1897 Nebraska Bugeaters football team

1897 Nebraska Bugeaters football
WIUFA champion
Conference	Western Interstate University Football Association
Record	5–1 (3–0 WIUFA)
Head coach	Edward N. Robinson (2nd season)
Home stadium	Antelope Field
Seasons ←  1896 1898  →

1897 Western Interstate University Football Association standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Nebraska $	3	–	0	–	0			5	–	1	–	0
Kansas	2	–	1	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Iowa	0	–	2	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
Missouri	0	–	2	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1897 Nebraska Bugeaters football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1897 college football season. The team was coached by second-year head coach Edward N. Robinson and played their home games at Antelope Field in Lincoln, Nebraska. They competed as members of the Western Interstate University Football Association.

NU went unbeaten in WIUFA play to claim its first outright conference title. Following the season, Robinson accepted the head coaching position at Brown, his alma mater.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 8		at Iowa Agricultural *	Ames, IA	L 0–10
October 18		Tarkio *	Antelope Field Lincoln, NE	W 16–0
October 23		Nebraska Wesleyan *	Antelope Field Lincoln, NE	W 10–0
October 30		Missouri	Antelope Field Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	W 41–0
November 13		Kansas	Antelope Field Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	W 10–5	2,500	[1] [2] [3]
November 19		at Kansas City Medics *	Kansas City, MO	Canceled
November 25	3:10 p.m.	vs. Iowa	Field Club Park Council Bluffs, IA (rivalry)	W 6–0
*Non-conference game

Coaching staff

Coach [4]	Position	First year	Alma mater
Eddie N. Robinson	Head coach	1896	Brown
Jack Best	Trainer	1890	Nebraska
Harry Oury	Manager	1896	Nebraska

Roster

^[5]

Benedict, RaymondE Cowgill, HowardQB Halstead, M.L.G Hansen, AlbertLG Hayward, WilliamLT HerbertC Hisey, AlbertG Melford, William C Montgomery, RobertRT Oury, W. HarryC Pearse, ArthurRT Schwartz, MaynardHB Shedd, GeorgeFB Stringer, LewisLT Swartz, MaynardHB Tukey, HarryQB Turner, EdmundRG Westover, JohnC Wiggins, FrankE Williams, Charles ErwinHB

Starters

Position Player Quarterback Howard Cowgill Left halfback Raymond Benedict Right halfback Robert Montgomery Fullback George Shedd Left end Lewis Stringer Left tackle Arthur Pearse Left guard Albert Hansen Center William Melford Right guard Edmund Turner Right tackle William Hayward Right end Frank Wiggins

Game summaries

At Iowa Agricultural

Nebraska at Iowa Agricultural

1 2 Total Nebraska 0 • Iowa Agricultural 10 Date: October 8 Location: State Field, Ames, IA Game weather: Windy

Nebraska was unable to keep pace with the Cyclones in the second-ever meeting between the schools. NU was not helped by strong winds that died down in the second half when it would have benefited the Bugeaters. ^{[6] [7]}

Tarkio

Tarkio at Nebraska

1 2 Total Tarkio 0 0 0 •Nebraska 6 10 16 Date: October 18 Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

This was the first meeting between Nebraska and Tarkio, and also the first game ever played on campus at the University of Nebraska. On this day, the new field (later known as Antelope Field) was extremely muddy, and conditions were only marginally improved by pre-game efforts to make it playable. Nebraska dominated the game anyway, not allowing Tarkio to move the ball inside NU's 30-yard line. ^[6]

Nebraska Wesleyan

Nebraska Wesleyan at Nebraska

1 2 Total Nebraska Wesleyan 0 0 0 •Nebraska 0 10 10 Date: October 23 Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

When Nebraska Wesleyan arrived, it was unclear if the game would be played, as they did not have enough players to field a full team. A bid to have Wesleyan's head coach play, a solution often used in past years, was denied as against league rules. Wesleyan eventually resolved the problem by adding a local high school player to their roster for the day, and Nebraska agreed to shorten the game to two 15-minute halves. Wesleyan kept Nebraska off the scoreboard in the first half, but the undermatched visitors could not keep up in the second half. ^[6]

Missouri

Missouri at Nebraska

1 2 Total Missouri 0 •Nebraska 41 Date: October 30 Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

See also: Missouri–Nebraska football rivalry

Nebraska scored four times in the first half in the WIUFA conference opener to put the game out of reach early on. The Bugeaters kept scoring in the second half to set new program records for points in a game and margin of victory in a 41–0 victory. ^[6]

Kansas

Kansas at Nebraska

1 2 Total Kansas 5 0 5 •Nebraska 5 5 10 Date: November 13 Location: Antelope Field, Lincoln, NE

See also: Kansas–Nebraska football rivalry

Prior to kickoff, disagreement began over officiating representative selected by Kansas. The Bugeaters repeatedly protested calls, and a Kansas field kick that many spectators claimed missed the mark was ruled good; at this point Nebraska chose to play under protest. The continual disruptions delayed the game's progress, and it was eventually called on account of darkness following a lengthy Kansas argument about a late Nebraska touchdown. Nebraska won 10–5, and Kansas demanded a rematch, but it was never scheduled. ^[6]

University of Kansas records suggest the final score of this game was a 6–5 Nebraska victory. ^[8]

At Kansas City Medics

Nebraska at KC Medics

1 2 Total Nebraska N/A Kansas City Medics N/A Date: November 19 Location: Kansas City, MO

The death of a Commandant Jackson resulted in this game being canceled, though it is not clear which team or school he was associated with. The game was initially rescheduled for December 5 but was never played. ^[6]

Iowa

Nebraska vs. Iowa

1 2 Total •Nebraska 6 Iowa 0 Date: November 25 Location: Field Club Park, Council Bluffs, IA

See also: Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry

Some sources indicate Iowa failed to follow league requirements prior to the start of the season, which disqualified them as participants; however, league standings from the time list Iowa as a full WIUFA participant in 1897. Nebraska managed a single touchdown against the Hawkeyes, which was enough to win the game 6–0. NU swept its conference opponents and claimed the first outright league title in program history. ^[6]

References

1. "Struggle For Victory". The Evening Post. Lincoln, Nebraska. November 13, 1897. p. 1. Retrieved October 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
2. "A Big Joint Debate". Nebraska State Journal . Lincoln, Nebraska. November 14, 1895. p. 1. Retrieved October 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
3. "A Big Joint Debate (continued)". Nebraska State Journal . Lincoln, Nebraska. November 14, 1895. p. 4. Retrieved October 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com .
4. "Nebraska head coaches". HuskerMax. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
5. "Nebraska Football 1897 Roster". University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
6. "1897 Game Recaps". Husker Press Box. Retrieved November 10, 2009.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
7. "the 1890s". HuskerMax. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
8. "Western Inter-State UniversityFoot Ball Association anomalies". HuskerMax. Retrieved November 10, 2009.