The 1956 Nebraska Cornhuskers

The University of Nebraska went 3-3 and 4-6 in the 1956 football season. Pete Elliott coached the team for only one year. He accepted the University of California head coach position in January 1957. Elliott was an innovator. As offensive backfield coach at the University of Oklahoma, he taught the Split-T offense. This offensive scheme helped Oklahoma win 46 consecutive games in the 1950s. It is unclear how successful he might have been had he stayed in Lincoln. He chose to leave despite being offered a $2,500 raise at the conclusion of 1956. The Nebraska team he inherited went 5-5 in 1955. In 1954 the Cornhuskers were 6-5. They lost to Duke University in the 1955 Orange Bowl. The 1956 Huskers played Ohio State and Oklahoma, losing decisively to both nationally ranked teams. The college football landscape was different from that of today. Coaches were not paid nearly as much, players often wore helmets without a face mask, and stadium sizes were less than 100,000 capacity. However, football was the primary revenue sport, especially in the Midwest. My E-Book looks at the Cornhuskers statistically and biographically. I have included as much info as I could obtain about the NU players and coaches, as well as their opponents.