1911 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

The 1911 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1912 college football season. In its first season under head coach Ewald O. Stiehm, the team compiled a 5–1–2 record (2–0–1 against conference opponents), tied for the MVC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 281 to 33. The team averaged 35.1 points per game, the highest average among 71 major college teams during the 1911 season.[1] The team played its home games at Nebraska Field in Lincoln, Nebraska.

1911 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Nebraska state champion Missouri Valley co-champion
Conference	Missouri Valley Conference
1911 record	5–1–2 (2–0–1 MVC)
Head coach	Ewald O. Stiehm (1st season)
Home stadium	Nebraska Field

1911 Missouri Valley football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Iowa State +	2	–	0	–	1			6	–	1	–	1
Nebraska +	2	–	0	–	1			5	–	1	–	2
Kansas	1	–	1	–	1			4	–	2	–	2
Washington University	0	–	0	–	2			4	–	2	–	2
Missouri	0	–	2	–	2			2	–	4	–	2
Drake	0	–	2	–	1			5	–	2	–	1
+ – Conference co-champions

Before the season

New head coach Stiehm arrived in Lincoln and took over a program with only 17 players on the roster to start the year, however nine of those returners were veteran starters of previous seasons.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result
October 7	3:30 p.m.	Kearney State*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 117–0
October 14	3:30 p.m.	Kansas State*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 59–0
October 21	2:30 p.m.	at Minnesota*	Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN	L 3–21
October 28	3 p.m.	Missouri	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 34–0
November 4	2:30 p.m.	at Iowa State	State Field Ames, IA	T 6–6
November 11	3 p.m.	Doane*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 27–0
November 18	2:30 p.m.	at Kansas	Central Park Lawrence, KS	W 29–0
November 25	2:30 p.m.	Michigan*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	T 6–6
*Non-conference game Homecoming

[2]

Roster

• Anderson, Arthur G
• Chauner, Walter E
• Elliott, E.B. C
• Frank, Ernest HB
• Frank, Owen HB
• Gibson, J.P. FB
• Harman, Dewey RT
• Hornberger, Evans G
• Lofgren, Gus E
• Pearson, Monte T
• Potter, Herbert QB
• Purdy, Leonard HB
• Russell, Richard HB
• Shonka, Sylvester LT
• Swanson, Caesar LG
• Warner, Leon QB[3]

Coaching staff

Name	Title	First year in this position	Years at Nebraska	Alma Mater
Ewald O. Stiehm	Head Coach	1911	1911–1915
Jack Best	Trainer	1890	1890–1922

Game summaries

Kearney State

Kearney State at Nebraska

1 2 Total Kearney State 0 • Nebraska 117 Date: 1911-10-07 Location: Nebraska Field • Lincoln, Nebraska

New Coach Stiehm came out of the box swinging, scoring nearly as many points as were posted in Nebraska's previous game to end the prior season. Unlike the closing against Haskell in 1910, however, coach Stiehm played backups and substitutes to help establish the starters for the season and yet still piled up an astonishing 117 points, just 2 points shy of the 119-0 record set the year before and resulting the Cornhuskers outscoring their opponents 236-0 in the previous two games. This was the only time Kearney State would face off with the Cornhuskers.[4][5]

Kansas State

Kansas State at Nebraska

1 2 Total Kansas State 0 • Nebraska 59 Date: 1911-10-14 Location: Nebraska Field • Lincoln, Nebraska

The Cornhuskers met the Kansas State squad for the first time in what would in later years become something of a grudge match between conference foes if not a full blown rivalry, but at this time Kansas State was not in the conference with Nebraska. Coach Stiehm treated Kansas State as he did Kearney State, as a tuneup game to test position players out. Much like the previous week, the Cornhuskers dominated their opponent with another lopsided shutout victory.[4][5]

Minnesota

Nebraska at Minnesota

1 2 Total Nebraska 3 • Minnesota 21 Date: 1911-10-21 Location: Northrop Field • Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minnesota again snatched a victory from Nebraska, extending the futility of the Cornhuskers yet again. Nebraska failed to capitalize on their successes, having outgained Minnesota in rushing, passing and kicking, and fell farther behind the Golden Gophers in the series to 1-9-1.[4][5]

Missouri

Missouri at Nebraska

1 2 Total Missouri 0 • Nebraska 34 Date: 1911-10-28 Location: Nebraska Field • Lincoln, Nebraska

Putting aside the annual disappointments in Minnesota, the Missouri contest was Nebraska's 8th straight shutout victory. This series was renewed after a nine-year interruption, and opened the Cornhuskers' Missouri Valley conference slate to start them out 1-0, and 9-3 against the Tigers all-time.[4][6]

Iowa State

Nebraska at Iowa State

1 2 Total Nebraska 6 Iowa State 6 Date: 1911-11-04 Location: State Field • Ames, Iowa

