Blue Devils take 1965 WSUC title

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.

By Layne Pitt
UW-Stout Sports Information Director
It's been nearly 50 years since that unlikely season of 1965 when the UW-Stout Blue Devil football team surprised the league and captured the Wisconsin State University Conference.

Lyndon B. Johnson was the United States president and the U.S. was firmly ensconced in Vietnam. The Beatles were by far the most popular singing group in the country, if not the world.

William "Bud" Micheels was president of Stout State University, and Stout was embarking on a building and expansion program never seen before or since. One of the building projects was the just completed athletic facility, Johnson Fieldhouse.

Max Sparger was the head football coach and Sten Pierce began his first year as an assistant coach at the college.

Sparger, beginning his third year as the head coach, welcomed 90 players into training camp, the largest number up to that point. Sparger had 25 letterwinners returning from the 3-6-0 campaign of 1964. Defending champion Eau Claire was touted as the team to beat, with Whitewater expected to challenge the Blugolds.

With the large number of letterwinners back, Sparger expected an improvement in the teams' record, but the prospects didn't look good after the first two non-conference games when Stout dropped the opener, 19-6, against Winona State, then tied Mankato State, 6-6.

To get to the final 7-1-1 record, the Blue Devils would have to win the final seven games of the season. They did, but didn't always make it easy on themselves.

Winona 19, Stout 6
A 27-yard pass from quarterback Mike Dunford to halfback Henry "Skip" Waters midway through the fourth quarter was all Stout could muster as Winona's Billy Price reeled off two touchdowns to spoil the Blue Devils' home opener.

Stout 6, Mankato 6
After three scoreless quarters, Stout capitalized on a Mankato fumble recovered by Jim Warrington early in the fourth quarter.

Dunford and end Charlie Krueger teamed to move the ball to the 15 and fullboack Joe Urick drove up the middle to the 7. Dunford finished off drive by hitting Krueger in the end zone on the next play. Mankato scored with 5:43 left for the tie.

Stout 16, Eau Claire 14
An 18-yard field goal by Jim Skarre and two touchdown passes from Dunford to Krueger gave the Blue Devils a 16-14 win over defending WSUC champion Eau Claire at Nelson Field.

The Blue Devils did not dominate with the score, but did dominate the statistical game, racking up 220 yards on the ground and 93 in the air, while holding the Blugolds to 72 rushing a 191 passing.

Warrington snagged his second in fumble in two games, this time on the Eau Claire 8. Three plays later, Krueger made a leaping grab of a Dunford pass for what would prove to be the game winner.

Stout 14, Northwestern 13
Stout spotted Northwestern College of Watertown two first quarter touchdowns, but Waters scored on a 22-yard run and an 80-yard punt return in this non-conference game. Menomonie High graduate Skaare kicked both extra points.

Stout 12, River Falls 10
Stout survived a near-fatal final two minutes to notch their second conference win, 12-10, at River Falls. With less than two minutes remaining, Stout fumbled on their own 7, but kept the Falcons out of the end zone and the field goal was wide.

Stout would give the Falcons another chance. The Devils attempted to run out the clock, but River Falls called timeouts and forced Stout to punt. River Falls' all-conference back Jim "Cubby" Baier took the punt and was headed for the end zone before he was tripped up by Jack Lorenz at the 10.

Stout 26, La Crosse 19
Dunford threw three touchdown passes to McHugh and one to Waters before a Blue Devil homecoming crowd. Dunford piled up 207 aerial yards with his four scoring passes covering 27, 40, 31 and 12 yards.

With the score knotted at 19, La Crosse seemingly took the lead late in the third quarter when a Dunford pass was intercepted on the Indians' two yard line and run back for a touchdown. A clipping call nullified the run and Stout forced the Indians to punt.

The Blue Devils took over on their own 49 and methodically moved the ball, capped off by Dunford's 12-yard screen pass to McHugh.

Stout 10, Superior 0
Stout waited until the final three minutes to score a touchdown and a field goal against the winless Yellowjackets and keep alive a conference title chance.

The Blue Devils dominated the statistical game, but couldn't push the ball across until Dunford, by this time the league's leading passer, hit running back Mike McHugh for a 35-yard strike with 2:40 remaining.
Superior attempted to salvage a tie for their homecoming, but Ray Swangstu intercepted a pass and Skarre booted a 26-yard field goal.

