Nebraska 12
Iowa St. 4

Nov. 19, 1896
Lincoln, NE
1st Half2nd Half F 
Iowa St.404
Nebraska6612
First half
NEBR - Frank Wiggins, punt recovery, TD (Orley Thorpe kick)
AMES - Wilson run, TD (kick failed)
Second half
NEBR - Wiggins, run with punt catch, TD (Thorpe kick)

           -Lineups-
AMES                       NEBRASKA
Weaver ....... LE ...Bruce Benedict
Howell ....... LT...... Will Dungan
M.J. Hammer... LG ..... C.E. Kellar
                      Albert Hansen
Van Campen.... C ...William Melford
Tarr ......... RG ... Edmund Turner
S.O. Rice .... RT ... Arthur Pearse
                    & W. Harry Oury
P.E. Damon ... RE ... Frank Wiggins
Crary ........ QB .....Orley Thorpe
Win Parsons... LH ..Leonard Packard
Parker ....... RH ........... Corby
B.W. Wilson... FB ..... Harry Jones
                      Harry Garrett

-Officials-
F. D. Cornell of Lincoln and B. German of Ames. Linesmen, Ike Pace of Lincoln and French of Ames.

 

 

H’MAX NOTES: A hundred and one years before Shevin Wiggins was famously instrumental in a tricky play involving a kicked ball, another Wiggins – Frank – scored in the second half on a trick punt play that under today’s rules would have resulted simply in a downed ball. The play is described here and in the next-to-last paragraph of the Bee’s story. … Other notable rule differences: Touchdowns were worth four points and conversions were worth two. … Iowa State’s official name at the time was Iowa Agricultural College. In 1898, it would become Iowa State College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts. But colloquially, it was known as Ames. … The visitors played only 11 men.

 

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Coverage

Omaha Daily Bee

IOWA FARMERS PROVE EASY

U. of N. Has Little Trouble in Winning Its Game.

THORPE’S LONG PUNTS COUNT FOR SCORES

Well Placed Kicks Result in Touch-Down from Which Goal Are Easily Made—Ames Scores Once by Bucking.

LINCOLN, Nov. 19 — (Special) — Eleven agricultural students from the Iowa Agricultural college at Ames came to Lincoln today to play foot ball with the boys of the University of Nebraska. The visitors played a good game, the best that has been played in Lincoln this season, but they couldn’t score much. They crossed the line only once, and then couldn’t kick the goal. The final score was: Nebraska, 12; Ames, 4.

It was done something in this fashion: Nebraska won the toss and chose the east goal, having the advantage of a stiff northeast wind. Ames kicked off. Nebraska punted on the first play. Ames at once lost on downs, but Nebraska could not hold the ball. Ames did the most of the playing for a minute or two, and then Nebraska got the ball on a forward pass. Thorpe punted fifty yards, sending the ball over the touch line and an Ames man putting the Nebraska players on side. Benedict knocked him down and Wiggins fell on the ball. This was a touch-down for Nebraska. Thorpe kicked a difficult goal.

Ames made the next touch-down, and did it by straight, hard line-bucking. They took the ball at Nebraska’s 15-yard line and never lost it till they sent Wilson over the line. Hammer missed an easy goal. Score: Nebraska 6, Ames 4.

The first half ended without further scoring. The ball was in Iowa’s hands and thirty-five yards from Nebraska’s goal.

In the first half Ames clearly out-played Nebraska in every way, but in the second Nebraska braced up. Both sides fought hard and the battle extended from one end of the field to the other. Back and forth they went, each side losing the ball repeatedly on downs. Nebraska scored once more. The teams were on Ames’ 35-yard line and Thorpe punted fifteen yards. Wiggins caught the ball on the run and carried it over the touch line. It was one of the most neatly executed trick plays ever attempted here. Thorpe kicked goal. Score: Nebraska, 12; Ames 4.

The game ended at 5 o’clock, the ball being in the center of the field and Ames having just lost ten yards by a neat tackle of an end run. A miserably small crowd witnessed the game, but those who stayed away missed a great treat. Nebraska was lame behind the line. Packard played a fine game for Nebraska. Wilson did the most of the work for Ames.


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