Hall of Fame Profile: 1974 Football Team
9/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 30, 2004
Sept. 23 -- Hall of Fame Profile: Greg Lotzar (Baseball)
Sept. 24 -- Hall of Fame Profile: Dick Horgan (Golf)
Sept. 25 -- Hall of Fame Profile: Marcy Weston (Volleyball Coach)
Sept. 27 -- Hall of Fame Profile: Carla (Sterk) Fles (Women's Basketball)
Sept. 28 -- Hall of Fame Profile: Dave Nelson (Men's Basketball)
Sept. 29 -- Hall of Fame Profile: John DeBoer (Football)
Sept. 30 -- Hall of Fame Profile: 1974 Football Team
Whenever anyone mentions Central Michigan University's 54-14 win over Delaware in the 1974 Camellia Bowl that gave the Chippewas the Division II national title, they often talk about the first play of the game.
It was a 68-yard scoring run by Dick Dunham that led the way for a 16-0 first period lead.
Starting left tackle Fred Jacobson recalled the play as though it were yesterday.
"We had noticed in films that Delaware liked to stunt (cross) their linemen and it looked as though it was going to do that on the first play," Jacobson said. "I said to Mac (offensive guard Don McNeal) let's switch. So we switched our blocking assignments, picked up their stunt and Dunham ran through a huge hole.
"We can't take all of the credit, though. Matt Means delivered a great block downfield."
With memories like that still fresh in their minds, the 1974 CMU national championship football will be inducted into the CMU Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 1, at a banquet at the Comfort Inn Conference Center. Tickets are $30 each and may be purchased by contacting the CMU ticket office at 1-888-FIRE UP2.
Also being inducted that evening will be John DeBoer (football), Dick Horgan (golf), Greg Lotzar (baseball),Dave Nelson (basketball), Carla (Sterk) Fles (basketball) and Marcy Weston (volleyball coach).
It's a bit ironic that the 1974 team will be recognized on Hall of Fame Day on Oct. 2 when the Chippewa football team meets Kent State University in Kelly/Shorts Stadium at 1 p.m.
Kent State was the only team to defeat CMU in 1974, tripping the Chippewas to open the season, 21-14, in Mount Pleasant. In fact, the Golden Flashes closed the 1973 campaign with a 28-7 home win over the Maroon and Gold.
The Chippewas recovered from the opening setback to win a pair of big road games at Ball State (24-17) and Northern Michigan (21-7). They then clobbered Dayton at home (42-8) and had their last big scare in a 21-14 win under the lights at Illinois State.
It was pretty much downhill from then on.
CMU closed the regular season with home wins over Indiana State (49-0), Western Illinois (58-7), and Southern Illinois (42-0) sandwiched around road wins at Eastern Michigan (28-13) and Western Michigan (42-6).
The Chippewas tripped Boise State in the Division II quarterfinals, 20-6, on a frigid day in Mount Pleasant before derailing Louisiana Tech (35-14) in the Pioneer Bowl (Wichita Falls, Kan.) and swamping the Blue Hens of Delaware in the Camellia Bowl (Sacramento, Cal.).
It was a wonderful prelude to Division I football, a level CMU moved to in 1975.