Nebraska was understandably feeling confident, having outscored its opponents 473-57 since the beginning of the previous season, with only the losses to Minnesota in each year marring the record. Iowa State had not landed Nebraska back on their home turf in Ames since 1899, and pounced on an unprepared Cornhuskers squad to surprise them by scoring first and holding Nebraska to a 6-6 tie by the end of the day. Iowa still lagged behind Nebraska in the series, though, at 3-8-1.[4][6]

Doane

Doane at Nebraska

1 2 Total Doane 0 • Nebraska 27 Date: 1911-11-11 Location: Nebraska Field • Lincoln, Nebraska

Doane came into Lincoln for what was becoming an annual road trip loss for their program, and this one was more of the same. Coach Stiehm used the Doane game as another tuneup match, utilizing substitutes and resting starters on the way to the shutout victory and padding the series lead to 15-2. With wins against both in-state rivals for the year, Nebraska recorded their eighth state championship.[4][6]

Kansas

Nebraska at Kansas

1 2 Total • Nebraska 29 Kansas 0 Date: 1911-11-18 Location: Central Park • Lawrence, Kansas

Kansas was dealt a 0-29 defeat on their home field, considered among the most decisive defeats for the Jayhawks of that time. Nebraska finished their league slate undefeated and improved their record over Kansas to 10-8.[4][6]

Michigan

Week 8: Michigan at Nebraska

1 2 3 4 Total Michigan 0 0 6 0 6 Nebraska 0 0 6 0 6 Date: November 25, 1911 Location: Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE Game start: 2:30 p.m. Referee: Theodore M. Stuart (Michigan)

Nebraska concluded its 1911 season with a 6–6 tie against Michigan. The game was the second meeting between the two programs. Michigan won the first game, 31-0, in 1905.[7] Nebraska won the Missouri Valley Conference championship the week before the Michigan game.[8]

Two of Michigan's stars, Stanfield Wells and Miller Pontius, were unable to play in the Nebraska game.[9][10] Five days before the Nebraska game, the Detroit Free Press quipped that Michigan could claim the world championship of injuries, having had more injuries in 1911 than ever before in the program's history.[11]

After a scoreless first half, each team scored a touchdown in the third quarter. Frederick L. Conklin blocked a Nebraska punt, recovered the ball, and ran 30 yards for a touchdown.[12] The Chicago Daily Tribune wrote: "Conklin broke through, blocked it, turned like lightning and sped without interference across the goal line for Michigan's first touchdown."[13] Nebraska responded on the next drive with two long end runs that took the ball to Michigan's eight-yard line. From there, Nebraska halfback Purdy ran for the touchdown.[13]

The New York Times called the game "the hardest contest ever witnessed on Nebraska Field."[12]

After the season

The Cornhuskers' program total improved to 123-46-10 (.715), while the conference overall record improved to 7-2-2 (.727). Nebraska and Iowa State were named co-champions of the Missouri Valley conference.

References

1. "1911 Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
2. "Football - 1911 Schedule/Results". University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
3. "Nebraska Football 1911 Roster". University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
4. "the 1910s". HuskerMax. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
5. "1912 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
6. "1912 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
7. "Michigan vs Nebraska". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2011-10-23. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
8. "Nebraska Wins Missouri Title: Coach Stiehm's Boys Romp Through Opponents at Will, Scoring Five Touchdowns". Detroit Free Press. November 19, 1911. p. 13.
9. "Thomson Is Back, "Stan" Wells and Pontius Are Out: Regains Her Star Fullback, but Learns That Two Other Valuable Men Will Not Play Against the Sturdy Nebraska Cornhuskers--Coach Yost Is Not Certain of How His Team Will Line Up on Saturday". Detroit Free Press. November 23, 1911. p. 9.
10. "Pontius May Not Play Against the Nebraska Eleven: Feared That "Brute" Will Not Be in Shape for Closing Game of Michigan's Season--Scrimmage Work Is Scheduled for Today to Try Out Some New Plays Designed Especially to Whip the Cornhuskers--Reserves Are Given a Treat". Detroit Free Press. November 22, 1911. p. 9.
11. "Michigan Claims Championship of World at Having Men Hurt: More Injuries This Season Than Ever Before in History of Maize and Blue Football". Detroit Free Press. November 20, 1911. p. 8.
12. "Michigan in Tie Game: Wolverines Outplayed by Nebraska -- Both Score After Fumble" (PDF). The New York Times. November 26, 1911.
13. "Nebraska Plays Michigan to Tie: Each Team Scores Touchdown in Third Quarter of LinColn Contest; Game Fiercely Fought; Nebraska Holds Yost; Rival Elevens Battle to Tie, 6-6 in Lincoln Contest; Scores in Third Quarter; Capt. Conklin Makes First Touchdown and Shonka the Second". Chicago Daily Tribune. November 26, 1911. p. C1.