Omaha Exploration

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Nebraska’s series against the Colorado Buffaloes. Today we take a look at the series with Illinois Fighting Illini. The two teams have only played each other 21 times which is surprising giving their relative proximity to one another.

The 1892 game against Illinois represents Nebraska’s first ever out-of-state opponent. Nebraska did not have a permanent head coach that season though Omaha lawyer J. S. Williams led the team for a single game. At the time Nebraska was competing in the Western Interstate University Football Association (WIUFA) along with Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

The contest also marked the first game of the season for the Old Gold Knights as they were known at that time. The game was played at Lincoln Park (today’s Cooper Park). Since the baseball park had bleachers it was more desirable than the field on campus.

The only score came after Illinois fumbled the ball. Nebraska’s Left Halfback George Flippin ended up scoring the games only touchdown on a 25-yard run. Nebraska would go on to win the game 6-0 in front of a crowd of 600 students. There were apparently hard feelings as Illinois Left Guard George Huff punched Nebraska’s Right Guard Albin Jones in the face after the game ended. Huff disappeared into the crowd but would later resurface as Illinois’ athletic director in 1901.The students of the home team, meanwhile, were enraged while the visiting teams coach offered no apology or explanation.

Back to George Flippin who was Nebraska’s star player from 1891-1894. His father, Charles, was a freed slave who fought in the Civil War on behalf of the Union. He would go on to become a doctor while George became of the first black college football players nationwide and the first to play for the University of Nebraska. While he continued to face racism throughout his career at Nebraska, he was elected team captain for the 1894 season. He left Nebraska to study medicine and like his father, became a doctor. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

In its second game that season, Nebraska lost an away game to the Denver Athletic Club 18-4. Its third game was forfeited by Missouri due to Flippin’s presence as a black player for Nebraska. The Knights would lose their fourth game against Kansas 12-0 before ending the season with a tie 10-10 tie against Iowa.

When Missouri forfeited the game against Nebraska, its student newspaper mocked the segregated Missouri team stating that the team’s anti-black bigotry would cause them to lose the football game just as they lost the Civil War. It went on to claim racial inclusion as a part of Nebraska’s identity.

Nebraska Coach Matt Ruhle and Illinois Coach Brett Bielema.

Since that first game in 1892 Nebraska has gone on to dominate the series with a record of 14-6-1. The two teams played only sporadically until the Huskers joined the B1G. The teams have played annually since 2013. Since then Nebraska has gone 7-4 against the Fighting Illini.

Tell me if Nebraska will remain undefeated this season and what you think the score will be. Go Huskers!

Until next time, keep exploring!

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