1958 Nebraska Cornhuskers football | |
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Conference | Big Seven Conference |
Record | 3–7 (1–5 Big 7) |
Head coach |
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Home stadium | Memorial Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 5 Oklahoma $ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colorado | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kansas | 3 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kansas State | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nebraska | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iowa State | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1958 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big 7 Conference in the 1958 college football season. The team was coached by Bill Jennings and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Nebraska was reeling from the 1957 season that saw a new all-time low mark set when the Cornhuskers finished 1–9–0, which was the first 1-win season since 1899, and the first ever 9-loss season. Coach Jennings began the second year of his first head coaching job with few places to go but up, but led a young squad with only six seniors. The 1958 schedule was loaded with powerhouse teams from the east, every bit as difficult as the 1957 slate had been, so the task to succeed over last year would not be an easy one. [1]
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 20 | 2:00 pm | Penn State * | W 14–7 | 26,966 | ||
September 27 | 12:30 pm | at Purdue * | L 0–28 | 42,914 | ||
October 4 | 2:00 pm | Iowa State |
| W 7–6 | 30,310 | |
October 11 | 2:00 pm | Kansas State |
| L 6–23 | 37,596 | |
October 18 | 11:30 am | at Syracuse * | L 0–38 | 17,083 | ||
October 25 | 3:00 pm | at No. 12 Colorado | NBC | L 16–27 | 40,271 | |
November 1 | 2:00 pm | Missouri |
| L 0–31 | 31,816 | |
November 8 | 1:25 pm | at Kansas | L 7–29 | 23,760 | ||
November 15 | 2:00 pm | No. 14 Pittsburgh * |
| W 14–6 | 24,107 | |
November 22 | 2:00 pm | at No. 4 Oklahoma | L 7–40 | 44,740 | ||
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Official Roster | ||||||
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Starters
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Name | Title | First year in this position | Years at Nebraska | Alma mater |
Bill Jennings | Head coach | 1957 | 1956–1961 | Oklahoma |
L. F. "Pop" Klein | Assistant coach | 1945 | 1945–1958 | |
Don Strasheim | 1954 | 1954–1958 | Nebraska | |
Don Scarbrough | Assistant coach | 1956 | 1956–1961 | |
Dick Monroe | 1957 | 1957–1961 | ||
Warren Schmakel | 1957 | 1957–1959 | ||
LeRoy Pearce | 1958 | 1958–1961 | ||
John Gordy | 1958 | 1958 | Tennessee |
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A shocked home field crowd watched in utter amazement as the highly ranked Nittany Lions were picked apart by the Cornhuskers. The media overwhelmingly had predicted a smashing Penn State victory, but the Nebraska team came out on fire and held Penn State off the scoreboard until the 4th quarter. A 91-yard kickoff return by Cornhusker HB Pat Fischer made the difference in the game's final seven-point margin. Nebraska still lagged behind the Nittany Lions 2–4 all time. [5] [6]
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In a complete turnaround of fortunes, the traveling Cornhuskers were overrun by a relentless Purdue attack and could not produce any offensive yardage of value. Two lost fumbles and an interception contributed to the lopsided loss as Nebraska was blanked under the weight of four Boilermaker touchdowns. This was the first meeting of these teams. [5] [6]
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Iowa State's bid to take a second straight game from the Cornhuskers was denied as the final minutes ticked away. Down 0–6 after an earlier Cyclone touchdown and blocked point after, Nebraska finally punched in a touchdown of their own shortly before time expired. The Cornhusker kick after was good, sending the Cyclones home with their 42nd loss in the 52-game series. [5] [7]
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Plagued by injuries, Nebraska was unsuccessful in attempts to slow the Kansas State offensive plan. The Cornhuskers narrowly avoided the shutout only by an interception returned for a touchdown. The Wildcats enjoyed their relatively rare victory, their 8th in 42 attempts, with the knowledge that it was also marked the 200th all-time program loss suffered by the Cornhuskers. [5] [7]
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Following the loss to Kansas State and still not fully recovered from early season injuries, Nebraska traveled to Syracuse with third-stringers starting in some positions. The imbalance in experience showed as the Orangemen had little difficulty running away with the game in a 38–0 blanking of the Cornhuskers. The win moved Syracuse ahead in the series, to 5–4–0. [5] [8]
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The Cornhuskers were struggling to find some success on the field to show for their efforts, but faced a stiff road test when visiting #12 Colorado in Boulder. Against expectations, Nebraska blocked two punts and capitalized on three turnovers to lead the Buffaloes for the first three quarters, putting a good scare into the crowd. However, the Cornhuskers finally gave way in the final quarter and allowed Colorado to surge ahead and take the game. It was Nebraska's third straight loss to the Buffaloes as their series lead slipped to just 9–8–0. [5] [8]
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Nebraska suffered yet another demoralizing loss as the Tigers arrived in Lincoln and handed another shutout defeat to the Cornhuskers, their third of the season. The homecoming crowd was never a factor, as the Nebraska offense never seemed to find a spark. The best Nebraska performance of the day was the kicking game, made necessary for lack of first down production. Missouri narrowed the series to 20–28–3 and kept the Missouri-Nebraska Victory Bell in Columbia. [5] [9]
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The game was somewhat closer than the final score indicated, as Nebraska drew within five yards of a touchdown on two occasions before being turned away. The Jayhawks were not impressed by statistical victories and had little difficulty defeating the Cornhuskers by 22 points in Lawrence, though their series record was still far behind Nebraska at 15–46–3. It was Nebraska's fifth straight loss, which would've tied the program's all-time loss streak record had it not just been broken by the seven-game skid set in the previous year. [5] [9]
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The downtrodden Cornhuskers, now 2–6 and watching their season slip away into disappointment, had every reason to just lay down in front of #14 Pittsburgh. For some reason, the Panthers held a commanding dominance over Nebraska year in and year out, owning the series at 15–3–3 heading into this game. Perhaps it was this circumstance that might have caused the Panthers to overlook the Cornhuskers, but once on the field it was the Pittsburgh players suddenly on their heels. The Cornhuskers played a stellar contest, holding the lead through the entire game and not allowing the Panthers to get their single touchdown until the fourth quarter on a long pass completion. Though dominated by their fellow conference opponents this year, the Cornhuskers were now 2–2 in nonconference play against major eastern teams, and the rare win against the rival Panthers was savored by all. [5] [9]
