Omaha Exploration

Following a brutal loss to Indiana, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will travel to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. This is the Huskers fifth Big Ten game of a season that has yielded a 5-2 record so far.

The two teams first played each other in 1955 in Head Coach Bill Glassford’s seventh and final season leading the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. The coach managed to keep his job despite pressure to step down following a 3-6-1 record in 1953. He led the team to a 6-5 record and a loss in the Orange bowl in 1954.

Nebraska travelled to Columbus to take on the defending national champions Buckeyes in its second game of the season. Nebraska lost its first game to Hawaii 6-0 in Memorial Stadium. The Huskers put up good fight forcing the Ohio State to come from behind twice. After Ohio State drove 62-yards for the first score, Nebraska answered by scoring twice. The first was a nine yard run by Dan Erway and second was a 91 yard interception return by John Edwards. Nebraska missed its extra point on the first touchdown and found themselves down 14-13 at the half.

Nebraska went up 20-14 following a 69-yard drive that ended with an 11-yard pass from Erway to Jon McWilliams. Ohio State answered with a 63-yard drive resulting in a touchdown and a 43-yard run by Howard “Hopalong” Cassaday to the Husker two yard line. The Buckeyes punched it into the end zone with a two yard run by Frank Ellwood. Losing 28-20, Nebraska attempted a comeback that fell short after an Erway pass was intercepted in the red zone.

Program for the game not the left, Coach Bill Glassford in the middle and Husker defensive end and future NFL player Laverne Torczon on the right.

Nebraska squandered its opportunities having turned the ball over four times. Ohio State only attempted three passing attempts but dominated behind a running attack led by Cassady whose 170 yards on the ground helped propel him to a Heisman trophy by seasons end.

Nebraska rebounded with a 16-0 win against the Kansas State Wildcats in its third game of the season. In an up-and-down season, Nebraska would lose games four and five against Texas A&M and Pittsburgh before reeling off four straight wins against Missouri, Kansas, Iowa State and Colorado. Nebraska ended the 1955 season with a 41-0 loss against number one Oklahoma. Despite a 6-5 record, Coach Glassford retired from coaching after the season.

Nebraska would get a do-over the following season but lost 34-7 in Columbus. The two teams wouldn’t play again until Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011. Its only win against the Buckeyes was in 2011 when the 14th ranked Huskers breat Ohion State 34-27. Going into this weekends game, the Huskers are 1-9 against their rival. Here’s to hoping the Huskers can keep it close.

Please feel free to comment to share your thoughts and predictions for the game.

Until next time, keep exploring!

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola on the left and Ohio State QB Will Howard on the right.

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