1912 Nebraska Cornhuskers football

MVC co-champion Nebraska state champion
Conference	Missouri Valley Conference
Record	7–1 (2–0 MVC)
Head coach	Ewald O. Stiehm (2nd season)
Home stadium	Nebraska Field
Seasons ← 1911 1913 →

1912 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
Nebraska +	2	–	0	–	0	8	–	1	–	0
Iowa State +	2	–	0	–	0	6	–	2	–	0
Drake	2	–	2	–	0	5	–	3	–	0
Missouri	2	–	3	–	0	5	–	3	–	0
Kansas	1	–	2	–	0	4	–	4	–	0
Washington University	0	–	2	–	0	4	–	4	–	0

+ – Conference co-champions

The 1912 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1912 college football season. The team was coached by second-year head coach Ewald O. Stiehm and played its home games at Nebraska Field in Lincoln, Nebraska.^[1]

On October 26, Nebraska defeated Adrian, beginning a 34-game unbeaten streak that lasted until November 18, 1916.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 5	3:00 p.m.	Bellevue*^[a]	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 81–0
October 12	3:00 p.m.	Kansas State*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	W 30–6
October 19	2:30 p.m.	at Minnesota*	Northrop Field Minneapolis, MN (rivalry)	L 0–13
October 26	3:00 p.m.	Adrian*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 41–0
November 2	2:30 p.m.	at Missouri	Rollins Field Columbia, MO (rivalry)	W 7–0
November 9	3:00 p.m.	Doane*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE	W 54–6
November 16	3:00 p.m.	Kansas	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	W 14–3	7,000	^[3]
November 23	3:00 p.m.	Oklahoma*	Nebraska Field Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	W 13–9
*Non-conference game Homecoming All times are in Central time

^ Now-defunct Bellevue College, not to be confused with present-day's Bellevue University^[2]

Roster



Allen, E.D. C Frank, Ernest HB Freitag, Albert G Halligan, Vic FB Harman, Dewey RT Howard, Warren E Mastin, Guy E McCormick LG Mulligan, Harold E Pearson, Monte LT Potter, Herbert QB Purdy, Leonard HB Ross, Clinton RG Swanson, Caesar LG Towle, Max QB

^[4]

Starters

Position	Player
Quarterback	Max Towle
Left Halfback	Leonard Purdy
Right Halfback	Ernest Frank
Fullback	Vic Halligan
Left End	Harold Mulligan
Left Tackle	Caesar Swanson
Left Guard	Albert Freitag
Center	E.D. Allen
Right Guard	Monte Pearson
Right Tackle	Dewey Harman
Right End	Guy Mastin

Coaching staff[edit]

Coach^[5]	Position	First year	Alma mater
Ewald O. Stiehm	Head coach	1911	Wisconsin
Jack Best	Trainer	1890	Nebraska

Game summaries[edit]

Bellevue[edit]

Bellevue at Nebraska

	1	2	Total
Bellevue			0
• Nebraska			81

Date: October 5
Location: Nebraska Field, Lincoln, NE
Game start: 3:00 p.m.

Sources:^[6]

This was the final meeting between Bellevue and Nebraska.

Kansas State[edit]

Kansas State at Nebraska

	1	2	Total
Kansas State			6
• Nebraska			30

Date: October 12
Location: Nebraska Field, Lincoln, NE
Game start: 3:00 p.m.

Sources:^[6]^[7]

At Minnesota[edit]

Nebraska at Minnesota

	1	2	Total
Nebraska			0
• Minnesota			13

Date: October 19
Location: Northrop Field, Minneapolis, MN
Game start: 2:30 p.m.

Sources:^[6]^[7]^[8]

Nebraska's defense fended off several long Minnesota drives in the first half, which ended scoreless. After a Minnesota touchdown to open the second half, Nebraska used a 72-yard run to get to Minnesota's three-yard line. However, an interception was returned for a second Gophers touchdown and NU was held scoreless for the rest of the game.

