1954 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
Encyclopedia
The 1954 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big 7 Conference
in the 1954 college football season
. The team was coached by Bill Glassford
and played their home games at Memorial Stadium
in Lincoln, Nebraska
.
did resign his position. Clark had previously led the Nebraska football team, in 1945 and then again in 1948, before ascending to the position of Athletic Director. Another former Nebraska football coach, Adolph J. Lewandowski
(1943–1944), was named as acting AD in his stead. Lewandowski eventually helped select Bill Orwig
as the new permanent Athletic Director, a position he would hold through 1960. Glassford was kept on under Orwig, but the pressure was building for the Nebraska football program to regain its footing and build consistency going forward.
Opening against powerhouse rival Minnesota was a tall order to ask of the football team. Using the Split T Formation installed during the offseason, the Cornhuskers managed a single touchdown to avoid the shutout in Minneapolis, but the Golden Gophers had little trouble adding to their lead in the series, moving up to 28-5-2 against Nebraska to date.
The Cornhuskers bounced back from the season opener by trouncing the Cyclones in Lincoln, scoring often and allowing some reserve players to get some on-field time for experience. Nebraska didn't back off as the game progressed, and scored again with less than two minutes remaining. The victory extended the Cornhusker winning streak over Iowa State to nine games, as Nebraska improved to 39-8-1 in the series.
Year in and year out in recent times, Kansas State could be counted on as an automatic win for the Nebraska squad, until last year. In 1953, the Wildcats snapped their ten-game losing streak against the Cornhuskers, and so were not intimidated by the Nebraska squad upon meeting them in Lincoln. The Wildcats put on a defensive show, allowing the Cornhuskers only a field goal as the day wore on. With Nebraska clinging to a 3-0 lead and less than five minutes to play, the Cornhusker defense allowed a Wildcat touchdown, and Kansas State took away their sixth win in the 38-game series.
Smarting from allowing Kansas State another win, the Cornhuskers lit into underdog Oregon State, ensuring the results would come out as expected for the week. Nebraska was up by three touchdowns before the Beavers were able to even muster a single-touchdown response, and the win put the Cornhuskers up to 6-2 in the series to date.
It was not yet clear what path the 1954 Cornhuskers were going to take, having started out 2-2 on the season. The Colorado game was likely to set the tone for the rest of the year, as Nebraska had to face the Buffaloes in Boulder. Colorado entered the game with a #11 ranking from the AP Poll
, led the nation in rushing offense, and held the #10 position in total defense. The first half was a fistfight that sent both teams off the field for the break tied at 6-6, but after that it was all Nebraska. The nation's leading rushing team was outrushed by the Cornhuskers 280 to 231, and gave up a total of 380 yards on the day as Nebraska snapped Colorado's nine-game winning streak. It was the first time Nebraska had recorded a victory at Folsom Field. Colorado fell to 5-8 in the overall series.
Bolstered by the victory in Boulder, but perhaps offended by the lack of attention given to them by the AP Poll after having knocked off the nation's #11 team on the road, Nebraska hosted a favored Missouri team in Lincoln. The first half was again a close affair, as the Cornhuskers held a mere 6-point lead at the half, but quickly scored two more times after the break to open the game up. Missouri did not give up, however, drawing within six points again. The Tigers had a chance to tie or go for the win when Nebraska was forced to punt inside the final minute. Nebraska prevailed when the punt returner was hit by two blockers and fumbled the ball, ending the game one play later. The win moved Nebraska to 26-18-2 over Missouri all time, snapped Missouri's three-game edge over the Cornhuskers, and returned the Victory Bell to Lincoln.
Following the Missouri win, the AP Poll recognized Nebraska by moving them to a shared #20 ranking entering this game, the first time the Cornhuskers had been ranked since the beginning of 1951. Kansas attempted to hold the game close, and kept with seven points well into the third quarter, but the Cornhusker machine rolled up 416 yards on the day and pulled away to secure their 4th win in league play. The victory improved the Cornhuskers to 44-13-3 over the Jayhawks all time. Despite the win, Nebraska fell back out of the AP Poll.
