Led by Bernie Masterson in his second and final season as head coach, the Cornhuskers compiled an overall record of 2–7 with a mark of 2–3 in conference play, placing fourth in the Big 6.
[15][17] Underdog Iowa State made their first serious attempt to get a win against Nebraska in several years, and rolled up the statistical advantage for their efforts, yet did not actually obtain the points to match.
Both schools hoped that the cultural aftereffects of the war in Europe would put to bed the hate-filled interactions that ended the series twenty years prior.
Unlike their last meeting, however, Notre Dame was still in the position as national power and ranked #2 entering the game, while the Cornhuskers remained in the throes of trying to recover from a six-season slide.
[15][19][20] Nebraska was unable to finally put points up until the second half, but by holding Kansas State to a single touchdown, the Cornhuskers remained perfect in conference play.
The Missouri-Nebraska Victory Bell was re-introduced after a period of inactivity during World War II, but the series trophy remained in custody of Missouri after the game.
[15][22] Kansas managed to secure a rare win in Lincoln with a touchdown punched through Nebraska's defenses in the final 40 seconds of the contest to deny celebration to the crowd of 22,000 present for the Cornhusker homecoming game.
[15][24] The Oregon State Beavers had not met Nebraska on the field since 1936, and arrived in Lincoln with several losses behind them, leading some to assume the Cornhuskers would not have serious trouble securing a season-ending win.