Adrian[edit]

Adrian at Nebraska

	1	2	Total
Adrian			0
• Nebraska			41

Date: October 26
Location: Nebraska Field, Lincoln, NE
Game start: 3:00 p.m.

Sources:^[6]^[8]

This was the only meeting between Adrian and Nebraska. Both teams played without regular starters due to injury. Three Nebraska starters were out; Harman, Meyer, and Potter.^[9] Five Adrian starters did not make the trip from Michigan due to injury leaving a total of 15 players.^[10]

Nebraska scored three touchdowns in the first half and sent in many replacements once it was obvious Adrian couldn't keep up. Local news reported that the forward pass was used frequently by both teams.^[9] Nebraska completed 4 of 10 attempts for 57 yards while Adrian completed 2 of 5 for 0 yards.^[11]

At Missouri[edit]

Nebraska at Missouri

	1	2	Total
• Nebraska			7
Missouri			0

Date: November 2
Location: Rollins Field, Colombia, MO
Game start: 2:30 p.m.

Sources:^[6]^[8]

Doane[edit]

Doane at Nebraska

	1	2	Total
Doane			6
• Nebraska			54

Date: November 9
Location: Nebraska Field, Lincoln, NE
Game start: 3:00 p.m.

Sources:^[6]

This was the final meeting between Doane and Nebraska.

Kansas[edit]

Kansas at Nebraska

	1	2	Total
Kansas			3
• Nebraska			14

Date: November 16
Location: Nebraska Field, Lincoln, NE
Game start: 3:00 p.m.

Sources:^[6]

Oklahoma[edit]

Oklahoma at Nebraska

	1	2	Total
Oklahoma			9
• Nebraska			13

Date: November 23
Location: Nebraska Field, Lincoln, NE
Game start: 3:00 p.m.

Sources:^[6]^[12]

This was the first meeting in what would become one of college football's most storied rivalries.

References[edit]

^ "1912 Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
^ "(23)Bellevue College".
^ "Desperate Battle Won by Nebraska". The Lincoln Star. November 17, 1912. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Nebraska Football 1912 Roster". University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Department. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
^ "Nebraska head coaches". HuskerMax. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "the 1910s". HuskerMax. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
^ ^a ^b "1913 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 328)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c "1913 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 329)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
^ ^a ^b "Adrian Outclassed by the Cornhuskers". The Lincoln Star. October 27, 1912.
^ "Both Tell Bear Stories". The Wichita Eagle. October 26, 1912.
^ "Nebraska Takes Victory". The Nebraska State Journal. October 27, 1912.
^ "1913 Cornhusker - University of Nebraska Yearbook (Page 331)". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved November 20, 2009.

v t e Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Venues	Lincoln Park (1890–1895) "M" Street Park (1894–1996) Antelope Field (1897–1908) Nebraska Field (1909–1922) Memorial Stadium (1923–present)
Bowls and rivalries	Bowl games Colorado Iowa Kansas Kansas State Miami (FL) Minnesota Missouri Oklahoma Wisconsin
Culture and lore	History Herbie Husker Lil' Red "Dear Old Nebraska U" "Hail Varsity" Cornhusker Marching Band Blackshirts Origin of "Cornhuskers" nickname 1939 Kansas State game Game of the Century (1971 Oklahoma game) Fumblerooski 1982 Penn State game Flea Kicker Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass 2009 Big 12 Championship Game Yes Man
People	Head coaches All-Americans NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