Perennial league champion Oklahoma brought Nebraska to Norman and quickly demolished the stunned Cornhuskers to close out the Big 7 conference schedule. It seemed like Nebraska might have still had a chance despite their 7-21 deficit at halftime, but the Sooners had little difficulty piling on the points afterward. Oklahoma's 55 points against the Cornhuskers were the most allowed in the program's history, and the scoring margin of 48 points was the worst since a 0-48 defeat, also handed down by the Sooners, in 1949. Oklahoma's record streak of wins over Nebraska was extended to 12, and Nebraska's series edge narrowed to a single-game margin of 16-15-3. Oklahoma went on to finish the season 10-0 and ranked #3 in the AP Poll
. Under the relatively recent no-repeat bowl appearance rule implemented by the Big 7, Oklahoma was not permitted to represent the league in the Orange Bowl, and as the second-place Big 7 team, Nebraska instead got the nod to play in Miami on January 1.
The Cornhuskers were treated to a late season game against Hawaii, the first meeting of these teams, in Honolulu. The Cornhuskers quickly forgot their troubles against Oklahoma by piling 50 unanswered points on the hapless Rainbows for a dominating shutout victory to close the regular season. The defeat of Hawaii was Nebraska's most prolific since an identical 50-0 downing of Wyoming back in the 1934 season opener twenty years prior.
for the first time in program history, and this game was the 11th in Nebraska's first-ever 11-game season as well as Nebraska's second-ever bowl game. The Cornhuskers had not played a postseason game since meeting Stanford in the 1941 Rose Bowl
, while Duke had not seen a postseason game for ten years. Several opinion pieces of the time displayed disdain for the Big 7's no-repeat bowl rule, and that Oklahoma was not permitted to participate as Big 7 champion. Nebraska nonetheless attempted to make a game of it, coming back from a 0-14 halftime deficit to pull within 7, but the Blue Devils overwhelmed and dominated the day in the first and only meeting of these teams. Nebraska was outyarded 370-110, and 288-84 on the ground, to the dismay of a Nebraska team known for its ground attack. The entire Duke roster in attendance was able to get playing time, and Nebraska was unable to find success even against the Blue Devil reserves. It was the largest crowd that the Cornhuskers had ever played in front of, fully 10,000 more spectators than had watched any other Nebraska game in person before, though as Duke began to roll and went up 27-7, many in the stands began to leave early. Said coach Glassford after the game: "I knew we’d have to play our best to stand a chance of beating Duke, but we came up with a stinking performance and got spanked."
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
in the 1954 college football season
1954 college football season
The 1954 college football season saw three teams finish unbeaten and untied, with Ohio State Buckeyes and the UCLA Bruins sharing the national championship as the #1 picks of the AP Poll and the UPI Poll, respectively. Although the winners of the Big Ten and the Pacific conferences normally met in...
. The team was coached by Bill Glassford
Bill Glassford
James William "Bill" Glassford is a former American football player and coach. He attended the University of Pittsburgh where he played football and was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. He graduated in 1936....
and played their home games at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium, Lincoln
Memorial Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. It is the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team....
in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
.
Before the season
At the conclusion of the previous season, coach Glassford's third losing season in five years, sentiment was strong for a change in leadership. However, while Glassford survived the strife, Athletic Director George ClarkGeorge Clark (American football coach)
-External links:...
did resign his position. Clark had previously led the Nebraska football team, in 1945 and then again in 1948, before ascending to the position of Athletic Director. Another former Nebraska football coach, Adolph J. Lewandowski
Adolph J. Lewandowski
Adolph J. "A. J." "Lew" Lewandowski was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1943 to 1944, compiling a record of 4–12...
(1943–1944), was named as acting AD in his stead. Lewandowski eventually helped select Bill Orwig
Bill Orwig
James Wilfred "Bill" Orwig was a basketball and American football player at the University of Michigan. He later served as the athletic director at the University of Toledo, University of Nebraska, and Indiana University....
as the new permanent Athletic Director, a position he would hold through 1960. Glassford was kept on under Orwig, but the pressure was building for the Nebraska football program to regain its footing and build consistency going forward.