Stout 13, Oshkosh 7
Dunford teamed with McHugh for a 17-yard touchdown in the first quarter and with Waters for an 18-yard strike in the second quarter for the Blue Devils' only scores.

Oshkosh's Ron Cardo scored his team's only touchdown on a four-yard run.

Stout 21, Whitewater 9
Stout left little doubt who was the conference champion, but they waited until the second half to make their move in front of 6000 fans at Nelson Field.

Needing a win or tie over the 4-0-1 Warhawks, Stout – 5-0-0 coming into the game – fell behind 9-0 in the first quarter, but Dunford found Krueger before halftime to cut the Warhawks' lead to 9-7.

The momentum stayed with Stout into the second half, and Dunford hooked up with Waters for a touchdown pass to take the lead in the third. Seconds before the end of the quarter, Dunford and McHugh put the game on ice with a 44-yard pass play.

The win gave the Blue Devils their first outright conference championship since 1921. Stout had shared titles in 1949 and 1941. Stout would go on to win the WIAC championship in 2000, breaking a 35-year drought.

Hall of Fame team
The 1965 team has more players voted to the UW-Stout Hall of Fame than any other single Stout team.

Named to the Hall of Fame are: Mike McHugh, RB, 1978; Max Sparger, coach, 1980; John Lorenz, LB, 1983; Jim Warrington, DT, 1984; Mike Dunford, QB, 1986; Richard Erickson, Center, 1988; Gaylord Herbst, DB, 1991; Terry Hickman, OL, 1991.

1965 Team Members
Larry Helgason, Charles Geurink, Gay Herbst, Wayne Elinger, Charlie Krueger, Sid Porch, Tim Owen, Rich Erickson, Terry Hickman, Dave Sies, John Lorenz, Mike Dunford, Ron Pelky, Gary Luck, Jim Moody, Bob Riemer, Gary Zimbelman, Mike McHugh, Wayne Nero, Ray Swangstu, Ron Rieck, Henry "Skip" Waters, Lee Jameson, Steve Tupper, Ron Kallio, Jim Skaare, Dale Bakken, George Laugerman, Jim Warrington, Lyle Camp, Joe Urick, Paul Gillings, Joe Culliney, Gerogoff, Jerry Sernau, Scott Kingzett, Steve Vandervort, Dick Peterson, Bob Schottmuller, Tom Saunders, Tom Strehlow, Greg Mickelson. Coaches: Max Sparger, Sten Pierce, Dennis Raarup, Eugene Hallongren.

Max Sparger, Charles Guerink, Charlie Krueger, Sid Porch, Tim Owen, Rick Erickson, Gay Herbst, Wayne Elinger, George Laugerman, Terry Hickman, Henry "Skip" Waters, Dave Seis, Tom Saunders, Dennis Raarup, Sten Pierce, Jim Moody, Paul Gillings, Jerry Sernall, Bob Rieber, Wayne Nero, Bob Duca, Greg Mickelson, Tom Strehlow, Dick Peterson, Ray Swangsu, Mike Dunford, Gene Hallongren, Gary Campbell, Gary Luck, Steve Vandervort, Willie Ellis, Mike McHugh, Joe Urick, Jim Warrington, Lyle Camp, Ron Reick, Jack Lorenz, John Schrum, Ron Pelkey, Gary Zimbelman, Jim Skaare, Steve Rupper, Bob Schottmuller, Ron Kallio, Peter Chavannes, Scott Kingzett, Dale Bakken, Fred Johnston, Larry Helgason, Mike Bogdan, Jeff Nelson, Bill Papendieck, Dave Schmidt, Al Ellingham, John Spoolman, Al Kolff, Bill Georgeff, Jerry Oberbilling, Chuck Rose, Joe Colliney


1965 Results
Winona State 19, Stout 6
Stout 6, Mankato State 6
Stout 16, Eau Claire 14
Stout 14, Northwestern 13
Stout 12, River Falls 10
Stout 26, La Crosse 19
Stout 10, Superior 0
Stout 13, Oshkosh 7
Stout 21, Whitewater 9
Record: 7-1-1 (6-0 WSUC)