1974 Central Dutch football team

The 1974 Central Dutch football team was an American football team that represented Central College as a member of the Iowa Conference during the 1974 NCAA Division III football season. In their 11th season under head coach Ron Schipper, the Dutch compiled an 11–0 record and won both the Iowa Conference championship and the NCAA Division III national championship.[1][2]

1974 Central Dutch football
NCAA Division III champion
Iowa Conference champion
Stagg Bowl, W 10–8 vs. Ithaca
ConferenceIowa Conference
Record11–0 (7–0 Iowa)
Head coach
1974 Iowa Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Central (IA) $^ 7 –0 –011 –0 –0
No. 8 William Penn 6 –1 –09 –2 –0
Buena Vista 4 –3 –05 –4 –0
Upper Iowa 4 –3 –04 –5 –0
Luther 3 –4 –03 –6 –0
Simpson 2 –5 –02 –6 –1
Dubuque 1 –6 –04 –7 –0
Wartburg 1 –6 –02 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll

The team participated in the second annual NCAA Division III playoff, defeating Evansville (17–16) in the semifinal and Ithaca (10–8) in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl championship game.

Linebacker Al Dorenkamp led a defense that allowed an average of only 6.9 points per game and was selected as the most valuable player in the IIAC.[3] Eight Central players received first-team honors on the All-IIAC team: Dorenkamp; offensive linemen Don Knock and Dan Wright; wide receiver Randy Busscher; running back Mike Hodges; quarterback Gary Cutler; defensive lineman Ron Merema; and defensive back Cliff Marlow.[4]

Quarterback Cutler completed 69 of 126 passes for 1,236 yards and 16 touchdowns.[5] His 1974 pass efficiency rating of 174.3 remains a single-season school record (minimum 100 attempts).[5] Receiver Busscher set a single-game school record with 259 receiving yards in the victory over Ferris State.[6]

Coach Schipper was honored as the 1974 IIAC Coach of the Year.[4] He was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.[7]

The team played its home games at in Pella, Iowa.

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 14Northwestern (IA)*Pella, IAW 19–0[8]
September 21Ferris State*Pella, IAW 22–17[9]
September 28at WartburgWaverly, IAW 16–0[10]
October 5at DubuquedaggerDubuque, IAW 36–22
October 12LutherPella, IAW 27–0[11]
October 19at Buena VistaStorm Lake, IAW 13–9[12]
October 26SimpsonPella, IAW 28–0[13]
November 2at Upper IowaFayette, IAW 44–0[14]
November 9William PennPella, IA W 23–14[15]
November 30at Evansville*Evansville, IN (NCAA Division III semifinal)W 17–16[16][17]
December 7vs. Ithaca*Phenix City, AL (NCAA Division III Championship Game)W 10–8[18]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming

See also

References
  1. "1974 Football Schedule". Central College. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  2. "2019 Central College Media Guide" (PDF). Central College. 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  3. 2019 Media Guide, pp. 56, 99.
  4. 2019 Media Guide, p. 56.
  5. 2019 Media Guide, p. 33.
  6. 2019 cMedia Guide, p. 43.
  7. "Ron Schipper". National Football Foundation. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  8. "Central's aerial game clicks, 19-0". The Des Moines Register. September 15, 1974. p. 8D – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "8 seconds left: Cutler lifts Central". The Des Moines Register. September 22, 1974. p. 7D – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Four early fumbles fail to stop Dutchmen, 16-0". The Courier. September 29, 1974. p. 51 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Central Tops Luther, 27-0". The Cedar Rapids Gazette. October 13, 1974. p. 4D – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Central Tips Vista". Sioux City Journal. October 20, 1974. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "7-0 Central Rips Simpson". The Des Moines Register. October 27, 1974. p. 6D – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Central storms past Upper Iowa 44-0". The Waterloo Courier. November 3, 1974. p. 54 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Dick Norman (November 10, 1974). "Central finishes 'perfect'". The Des Moines Register. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Central's defense passes stern tests". The Des Moines Register. December 1, 1974. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Central of Iowa Gains Final, 17‐16". The New York Times. December 1, 1974. p. 258.
  18. Charlie Rhodes (December 8, 1974). "Central Wins As Defense Stops Ithaca". The Montgomery Advertiser. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
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