v t e Big Eight Conference football champions
MVIAA	Iowa & Nebraska (1907) Kansas (1908) Missouri (1909) Nebraska (1910) Iowa State & Nebraska (1911) Iowa State & Nebraska (1912) Missouri & Nebraska (1913) Nebraska (1914) Nebraska (1915) Nebraska (1916) Nebraska (1917) Missouri (1919) Oklahoma (1920) Nebraska (1921) Drake & Nebraska (1922) Kansas & Nebraska (1923) Missouri (1924) Missouri (1925) Oklahoma A&M (1926) Missouri (1927)
Big Six	Nebraska (1928) Nebraska (1929) Kansas (1930) Nebraska (1931) Nebraska (1932) Nebraska (1933) Kansas State (1934) Nebraska (1935) Nebraska (1936) Nebraska (1937) Oklahoma (1938) Missouri (1939) Nebraska (1940) Missouri (1941) Missouri (1942) Oklahoma (1943) Oklahoma (1944) Missouri (1945) Kansas & Oklahoma (1946) Kansas & Oklahoma (1947)
Big Seven	Oklahoma (1948) Oklahoma (1949) Oklahoma (1950) Oklahoma (1951) Oklahoma (1952) Oklahoma (1953) Oklahoma (1954) Oklahoma (1955) Oklahoma (1956) Oklahoma (1957) Oklahoma (1958) Oklahoma (1959)
Big Eight	Missouri (1960) Colorado (1961) Oklahoma (1962) Nebraska (1963) Nebraska (1964) Nebraska (1965) Nebraska (1966) Oklahoma (1967) Kansas & Oklahoma (1968) Missouri & Nebraska (1969) Nebraska (1970) Nebraska (1971) Nebraska (1972) Oklahoma (1973) Oklahoma (1974) Nebraska & Oklahoma (1975) Colorado, Oklahoma, & Oklahoma State (1976) Oklahoma (1977) Nebraska & Oklahoma (1978) Oklahoma (1979) Oklahoma (1980) Nebraska (1981) Nebraska (1982) Nebraska (1983) Nebraska & Oklahoma (1984) Oklahoma (1985) Oklahoma (1986) Oklahoma (1987) Nebraska (1988) Colorado (1989) Colorado (1990) Colorado & Nebraska (1991) Nebraska (1992) Nebraska (1993) Nebraska (1994) Nebraska (1995)
National championships in bold

v t e Missouri Valley Conference football champions
Pre-split	Iowa & Nebraska (1907) Kansas (1908) Missouri (1909) Nebraska (1910) Iowa State & Nebraska (1911) Iowa State & Nebraska (1912) Missouri & Nebraska (1913) Nebraska (1914) Nebraska (1915) Nebraska (1916) Nebraska (1917) Missouri (1919) Oklahoma (1920) Nebraska (1921) Drake & Nebraska (1922) Kansas & Nebraska (1923) Missouri (1924) Missouri (1925) Oklahoma A&M (1926) Missouri (1927)
Post-split	Drake (1928) Drake (1929) Drake & Oklahoma A&M (1930) Drake (1931) Oklahoma A&M (1932) Oklahoma A&M (1933) Washington University (1934) Tulsa & Washington University (1935) Creighton & Tulsa (1936) Tulsa (1937) Tulsa (1938) Washington University (1939) Tulsa (1940) Tulsa (1941) Tulsa (1942) Tulsa (1943) Oklahoma A&M (1944) Oklahoma A&M (1945) Tulsa (1946) Tulsa (1947) Oklahoma A&M (1948) Detroit (1949) Tulsa (1950) Tulsa (1951) Houston (1952) Detroit & Oklahoma A&M (1953) Wichita (1954) Detroit & Wichita (1955) Houston (1956) Houston (1957) North Texas State (1958) Houston & North Texas State (1959) Wichita (1960) Wichita (1961) Tulsa (1962) Wichita (1963) Cincinnati (1964) Tulsa (1965) North Texas State & Tulsa (1966) North Texas State (1967) Memphis State (1968) Memphis State (1969) Louisville (1970) Memphis State (1971) Drake, Louisville, & West Texas State (1972) North Texas State & Tulsa (1973) Tulsa (1974) Tulsa (1975) New Mexico State & Tulsa (1976) West Texas State (1977) New Mexico State (1978) West Texas State (1979) Tulsa (1980) Drake & Tulsa (1981) Tulsa (1982) Tulsa (1983) Tulsa (1984) Tulsa (1985)
National championships in bold