By 1940 "Biff" Jones, the army major turned Nebraska football coach, had formed a tough, regimented team. The Huskers had had an uneven start under their new coach, but in the end Jones proved he and his team had what it took to get to national prominence. His first season, Biff earned the team a ninth place ranking in the inaugural AP poll for 1936. But by the next year they had slipped to 11th and the following year didn't even register on the poll. 1939 saw the return of the team's form and they were rated 18th with a 7-1-1 season record, having finally beaten longtime foe Pittsburgh.For the 1940 season Jones' boys lost their first game against their perennial enemies the Minnesota Gophers. The Minnesota team edged them out by one touchdown for a 13-7 final score. The rest of the season, however, was immaculate. The Huskers beat the Missouri Tigers in a homecoming game with a 13 point lead for a 20-7 victory. They handily dispatched Oklahoma and Iowa, then went east to face off against Pittsburgh.
Nebraska led the game with a 9-7 lead, until the last few seconds when Pittsburgh, in a last ditch attempt, kicked for a 10-yard field goal. The ball never made it through the goal posts and Nebraska returned home having beaten Pittsburgh again. But success made the team sloppy the next week. Nebraska floundered during the first half of their homecoming game against Iowa State, letting the Cyclones rack up a 12-0 lead. After a strong pep talk by Coach Jones, the team returned to the field to not only hold the Iowans at 12 points, but gain 21 of their own. Save the Minnesota loss, the team finished the season undefeated.
Nebraska was ranked seventh that year by the AP poll. While elated with the highest rank their team had ever been given, Husker fans, players and coaches were overjoyed, when, on December 3, 1940, they received an invitation to the Rose Bowl against second-ranked Stanford. The Regents and the athletic board happily accepted the offer. Celebrations went nonstop for days, The Daily Nebraskan reported that, "...horns have been tooting, drums beating, mobs running, classes dismissing and lungs bellowing the cheer and enthusiasm that celebrate the acceptance of the bid to play."
Nebraska's heroes had finally broken into the national spotlight. Itching to prove their mettle, the team began practicing again. After a few workouts on Nebraska's snow covered fields, the team traveled to Phoenix, Arizona to get some practice in the heat and sun. While the team practiced, sportswriters and fans across the country were discussing the two teams and the upcoming game. Stanford was favored to win with an undefeated season that had been won with deceptive plays through the notorious "T" formation. But Nebraska was not discounted, the tenacity and grit of the Huskers were cited as hallmarks of the team. Los Angeles commentator Henry McLemore wrote that Nebraska was, "Big, rangy and tough" noting it would be a game of, "...deception versus brawn."
Lemore's assessment was correct. The "T" formation used a hand-off from the center to the quarterback instead of the traditional backwards pass. Lined up behind the quarterback were three backs, ready for another hand-off, fake hand-off, a run, or a pass. Stanford's "T" men formed a formidable offensive, with All-American Frankie Albert at quarterback and Pete Kemetovic, Hugh Gallarneau, and Norman Standlee as backs.
Nebraska had its share of star players as well, Forrest Behm had been named an All-American at tackle, Vike Francis was a quick fullback, and Allen Zikmund, Ed Schwartzkopf, Ray Prochaska, Harry Hopp and Roy Petsch represented the strength and determination that had brought early pioneers to the plains of Nebraska.