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If Pittsburgh allowed themselves to overlook and then get stunned by Nebraska, the #4 Sooners took note and ensured the same fate did not befall their team in the annual Nebraska-Oklahoma game. By the end of the first quarter, Oklahoma already had put in three touchdowns, and they never looked back. The Cornhuskers avoided the shutout only by returning an interception 89 yards to score. The loss to Oklahoma was the 16th straight allowed by Nebraska, and was Oklahoma's 71st consecutive conference win. Oklahoma went on to finish #5 in the AP Poll and then defeated Syracuse 21–6 in the 1959 Orange Bowl. [5] [10]
It wasn't easy to determine if 1958 was a successful season or another failure. Coach Jennings had improved over last year's dismal 1–9–0 outing, but only to 3–7–0 and a 6th-place finish in the Big 7. On the other hand, surprise upset wins against Syracuse and especially against Pittsburgh were remarkable bright spots on an otherwise dreary year. These two unexpected wins may have played a part in Jennings being given additional time to see if he could turn the program around. Now with two years on the job, Coach Jennings had compiled a dismal 4–16–0 (.200) career record, with an even worse 2–10–0 (.167) history within the conference. Nebraska's overall program record slipped for the 8th straight year, to 355–205–34 (.626), with a Big 7 record now down to 148–68–12 (.689).[ citation needed ]
The 1940 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1940 college football season. In its fourth season under head coach Biff Jones, the team compiled an 8–2 record, won the Big Six championship, was ranked No. 7 in the final AP Poll, and lost to Stanford in the 1941 Rose Bowl. The Cornhuskers outscored opponents by a total of 183 to 75. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1921 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1921 college football season. In its first season under head coach Fred Dawson, the team compiled a 7–1 record, won the MVC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 283 to 17. The team played its home games at Nebraska Field in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1927 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1927 college football season. In its third season under head coach Ernest Bearg, the team compiled a 6–2 record, finished second in the MVC, and outscored opponents by a total of 211 to 59. The team was ranked No. 9 in the nation in the Dickinson System ratings released in December 1927. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1928 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1928 college football season. In its fourth and final season under head coach Ernest Bearg, the team compiled a 7–1–1 record, won the Big Six championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 144 to 31. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1929 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska as a member of the Big Six Conference during the 1929 college football season. In its first season under head coach Dana X. Bible, the team compiled a 4–1–3 record, won the Big Six championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 93 to 62. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1933 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1933 college football season. In its fifth season under head coach Dana X. Bible, the team compiled an 8–1 record, won the Big Six championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 138 to 19. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1934 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1934 college football season. In its sixth season under head coach Dana X. Bible, the team compiled a 6–3 record, finished in second place in the Big Six, and outscored opponents by a total of 106 to 89. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1936 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1936 college football season. In its eighth and final season under head coach Dana X. Bible, the team compiled a 7–2 record, won the Big Six championship, was ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll, and outscored opponents by a total of 185 to 49. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1937 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1937 college football season. In its first season under head coach Biff Jones, the team compiled a 6–1–2 record, won the Big Six championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 99 to 42. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1938 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1938 college football season. In its second season under head coach Biff Jones, the team compiled a 3–5–1 record, tied for third place in the Big Six, and was outscored opponents by a total of 84 to 68. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1939 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1939 college football season. In its third season under head coach Biff Jones, the team compiled a 7–1–1 record, finished second in the Big Six, and was ranked No. 18 in the final AP Poll. The Cornhuskers outscored opponents by a total of 115 to 70. They were also ranked at No. 9 in the 1939 Williamson System ratings, at No. 8 in the Boand System ratings, and at No. 23 in the Litkenhous Ratings.
The 1941 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1941 college football season. In its fifth season under head coach Biff Jones, the team compiled a 4–5 record, tied for second place in the Big Six, and outscored opponents by a total of 93 to 81.
The 1942 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Six Conference during the 1942 college football season. In its first season under head coach Glenn Presnell, the team compiled a 3–7 record, finished third in the Big Six, and was outscored by a total of 158 to 55.
The 1953 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big 7 Conference in the 1953 college football season. The team was coached by Bill Glassford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1955 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big 7 Conference in the 1955 college football season. The team was coached by Bill Glassford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1956 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big 7 Conference in the 1956 college football season. The team was coached by Pete Elliott and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1957 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big 7 Conference in the 1957 college football season. The team was coached by Bill Jennings and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1959 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big 7 Conference in the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. The team was coached by Bill Jennings and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1960 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big Eight Conference in the 1960 NCAA University Division football season. The team was coached by Bill Jennings and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1961 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big Eight Conference in the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. The team was coached by Bill Jennings and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.