1891 Nebraska Old Gold Knights football team The 1891 Nebraska Old Gold Knights football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska in the 1891 college football season . The team did not have a head coach , and played their single home game at Lincoln Park , in Lincoln , Nebraska . Before the season . 1891 was the second year that Nebraska fielded a football team . Although the team was not provided with a head coach by the university that year , T . U . Lyman ( a football coach at a small school in Iowa ) assisted Nebraska in their preparations for the Iowa game , in order to increase the competitiveness of the Old Gold Knights as a viable opponent for the Iowa squad to play against . Game notes . Doane , October 1891 . Nebraska had planned a rematch with Doane during the previous season which was never scheduled . This missed contest was more than made up for , as the Old Gold Knights faced Doane for three of Nebraska ' s four games of 1891 . Although Doane scored the first points of the game - and the first points ever scored against Nebraska , the remainder of the day belonged to the Old Gold Knights , as Nebraska posted 16 unanswered points before the half . The game was reportedly very physical , with several players suffering serious injuries , to the point that the Doane squad considered calling off the rest of the game , though they eventually agreed to a shortened 15 - minute 2nd half . Nebraska put up an additional 12 points before the game ended , finishing with a 28 - 4 victory . Doane , November 1891 . Nebraska was looking for more playing time in preparations for their upcoming contest against the established Iowa Hawkeyes team , and scheduled a rematch with Doane . However , still playing without a head coach , team Captain Ebenezer Mockett withdrew from classes and the team prior to the game , leaving the Old Gold Knights short on leadership . Doane had practiced intensely for the game , with an eye to avenge their previous losses , while several Nebraska players remained out with injuries from the previous game . Even so , Nebraska reportedly entered the game somewhat overconfident due to their previous victories , a feeling reinforced when Nebraska scored the first points off of an early Doane fumble , and ultimately running up to a 6 - 0 lead . Both teams traded possession and points repeatedly afterwards , but Nebraska found itself behind on the scoreboard for the first time ever when Doane pulled ahead to 10 - 6 after the start of the 2nd half . Although the Old Gold Knights responded with six points of their own to regain the lead , Doane responded in kind and handed Nebraska the first loss in the program ' s history . Iowa , November 1891 . Although Nebraska was supported by a temporary head coach to fill the leadership vacuum , the relative lack of experience , and substandard equipment and uniforms played a part as the Old Gold Knights found themselves in over their heads against the powerful Iowa Hawkeyes . Iowa utilized playing styles that Nebraska had never dealt with before , such as signal calling from the line by the quarterback before the play . Still , Nebraska played physical defensive football and made Iowa earn their points , but earn them they did , as Iowa put up 22 to Nebraska ' s 0 , handing the Old Gold Knights their first ever shutout loss . Doane , December 1891 . In order to prevent the season ending with a 1 - 1 tied record with Doane , the two schools arranged to play one more time to settle the season record between them , and to settle the matter of the Nebraska state championship . Still without a head coach , Nebraska was on fire after the drubbing by Iowa the week before , and drilled Doane at their own home field for 22 unanswered points by the half . Old Gold Knights HB George Flippin , the first African American to play football for Nebraska , and James Johnston each scored three touchdowns along the way . Doane rallied to keep Nebraska off the scoreboard in the 2nd half but was unable to answer with points of their own and was defeated with a shutout Nebraska victory that handed the Old Gold Knights their second consecutive Nebraska State Championship . Nebraska ' s record over Doane improved to 3 - 1 . After the season . Nebraska claimed their second football title , having defeated Doane College in two out of three games for what amounted to the Nebraska State Championship . Nebraska was now 4 - 2 - 0 ( . 667 ) all time . This was the second and last year that the Nebraska team was known as the Old Gold Knights . Although they would also sometimes be referred to as the " Tree Planters " , " Nebraskans " , " The Rattlesnake Boys " , " Red Stockings " or " Antelopes " in their early years , they were officially known as the " Bugeaters " beginning in the 1892 season .