1922 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1922 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska in the 1922 college football season . The team was coached by Fred Dawson and played their home games at Nebraska Field in Lincoln , Nebraska . Before the season . Now permitted three weeks of pre - season practice , the league champion Cornhuskers prepared under second - year coach Dawson to attempt to repeat as champs . Plans were in motion to build a new playing field and stadium for Nebraska , and this would be the final season of games played on Nebraska Field . Longtime trainer Jack Best , who had been with the program since its very beginning in 1890 through all of the coaching turnovers , was in declining health but came back for the season to help ready his beloved Cornhuskers . Game notes . South Dakota . South Dakota served as Nebraska ' s tune up game of the season , and the Coyotes were easily brushed aside with no points as the Cornhuskers cruised and looked ahead to the homecoming game coming up in two weeks . South Dakota ' s record against Nebraska fell to 1 - 7 - 2 . Missouri . Missouri was supposed to be a worthy foe according to some pregame press , but the Cornhuskers rolled up their opponent for the second game in a row , holding the Tigers to just 17 total yards on the day , while playing virtually error - free in the conference opener . Missouri fell further behind in the series as Nebraska began to pull out of sight by leading 13 - 3 . Oklahoma . High winds and high heat complicated matters during Nebraska ' s first ever trip to Norman , but the outcome was familiar for Nebraska as the Sooners were defeated on their own home field , the 8th straight win for the Cornhuskers going back into the previous season . Oklahoma found itself farther behind in the series 0 - 3 - 1 . Syracuse . Nebraska journeyed east again to take on Syracuse as the season ' s signature eastern game . Coming into the game , the Cornhuskers were feeling confident after three straight wins by a combined margin of 143 - 7 . Playing in muddy conditions unfavorable to the Nebraska game plan , with both teams suffering from miscues , fumbles and penalties , the Orangemen ultimately stunned the Cornhuskers with a late touchdown to go up 9 - 6 before the final whistle , moving ahead in the series 2 - 1 . Kansas . Kansas brought the Cornhuskers to Lawrence to play in their new Memorial Stadium , but Nebraska ruined that game day for the stadium ' s first season , as the Jayhawks were completely shut down and shut out . Nebraska scored slowly in the first half before blowing it open in the 4th quarter , with the final score coming from backup players giving the starters a rest . Kansas fell farther behind Nebraska in the series , 9 - 19 - 1 . Kansas State . It was a battle of offensive philosophies in Lincoln , as Kansas State brought in a prolific passing attack , daring the Cornhuskers to stop them . Stop them they did , though , time after time as the Aggies drew in for a score , they were turned away . Meanwhile , the Nebraska running game pounded without stop , eventually putting up 21 points , as Kansas State finished without any points in a second consecutive Nebraska shutout win , their fourth of the year . Nebraska extended their domination over the Aggies by moving to 7 - 0 all time against them . Iowa State . Iowa State presented no challenge to Nebraska whatsoever , scoring only once on a fast passing play in the second quarter . The six points from that touchdown were swept aside in the flurry of scoring put up by the Cornhuskers , who scored only five minutes into the game and ultimately found the end zone eight times . Nebraska improved their commanding lead over Iowa State , 14 - 4 - 1 . As one of the only two undefeated teams in conference play , but with one more win than fellow undefeated Drake , this win secured Nebraska ' s second consecutive league title . Notre Dame . Trainer Jack Best , now nearly incapacitated and his health failing at the age of 77 , was carried wrapped in blankets from his Grant Hall office to a taxi for the trip to Nebraska Field , and then carried to the Nebraska locker room before the game . Best told the young men that this game would be the last one he would see , and that he wanted a win . Tears were on the players ' faces as they emerged onto the field amidst a crowd chanting in honor of Best , to face Knute Rockne ' s Fighting Irish , featuring rising stars Harry Stuhldreher , Don Miller , Jim Crowley , and Elmer Layden , who would later be known as the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame in coming years . The Cornhuskers were not going to be stopped on this day , and continually gashed Notre Dame for big plays to go up 14 - 0 by halftime . The Fighting Irish figured out how to stop Nebraska , but could not come up with the matching points . After getting their first 6 , Notre Dame drew close again , reaching the Nebraska 2 - yard line before a 4th - down 10 - yard sack turned them away . Yet another scoring drive culminated in the Irish halfback breaking loose a big run that looked like it would go in , but the ball was lost to a fumble and Notre Dame never seriously threatened to score again . This was the first of only two losses the Four Horsemen would experience in their entire college football careers . Best was granted his wish for a win , and Nebraska closed the series gap by pulling within 3 - 4 - 1 against Notre Dame all time . After the season . Coach Dawson ' s second year record was a success , matching his first with just a single defeat on the record . His overall career record with the Cornhuskers advanced to 14 - 2 - 0 ( . 875 ) , the program ' s overall record improved to 188 - 62 - 15 ( . 738 ) , and the program ' s conference record improved to 32 - 3 - 2 ( . 892 ) . The season ended in triumph with the emotional Thanksgiving Day win over Notre Dame in Lincoln , but sorrow followed not long after when Jack Best , the only trainer the program had ever known , died less than two months after watching the epic defeat of the Fighting Irish in Nebraska Field ' s grand finale .