Following the departure of Fielding H. Yost following the 1898 season, Nebraska hired Branch, a recent graduate of Williams College with little football coaching experience.
[4] Bell, Johnny HB Benedict, Raymond HB Brew, Fred T Carver, Fred FB Cortelyou, Spencer E Crandall, Harry QB Dasenbrock, John G Drain, Ralph QB Gordon, Anthony FB Hunter, Fred HB Kingsbury, Raymond FB Koehler, John C Pearse, Arthur RT Ploughead RG Reasoner, Ira T Ringer, John LG Tukey, Harry QB Tyson C Wallace LT Westover, John LT Williams, Charles Erwin HB Nebraska met the Lincoln High School football team in a pre-season exhibition game for the second time.
Iowa State had begun preparation for the football season prior to that start of the school year, a practice not commonplace at the time.
[5] After allowing 33 points to Iowa State the week prior, Nebraska's defense held the Kansas City Medics off the scoreboard in a scoreless first half.
[5] Nebraska defeated Drake 12–6 in what would be the first and only college football head coaching win for Branch (after a brief stint at Miami (OH), he ended his career with a record of 1–11–1).