1914 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

The 1914 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1914 college football season. In its fourth season under head coach Ewald O. Stiehm, the team compiled a 7–0–1 record (3–0 against conference opponents), won the MVC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 174 to 28.[1] The team played its home games at Nebraska Field in Lincoln, Nebraska.

1914 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Missouri Valley champion
Conference	Missouri Valley Conference
1914 record	7–0–1 (3–0 MVC)
Head coach	Ewald O. Stiehm (4th season)
Home stadium	Nebraska Field

1914 Missouri Valley football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Nebraska $	3	–	0	–	0			7	–	0	–	1
Missouri	4	–	1	–	0			5	–	3	–	0
Iowa State	2	–	1	–	0			4	–	3	–	0
Kansas	2	–	2	–	0			5	–	2	–	1
Washington University	0	–	3	–	1			3	–	3	–	1
Drake	0	–	3	–	1			4	–	3	–	1
Kansas State	0	–	3	–	0			1	–	5	–	1
$ – Conference champion

The 1914 season was part of a 34-game unbeaten streak that ran from 1912 to 1916.

Before the season

Coach Stiehm began his fourth year, bringing with him an impressive three straight conference titles and only two game losses (both to Minnesota) in his three years at the helm. Several key starters from 1913 appeared again on the 17-man roster.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result
October 3	2:30 p.m.	Washburn*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 14–7
October 10	2:30 p.m.	South Dakota*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	T 0–0
October 17	2:30 p.m.	at Kansas State	Ahearn Field Manhattan, KS	W 31–0
October 24	2:30 p.m.	Michigan Agricultural*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 24–0
October 31	2:30 p.m.	Iowa State	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 20–7
November 7	2:30 p.m.	Morningside*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 34–7
November 14	2:30 p.m.	Kansas	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 35–0
November 21	2:30 p.m.	at Iowa*	Iowa Field Iowa City, IA	W 16–7
*Non-conference game Homecoming

[2]

Roster

[3]

Abbott, Earl RG Balis, Arthur E Caley, Loren HB Cameron, Robert RT Chamberlin, Guy HB Corey, Tim T DeLamatre, Harry FB Doyle, Raymond FB Fouts, Kenneth G Gross, John G Halligan, Vic LT Hawkins, Earl QB Howard, Warren E Porter, Grove QB Potter, Herbert QB Rutherford, Richard HB Selzer, Milton HB Shields, Paul G

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

[4]

Game summaries

Washburn

Washburn at Nebraska

1 2 Total Washburn 7 • Nebraska 14 Date: 1914-10-03 Location: Nebraska Field • Lincoln, Nebraska

The Ichabods of Washburn were not so easily pushed out of the way this year, scoring a touchdown against Nebraska for the first time, but the Cornhuskers still seemingly had little trouble winning the opener and staying perfect in the series at 2-0. [5][6]

South Dakota

South Dakota at Nebraska

1 2 3 4 Total South Dakota 0 0 0 0 0 Nebraska 0 0 0 0 0 Date: 1914-10-10 Location: Nebraska Field • Lincoln, Nebraska

After a three-year break, South Dakota arrived in Lincoln to resume their series with Nebraska. Several South Dakota players allegedly had taken advantage of a loophole in the rules that allowed them, with the aid of relocating themselves geographically out of South Dakota for a period of time in the offseason, to return to play for the Coyotes for six or seven seasons. In this way, South Dakota hoped to find success through fielding over-experienced players. As such, few Nebraska players had been up against the Coyotes before, while several of the South Dakota players had faced the Cornhuskers four years prior. Despite the hijinks, Nebraska still held the Coyotes off the scoreboard for the entire game, though they themselves were also unable to score. Nebraska still held a comfortable lead in the series, at 5-1-2. [5][6][7]

Kansas State

Nebraska at Kansas State

1 2 Total • Nebraska 31 Kansas State 0 Date: 1914-10-17 Location: Ahearn Field • Manhattan, Kansas

The Kansas State Aggies tasted defeat for the 4th time in a row as Nebraska remained unbeaten in the series, handling Kansas State in a game that was never really in doubt. [5][7]

MAC

MAC at Nebraska

1 2 Total MAC 0 • Nebraska 24 Date: 1914-10-24 Location: Nebraska Field • Lincoln, Nebraska

Michigan Agricultural College, the school which would one day be known as Michigan State, faced Nebraska for the first time ever. Any fears about the outcome against an unknown team were put to rest as Nebraska had little trouble securing the game. The Aggies came within a few inches of scoring at one point, but the Cornhusker defense remained stout and sent MAC home with no points to show for their efforts. [5][7]

Iowa State

Iowa State at Nebraska

1 2 Total Iowa State 7 • Nebraska 20 Date: 1914-10-31 Location: Nebraska Field • Lincoln, Nebraska

Iowa came out strong and jumped to a 7-point lead to open the scoring, but could not keep up with the superior Nebraska squad, giving up 20 unanswered points before being sent home with another loss and falling farther behind in the series to 10-3-1. [5][7][8]

Morningside

Morningside at Nebraska

1 2 Total Morningside 7 • Nebraska 34 Date: 1914-11-07 Location: Nebraska Field • Lincoln, Nebraska

Nebraska hosted the football squad from Morningside College out of Sioux City, Iowa, for the first and only time these teams would meet. Few squads facing the Cornhuskers as practice fodder for single one-off games are able to lay claim to scoring against Nebraska, but a lucky play at the end of the game, when Nebraska was backing off the pressure with the backups on the field, allowed the visitors to avoid the shutout. [5][8]

Kansas

Kansas at Nebraska

1 2 Total Kansas 0 • Nebraska 35 Date: 1914-11-14 Location: Nebraska Field • Lincoln, Nebraska

Any hopes Kansas may have harbored to end their 4-game losing streak were short-lived, as Nebraska punched in the first points just five minutes into the game. The contest was never in doubt afterwards as the Jayhawks folded and went home scoreless, the series beginning to stack up against them at 8-13. [5][8]

Iowa

Nebraska at Iowa

1 2 Total • Nebraska 16 Iowa 7 Date: 1914-11-21 Location: Iowa City, Iowa

Having renewed the season-ending annual match with Iowa, Nebraska arrived in Iowa City and made relatively short work of the Haweyes to close out the season, though Iowa did more to resist Nebraska's scoring than anyone else on the schedule that year save the first two teams. The Cornhuskers improved over Iowa to 9-4-3. [5][8]

After the season

Having come into the program with a conference title in place prior to his arrival, and finishing the prior season with his 3rd straight conference title for four in a row - already unprecedented in Nebraska's program history - coach Stiehm recorded even greater success by locking in Nebraska's 5th consecutive conference championship, a feat that would not be repeated by the Cornhuskers for 70 years. Coach Stiehm's Nebraska career record improved yet again, to 27-2-3 (.891), already into program record territory still unbeaten today. The Nebraska football program's overall record improved to 145-47-11 (.741), while the conference record improved to 15-2-2 (.842).

References

1. "1914 Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
2. "Football - 1914 Schedule/Results". University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
3. "Nebraska Football 1914 Roster". University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
4. "Nebraska head coaches". HuskerMax. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
5. "the 1910s". HuskerMax. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
6. "1915 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 142)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
7. "1915 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 144)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
8. "1915 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 145)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2009-11-21.