The following is part of a 10-week series on the history of UW-Stout football. The series, which will run every Wednesday in The Dunn County News, is a collaboration with the The News, the Dunn County Historical Society and UW-Stout Athletics. The Stout football program will mark the centennial with a reunion celebration on Homecoming, Saturday, Oct. 1. For more information about the reunion, call the UW-Stout athletic office at 715-232-2224. Check out the Centennial video at the bottom of this page.
By Jim Gorecki
Former UW-Stout Football Player
Under coach Bob Kamish, the 1980 team compiled a record of 6-4, and set the tone for the next few years of winning seasons. The eighth decade started out with a bang, as the wishbone formation continued the running attack in 1981, compiling a 7-4 record. 1982 was more of the same, with Bobby Johnson carrying the bulk of the mail, and running into the record books - and eventually the Stout Hall of Fame. During this time, the Radar Defense was giving the opponents plenty to think about, and keeping Stout in virtually every game.
The highlight of the season on the Stout campus for 1982 was a nationally televised game from Nelson Field verses UW-Oshkosh, filling in for the NFL which was on strike, with the Blue Devils prevailing 13-6. The game featured the Devil's Radar Defense, with all defenders on the line in a two-point stance, much like a linebacker, and the Oshkosh offensive line in a two-point also, making it look more like a mass wrestling match prior to each snap.
See complete CBS story.
Local boy done good here, Mike Kraimer, was a receiver, a kick returner, a running back, a standout in track and field as well, was named to the Stout Hall of Fame in 2010. His 62 catches between 1980-1983, netted 1,327 yards, for a 21.4 yards per catch average. And that was accomplished on a wishbone team. With numbers like that, the saying around campus was, “Aim for Kraim.” In 1983, Kraimer scored all 24 points in a 24-21 Blue Devil victory over UW-Oshkosh.
The 1983-1985 seasons were rough on Kamish and his troops, following winning seasons from 1977-1982, the Devils only won seven in those three years, and came away with one tie. In 1984, the Devils traveled to South Dakota State, (Brookings, S.D.) Portland State, (Portland, Ore.), and wrapped up the season with a win at The Metrodome in Minneapolis, against Division II Northern State, 24-21.
The 1985 campaign had some fun highlights with freshman Kyle Gunderson rambling for an 85-yard touchdown run verses Grand Valley State (Mich.) in his first collegiate game, helping to pave the way for a Blue Devil win, 23-7, on a day that had temperatures at Nelson Field of 104 degrees. It was a cold October day at UW-Whitewater, that the Blue Devils ruined the Warhawk's homecoming, with a 7-0 victory on the road. With backup quarterbacks, a second string punter, and lineman playing both sides of the ball, it was a complete team victory, and as Kamish said in the locker room after the contest, “This is one of my biggest victories of my career.”
The Kick
1985 was a very good year for senior kicker, Todd Miles - one of the last conventional kickers, (kicks with his toe). He led the WSUC in field goals, and set the all-time WSUC record for the longest field goal, with a 54-yard boot at UW-River Falls. Now there is a story inside the story here, and I should know something about this, as I was the holder for all of Mr. Miles' attempts in 1985. In this particular case, I need to set up the situation.
The Blue Devils traveled down Highway 29 to play River Falls, and as many times happens in River Falls, the field was frozen, it was well below freezing temperatures, with a steady crosswind blowing from east to west at about 40 MPH. Down 17-0, Coach Kamish sends out the field goal unit to attempt a long field goal just prior to the halftime gun, from the left hash mark, close to our bench. Both Todd and I knew exactly how far the attempt was; everyone else just knew that it was a very long attempt. There is a special relationship between a kicker, his holder and the long snapper. Often, most days, before practice or after practice, the three will work on their craft, timing and rhythm. In this case, Keith Jurek (Siren) was the snapper. OK, stay with me here. So we get out on the field, I spot where I will place the ball down, and Todd shouts in my helmet, “Where should we aim?” Confidently, I shouted back, “Aim for the front flag!”
So with my left knee on the ground, and my body turned on a strange angle to the line of scrimmage, I look at Todd, he nods his head, (his “OK, I'm ready signal”), I bark out the signal, “SET!” Jurek snaps the ball through the crosswind; I catch the ball, put it down, spin it a half turn so he doesn't kick the laces, and boom! It was as if everything went silent, and in slow motion. The ball literally traveled down our sideline, and the crosswind brought the ball back toward the center of the field about the 10-yard line. The ball struck the crossbar, dead center, and bounced over the bar as time expired.
Everything was loud again, and in very fast motion. The team mobbed Todd on the field, and an impromptu ceremony was on, players and coaches from River Falls came over to congratulate Todd, the referee gave Todd the ball. We lost the game, 27-9, but Todd Miles was the real winner of that day. That 54-yard field goal, the longest in state school history, is still the record today.
Lawrence era
In 1986, Rich Lawrence was named the new head coach, and immediately junked the wishbone and the Radar defense, brought in some of his own coaching staff, and started to sling the ball all over the field. In many ways, a forerunner of the high scoring offenses you see more of today.
That open style of play made for some high scoring, and created future Stout Hall of Famers - quarterback, Tim Peterson, and receivers Scott Fredrickson and Mark Rothwell. Peterson set the standard for all UW-Stout quarterbacks to follow. He led the Blue Devils football team from 1986-89. After latching onto the starting role, Peterson began to rack up numbers that eventually would set 16 school records. With Peterson at the command of a high powered offense, the Blue Devils led the NCAA Division III in passing in 1987. Peterson finished his career with 8,881 passing yards and 9,703 yards in total offense, both still school records that will be hard pressed to be broken.
The all-time leading career scorer and receiver in Stout football history, Fredrickson was a four-time all-conference pick at three different positions - return specialist (1986), tight end (1987) and wide receiver (1988, 89). Frederickson was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American and was a first-team NAIA All-American in 1989. Fredrickson holds a commanding lead for career reception yards, hauling in 233 passes for 3,390 yards, which was second in NCAA Division III when he hung up the cleats. He had two 1,000 yard receiving years, setting a school record with 1,185 yards as a sophomore and racking up 1,102 as a senior. Fredrickson scored 29 touchdowns including 23 receiving touchdowns for a total of 178 points. Fredrickson held eight school records and currently holds seven.
In just two seasons (1987 and 1988) with the Blue Devils, wide receiver Rothwell possessed the soft hands that allowed him to hold school records that stood for 10 years. His marks of most touchdown receptions in a season (nine) and most touchdown receptions in a game (three) were erased from the top spot in the 1998 season. Rothwell still holds the mark for most receiving yards in a single game when he ran for 213 yards against Platteville in 1987. A 1988 GTE Academic All-America and an NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Rothwell was named second team All-America in 1987 and was team MVP in 1988.
