: October 16 Location: Francis Field • St. Louis County, Missouri

This game amounted to a win for both teams. Nebraska scored the points to carry the outcome in their third conference game of the season, while the Washington Bears were pleased to have scored points at all against conference heavyweight Nebraska. Although the Washington Bears and Nebraska Cornhuskers had shared the same conference since 1907 (except for 1919-1920 when Nebraska was an independent), this was only the second game played between these programs. It was also the last, with a split final record of 1-1 after accounting for Nebraska's loss to the Bears back in 1918. [6][9]

Kansas

Nebraska at Kansas

1 2 Total • Nebraska 20 Kansas 3 Date: October 23 Location: Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, Kansas

After a slow start where Nebraska was only able to come up with a single score in the first half, the Cornhuskers pulled away to notch another conference win for the year, and padded their series lead over Kansas to 22-9-2. [6][10]

Iowa State

Iowa State at Nebraska

1 2 Total Iowa State 6 • Nebraska 31 Date: October 30 Location: Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska

The Cornhuskers scored first early on in the opening minutes of the game, but a lost Nebraska fumble not long after made it look like a battle was forming up. Iowa State capitalized on the turnover for what would be their only score of the day, as the Cornhuskers eventually rolled up 31 points to secure their fourth win of the season. The Cyclones slid further behind in the series, to 4-16-1. [6][11]

Kansas State

Kansas State at Nebraska

1 2 3 4 Total Kansas State 0 0 0 0 0 • Nebraska 0 0 3 0 3 Date: November 13 Location: Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska

The Kansas State Aggies gave Nebraska the biggest battle of the season, perhaps emboldened by nearly winning against the Cornhuskers in 1925 for the first time prior to settling for a tie that year. Somehow the Cornhuskers were able to hang onto the game and fight back. Repeatedly, Kansas State attempted field goals which were summarily blocked by Nebraska, and the Cornhuskers themselves were frequently on their heels and forced to punt out of trouble. Nebraska managed one field goal in the third quarter, which was the only score of the game for either side. Kansas State was sent back to Manhattan in disappointment and still winless against the Cornhuskers in eleven tries. [6][12]

New York University

New York University at Nebraska

1 2 Total New York University 7 • Nebraska 15 Date: November 20 Location: Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska

New York University, in their first ever game against Nebraska, drew first blood with an early touchdown, but the game was controlled by the Cornhuskers for the rest of the contest as Nebraska closed out the last home game of 1926 with a win. [6][13]

Washington

Nebraska at Washington

1 2 Total Nebraska 6 • Washington 10 Date: November 25 Location: Husky Stadium • Seattle, Washington

Reciprocating for last year, the Cornhuskers traveled to Seattle to play there for the first time. Both teams had been waiting for this rematch of the 1925 game which had ended in a 6-6 tie. With the Huskies barely holding a four-point lead in the final minutes, Nebraska marched down the field in a series recorded as one of the best ever to date put together by the Cornhuskers. As the seconds ticked away, Nebraska arrived at the Washington 8-yard line with a first down. On their fourth subsequent attempt to steal the win, time ran out as Nebraska's last effort fell short at the 3. Washington sent Nebraska home with their victory denied, and was left holding a tenuous 1-0-1 lead in the series. [6][14]

After the season

Coach Bearg's second season was an improvement over 1925, as Nebraska finished 2nd in the conference, and his career record improved to 10-4-2 (.688). The program's overall record was nudged slightly upward to 207-71-19 (.729), while Nebraska's conference winning percentage all-time remained unchanged at 45-7-5 (.833).

References

1. "1926 Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
2. "1927 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 252)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
3. "Football - 1926 Schedule/Results". University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
4. "Nebraska Football 1926 Roster". University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
5. "Nebraska head coaches". HuskerMax. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
6. "the 1920s". HuskerMax. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
7. "1927 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 255)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
8. "1927 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 256)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
9. "1927 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 257)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
10. "1927 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 258)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
11. "1927 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 259)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
12. "1927 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 260)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
13. "1927 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 261)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
14. "1927 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 262)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-12-25.