Schedule
Roster
| Official Roster | ||||||
|
Laverne Torczon LaVerne Joseph Torczon is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at the University of Nebraska, and played professionally in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills, the New York Titans/Jets, and the Miami Dolphins... C (So.) |
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Coaching staff
| Name | Title | First year in this position |
Years at Nebraska | Alma Mater |
| Bill Glassford Bill Glassford James William "Bill" Glassford is a former American football player and coach. He attended the University of Pittsburgh where he played football and was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. He graduated in 1936.... |
|Head Coach | 1949 | 1949–1955 | Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of... |
| L. F. Klein | |Assistant Coach | 1945 | 1945–1958 | |
| Ray Prochaska Ray Prochaska Raymond Edward Prochaska was an American football player and coach born in Ulysses, Nebraska. He attended the University of Nebraska and played one season in the National Football League.... |
|Ends Coach | 1950 | 1947–1948, 1950–1954 | Nebraska University of Nebraska–Lincoln The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska... |
| Bob Davis | |Backfield Coach | 1949 | 1949–1955 | |
| Robert Faris | |Freshman Coach | 1952 | 1952–1954 | |
| Mike Milligan | | | 1953 | 1953–1955 | Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of... |
| Don Strasheim | | | 1954 | 1954–1958 | Nebraska University of Nebraska–Lincoln The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska... |
Minnesota
|
Opening against powerhouse rival Minnesota was a tall order to ask of the football team. Using the Split T Formation installed during the offseason, the Cornhuskers managed a single touchdown to avoid the shutout in Minneapolis, but the Golden Gophers had little trouble adding to their lead in the series, moving up to 28-5-2 against Nebraska to date.
Iowa State
|
The Cornhuskers bounced back from the season opener by trouncing the Cyclones in Lincoln, scoring often and allowing some reserve players to get some on-field time for experience. Nebraska didn't back off as the game progressed, and scored again with less than two minutes remaining. The victory extended the Cornhusker winning streak over Iowa State to nine games, as Nebraska improved to 39-8-1 in the series.
Kansas State
|
Year in and year out in recent times, Kansas State could be counted on as an automatic win for the Nebraska squad, until last year. In 1953, the Wildcats snapped their ten-game losing streak against the Cornhuskers, and so were not intimidated by the Nebraska squad upon meeting them in Lincoln. The Wildcats put on a defensive show, allowing the Cornhuskers only a field goal as the day wore on. With Nebraska clinging to a 3-0 lead and less than five minutes to play, the Cornhusker defense allowed a Wildcat touchdown, and Kansas State took away their sixth win in the 38-game series.
Oregon State
|
Smarting from allowing Kansas State another win, the Cornhuskers lit into underdog Oregon State, ensuring the results would come out as expected for the week. Nebraska was up by three touchdowns before the Beavers were able to even muster a single-touchdown response, and the win put the Cornhuskers up to 6-2 in the series to date.
Colorado
|
It was not yet clear what path the 1954 Cornhuskers were going to take, having started out 2-2 on the season. The Colorado game was likely to set the tone for the rest of the year, as Nebraska had to face the Buffaloes in Boulder. Colorado entered the game with a #11 ranking from the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
, led the nation in rushing offense, and held the #10 position in total defense. The first half was a fistfight that sent both teams off the field for the break tied at 6-6, but after that it was all Nebraska. The nation's leading rushing team was outrushed by the Cornhuskers 280 to 231, and gave up a total of 380 yards on the day as Nebraska snapped Colorado's nine-game winning streak. It was the first time Nebraska had recorded a victory at Folsom Field. Colorado fell to 5-8 in the overall series.
Missouri
|
Bolstered by the victory in Boulder, but perhaps offended by the lack of attention given to them by the AP Poll after having knocked off the nation's #11 team on the road, Nebraska hosted a favored Missouri team in Lincoln. The first half was again a close affair, as the Cornhuskers held a mere 6-point lead at the half, but quickly scored two more times after the break to open the game up. Missouri did not give up, however, drawing within six points again. The Tigers had a chance to tie or go for the win when Nebraska was forced to punt inside the final minute. Nebraska prevailed when the punt returner was hit by two blockers and fumbled the ball, ending the game one play later. The win moved Nebraska to 26-18-2 over Missouri all time, snapped Missouri's three-game edge over the Cornhuskers, and returned the Victory Bell to Lincoln.
Kansas
|
Following the Missouri win, the AP Poll recognized Nebraska by moving them to a shared #20 ranking entering this game, the first time the Cornhuskers had been ranked since the beginning of 1951. Kansas attempted to hold the game close, and kept with seven points well into the third quarter, but the Cornhusker machine rolled up 416 yards on the day and pulled away to secure their 4th win in league play. The victory improved the Cornhuskers to 44-13-3 over the Jayhawks all time. Despite the win, Nebraska fell back out of the AP Poll.
