Though Iowa would suffer a 6-0 loss at Chicago, the Chicago Times-Herald was complimentary, especially of Holbrook. "Iowa’s star work was done by Holbrook. It was brilliant. He made one run of forty yards through a forest of Chicago tackles, and a couple of sprints of thirty yards. Iowa always worked him when it was necessary to make a gain to keep the ball." Four years earlier, Iowa had joined its first football conference. The conference, titled the Western Interstate University Football Association, had four members: Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. The four schools played each other every year, with the winner of the round-robin series each year declared the conference champion. Iowa went 0-3 against their conference foes in 1895, being outscored by a combined score of 92-0. In 1896, Iowa snapped a five-game conference losing streak by beating Kansas 6-0. With eight minutes remaining in a scoreless game, Iowa had the ball at the Kansas 45 yard line. Iowa lined up quickly and snapped the ball without a signal. The ball was pitched to Frank Holbrook who sprinted 45 yards for the lone touchdown. After the extra points (touchdowns were then worth four points, and the extra points try was worth two points), Iowa held a 6-0 lead, which they maintained for the win. The 1896 Missouri Game After another easy non-conference win, Iowa carried their 4-1 record into Columbia, Missouri, for a game with the Tigers. Missouri had won a share of the conference title the past three years, from 1893 to 1895. Missouri alumni demanded that Iowa play the game without Frank Holbrook. Coach Bull refused and stated that there would be no game if Holbrook were not allowed to play. The Iowa City Vidette-Reporter (the University of Iowa's student newspaper) reported, "When Missouri’s team came on the field, they were heartily cheered with the Tigers’ yell, followed by appeals from the rooters to individual players to ‘kill the nigger’." During the game, there were several physical confrontations. The Vidette-Reporter continued, "There was hardly a man on Iowa’s team who did not receive a cowardly blow from the Tigers. Several were hit while on the ground. One man received at least three blows from the fists of the Tigers. Not for ten seconds did one of Iowa’s men forget himself or lose his temper. At all times they placed themselves near and about Holbrook." Iowa won