A celebration of 100 years of Augustana Football: The 1970s

Every Thursday throughout the season, GoAugie.com will take a dive into a new decade of Augustana football in honor of the 100th season. The 100th season of Augustana football is presented by CorTrust Bank.

After side-stepping a decade last week for a history of Viking Days, we’ll dive into the 1970s. 

The decade proved once again to be more of a lean period for the program but there were two seven-win seasons (1975 and 1977) and a six-win season in 1973. 

That 1977 team was led by the NCC Most Valuable Player Dee Jay Donloin. The 1978 magna cum laude graduate of Augustana. He was then named the College Male Athlete of the Year by the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Sports and Recreation Committee. 

While he was quarterbacking the Vikings, he helped Augustana shatter nearly every offensive record in the book including most touchdown passes in a game, season and career. Additional records were most pass completions in a season and career and the most passing yardage in a game and season. In all three years he was the starting quarterback, Augustana led the NCC in passing and total offense. 

The 1970s also saw Augustana receive its first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree in any sport as Pat McNerney was named to the first team in 1972 and repeated in 1973. 

In addition, Jim Clemens earned the athletic-academic honor in 1974 and 1975 while Roger Goebel earned the honor as well in 1975. In addition. There were four more Academic All-America honors in the decade with three in 1977: Stan Biodni, Donlin and Roger Goebel, then Bob Timmons in 1978. 

The academics also shined with the NCAA as well as there were five NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship: Mike Olson, Dave Zelinsky, Clemens, Donlin and Goebel. 

When digging in specifically to the 1977 season, it was the first year of new head coach Joel Swisher. The 1978 Augustana Edda had this to say, “Despite predictions of basement-dwelling by man “experts” in the conference, Augustana’s Vikings opened camp with high optimism and rolled to a 7-4 record, good for second place in the NCC behind NDSU (number one in the nation).”

In addition, the Edda stated that Swisher was named the District Coach of the Year while the set “no less than thirty-five records”. 

Digging into the seven-win 1975 season, Augustana had highlighted wins over South Dakota State and South Dakota along with a Viking Days victory over North Dakota State. Head coach Ralph Starenko termed 1975, “the most satisfying year since we’ve been at Augustana.” 

The 1970s again laid the groundwork for what would be, up to that point, one of the most successful decades in the history of the program in the 1980s when a head coach named Jim Heinitz led Augustana to back-to-back NCAA postseason appearances. More on that next week. 

Throughout the 100th season, alumni, friends, and family of Augustana Football are asked to make a gift to the Augustana Football Excellence Fund. These dollars will help fund a championship-level program and student-athlete experience. Our goal is to raise $100,000 during the 100th season. To donate, click here or head to augielink.com/100in100.