Pittsburgh
Riding a wave of success, Nebraska played host to rival Pittsburgh for the annual homecoming match up. The Panthers were favored, but a savage battle on the field yielded no points for either team by the half as the Cornhuskers battled for national respect. Despite the effort, Pittsburgh's halftime adjustments broke through the Nebraska defense for two scores in the third quarter. A single Cornhusker reply was all the home team could muster in reply as the Panthers scored a third time near the end of the game. It was Nebraska's third straight loss in the series as they slipped to 3-13-3 against Pittsburgh to date.Oklahoma
|
Perennial league champion Oklahoma brought Nebraska to Norman and quickly demolished the stunned Cornhuskers to close out the Big 7 conference schedule. It seemed like Nebraska might have still had a chance despite their 7-21 deficit at halftime, but the Sooners had little difficulty piling on the points afterward. Oklahoma's 55 points against the Cornhuskers were the most allowed in the program's history, and the scoring margin of 48 points was the worst since a 0-48 defeat, also handed down by the Sooners, in 1949. Oklahoma's record streak of wins over Nebraska was extended to 12, and Nebraska's series edge narrowed to a single-game margin of 16-15-3. Oklahoma went on to finish the season 10-0 and ranked #3 in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. Under the relatively recent no-repeat bowl appearance rule implemented by the Big 7, Oklahoma was not permitted to represent the league in the Orange Bowl, and as the second-place Big 7 team, Nebraska instead got the nod to play in Miami on January 1.
Hawaii
|
The Cornhuskers were treated to a late season game against Hawaii, the first meeting of these teams, in Honolulu. The Cornhuskers quickly forgot their troubles against Oklahoma by piling 50 unanswered points on the hapless Rainbows for a dominating shutout victory to close the regular season. The defeat of Hawaii was Nebraska's most prolific since an identical 50-0 downing of Wyoming back in the 1934 season opener twenty years prior.
Duke
Nebraska was invited to the Orange BowlOrange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
for the first time in program history, and this game was the 11th in Nebraska's first-ever 11-game season as well as Nebraska's second-ever bowl game. The Cornhuskers had not played a postseason game since meeting Stanford in the 1941 Rose Bowl
1941 Rose Bowl
The 1941 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1941, was an American football bowl game. It was the 27th Rose Bowl Game with the #7 ranked Cornhuskers taking on the #2 ranked Stanford Indians. At the end of the 2009 college football season, this game stands as the only meeting between these two...
, while Duke had not seen a postseason game for ten years. Several opinion pieces of the time displayed disdain for the Big 7's no-repeat bowl rule, and that Oklahoma was not permitted to participate as Big 7 champion. Nebraska nonetheless attempted to make a game of it, coming back from a 0-14 halftime deficit to pull within 7, but the Blue Devils overwhelmed and dominated the day in the first and only meeting of these teams. Nebraska was outyarded 370-110, and 288-84 on the ground, to the dismay of a Nebraska team known for its ground attack. The entire Duke roster in attendance was able to get playing time, and Nebraska was unable to find success even against the Blue Devil reserves. It was the largest crowd that the Cornhuskers had ever played in front of, fully 10,000 more spectators than had watched any other Nebraska game in person before, though as Duke began to roll and went up 27-7, many in the stands began to leave early. Said coach Glassford after the game: "I knew we’d have to play our best to stand a chance of beating Duke, but we came up with a stinking performance and got spanked."
After the season
Although the season did not exactly end on a high note, the winning record and first bowl game appearance since 1941 was more than enough to allow coach Glassford to retain his position and quiet the voices hoping for him to be replaced. For the sixth season in a row since taking over at Nebraska, Glassford had alternated winning and losing seasons, so even with the runner-up league finish and post season appearance, there was still no form of confidence that the winning performance could be maintained. Glassford's second place Big 7 record of 4-2 was enough to push his overall conference record back to the winning side, at 18-17-1 (.514), though his overall record was still lagging at 26-30-3 (.466). Nebraska's program all-time league percentage improved slightly to 138-54-12 (.706), while the overall record slipped to 342-178-34 (.648).| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | #NR | #NR | #NR | #NR | #NR | #NR | #NR | #20 | #NR | #NR | #NR | #NR |
Future NFL and other professional league players
- Charley Bryant, 1955 24th-round pick of the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
- Don Glantz, 1955 5th-round pick of the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
- Bob Smith, 1955 15th-round pick of the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
- Laverne TorczonLaverne TorczonLaVerne Joseph Torczon is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at the University of Nebraska, and played professionally in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills, the New York Titans/Jets, and the Miami Dolphins...
, 1957 18th-round pick of the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...