The team, unofficially referred to as the Old Gold Knights, was coached by Langdon Frothingham, though his actual role is unclear.

Nebraska's football program was ostensibly founded under the direction of Dr. Langdon Frothingham, a veterinary pathologist and graduate of Harvard who was hired in 1889 to teach physiology, agriculture, and bacteriology.

Frothingham was asked to oversee the new program primarily because he was familiar with the rules of the game and had brought a football with him from the East Coast.

It is unclear if Frothingham traveled with the team to either game; he left the university to teach in Dresden in February 1891, around the same time Nebraska faced Doane.

Nebraska failed to capitalize, coming as close as one yard from the end zone before a penalty meant the drive resulted in no points.

Eventually, Doane's kicker dropped the ball in the endzone, and it was recovered by James Porterfield for another Nebraska touchdown.