The bleakest era in Husker history ended with the arrival of Coach Bill Glassford in 1949.He coached three winning seasons in his seven years at Nebraska. The best of his seven seasons was in 1950. Quarterback Fran Nagel and halfback Bobby "Mr. Touchdown" Reynolds led the team to a 6-2-1 record and second place in the Big Seven Conference.
In 1954, Glassford's team again got second place in the conference, which earned them a trip to the Orange Bowl. The Orange Bowl bid was supposed to be Oklahoma's, but Oklahoma had played in the Bowl the year before. Because of a NCAA "no-repeat" rule, Nebraska went instead. The team was handed a 34 to 7 loss from Duke.
Following the 1955 season, Glassford resigned after a player revolt and controversy over his abrasive coaching techniques. Glassford held pre-season workouts at Camp Curtiss in western Nebraska. Conditions were hot, dry and miserable for players. After unfavorable reports from the camp, the University shut it down.
Six losing seasons followed Glassford's retirement. One season was coached by Pete Elliot, the rest were under Coach Bill Jennings. Jennings, although he coached five straight losing seasons, led Nebraska in one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
A victory over Oklahoma on Halloween in 1959 ended the Sooners' 74-game consecutive conference winning streak.
Another upset coached by Jennings was the season opener in 1960. Nebraska traveled to fourth-ranked Texas and defeated them 14 to 13. However, these upsets were not enough to make Nebraska fans happy. Under pressure, Jennings resigned with a 3-6-1 record in 1961.
Football was all work and no play in the 1950s. Teams struggled to get back on their feet after World War II and they needed a coach to take them to the next level. It was time for Nebraska to prove itself to the nation. While they not only proved themselves, they shocked college football.
