1893 Nebraska Bugeaters football team

The 1893 Nebraska Bugeaters football team represented University of Nebraska in the 1893 college football season. The team was coached by Frank Crawford, and played their home games at Lincoln Park, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska's football team began its history as the "Old Gold Knights", and was also sometimes known as the "Tree Planters", "Nebraskans", "The Rattlesnake Boys", "Red Stockings", "Antelopes" or "Goldenrods" in their early years.

Before the season

The Nebraska Bugeaters football team was finally under the leadership of a paid head coach, Frank Crawford, who was compensated with a $500 stipend plus tuition to the University. Also, beginning this season, a 25¢ admission fee was implemented for home games played at Lincoln Park.^[1][2]

Schedule

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Roster

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Coaching staff

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Game notes

Doane

Nebraska restarted their 3-1 series against Doane after not having played them the previous year, hosting them at Lincoln Park for their 5th meeting. Nebraska's first mascot, a white bull terrier painted red on one side, made its first appearance at this game. The day belonged to the Bugeaters as Doane was unable to stem an onslaught of Nebraska scores. Doane's most likely chance to avoid the shutout came when they drove to the Nebraska 2 yard line, but the Bugeater defense held fast. Nebraska then marched 95 yards back down the field and scored yet again on a George Flippin run. Doane then resigned the game with some time still remaining to play and Nebraska improved their series record to 4-1.^[8][9]

Baker

Nebraska entered this game wary, as Baker had defeated Kansas while Kansas had defeated Nebraska the year prior, and Baker had put up 28 points in their defeat of Missouri in the current season. According to the custom of the time, each team selected one of the two members of the officiating crew, and the Baker squad appointed one of their own players to the position. Again and again, the Baker official made calls or non-calls which prompted anger from the Bugeaters. The teams traded possessions and points. Nebraska started behind 0-6 but was able to eventually overcome some of the questionable calls and get ahead 10-6 until Baker put up 4 more to tie the game before time expired. This was the only game ever played between Baker and Nebraska.^[8]

Denver Athletic Club

Nebraska looked to avenge last year's loss to the Denver Athletic Club, and surely it was a physical game which yielded few points, frequent reports of slugging and kicking, and at least one player temporarily knocked unconscious. Animosity was running high, reportedly nearing a riot by halftime. There were still ten minutes left to play in the 2nd half with the game tied at 4-4 when the Denver AC squad was called for a slugging foul and the ball turned over to the Bugeaters. The Denver AC team walked off the field and, after an extended debate, refused to finish the game. This resulted in a forfeit to Nebraska, and the official score was recorded as a 1-0 Nebraska win, which evened the series between these teams at 1-1.^[8]

Missouri

Nebraska had a rough start opening conference play, as they were delayed in their arrival to Kansas City until 5:00 a.m. the morning of the game. Nebraska was still favored to win, and indeed scored the first points of the match, but Missouri took advantage of the weary Bugeaters, catching up to tie the game at 12-12 by halftime and pulling away with a 30-18 victory at the end of the day to match the Missouri-Nebraska series at 1-1.^[8]

University of Missouri records indicate the final score of this game was an 18-12 Missouri victory.^[10]

Kansas

Nebraska hoped to get even with Kansas after losing to them the year prior when they met for the first time, but Kansas owned the day. Events seemed to fall in favor of the Jayhawks, including a bizarre play in which a Kansas punt was fumbled by the Nebraska receiver and recovered by Kansas, whose players subsequently fumbled and recovered the ball twice before running it in for a touchdown. Nebraska was unable to score all day and suffered their first shutout and second loss of the season, and the Bugeaters fell to 0-2 against the Jayhawks.^[8]

Iowa

Iowa met Nebraska to close out league play in blizzard conditions, and the game was punctuated by the appearance of Bugeater head coach Frank Crawford in the lineup as he played off the right half and kicked field goals for his team, a practice not entirely uncommon in the era. Nebraska held on for the 20-18 win, resulting in the Bugeaters sharing a 3rd-place finish in the conference, with Iowa. The Iowa-Nebraska series was now completely evened out, at 1-1-1.^[8]

University of Iowa records indicate this game was played November 23.^[10]

After the season

For the first time in program history, the Nebraska football team had a head coach that stayed with the squad for the entire season, and remained with the program over the offseason to return the following year. Nebraska's overall record percentage fell slightly to 9-6-2 (.588).^[10]

References