The Michigan Tech Huskies football program, 1970âÂÂ1979 represented Michigan Technological University, known prior to 1965 as the Michigan College of Mines and Technology, as a member of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC). Ted Kearly was the head coach from 1969 to 1972; Jim Kapp took over the post from 1973 to 1980. Highlights included:
The 1970 Michigan Tech Huskies football team represented Michigan Technological University as a member of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) during the 1970 NCAA College Division football season. In their second season under head coach Ted Kearly, the Huskies compiled an 8âÂÂ1 record (5âÂÂ1 in conference games) and outscored opponents by a total of 221 to 63.
Michigan Tech tallied 1,668 rushing yards (185.3 per game) and 1,064 passing yards (118.2 per game). On defense, the Huskies gave up only 805 rushing yards (89.3 per game) and 702 passing yards (78.0 per game). The individual statistical leaders included:
The 1971 Michigan Tech Huskies football team represented Michigan Technological University as a member of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) during the 1971 NCAA College Division football season. In their third year under head coach Ted Kearly, the Huskies compiled an 8âÂÂ1 record (5âÂÂ1 in conference games), finished second in the NIC, and outscored opponents by a total of 382 to 97. Michigan Tech extended its home winning streak to 13 games dating back to the 1969 season.
The team's 382 points was the most in Michigan Tech history to that point. It remained the school record until the 1992 Michigan Tech Huskies football team scored 429 points. The team also set a school and NIC record with 642 yards of total offense in a 73-0 victory over Winona State on October 16, 1971. The 73 points scored against Winona was also a Michigan Tech record.
Senior halfback and tri-captain Larry Ras, a mechanical engineering major and a native of Hancock, Michigan, led the team with 1,403 rushing yards and 144 points scored. Ras's 144 points led the nation, and his 1,403 rushing yards ranked fifth in the NCAA College Division. He also set Michigan Tech's single game rushing record with 209 yards against Bemidji State, as well as the modern career rushing record for all of Michigan collegiate football with 3,761 yards. Michigan Tech coach Kearly proclaimed him "the best football player in Michigan Tech's history."
The 1971 Michigan Tech team tallied 2,844 rushing yards and 1,138 passing yards. Junior quarterback Michael Scally tallied 916 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. Split end Gene Timmer led the team in receiving with 21 catches for 539 yards and eight touchdowns.
The 1972 Michigan Tech Huskies football team represented Michigan Technological University as a member of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) during the 1972 NCAA College Division football season. In their fourth and final season under head coach Ted Kearly, the Huskies compiled an 8âÂÂ1 record (6âÂÂ0 in conference games) and outscored opponents by a total of 261 to 98.
The 1973 Michigan Tech Huskies football team represented Michigan Technological University as a member of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) during the 1973 NCAA Division II football season. In their first season under head coach Jim Kapp, the Huskies compiled a 5âÂÂ4âÂÂ1 record (4âÂÂ2 in conference games), tied for second place in the NIC, and outscored opponents by a total of 208 to 151.
The 1974 Michigan Tech Huskies football team represented Michigan Technological University as a member of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) during the 1974 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics NAIA season. In their second year under head coach Jim Kapp, the Huskies compiled a perfect 9âÂÂ0 record, won the NIC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 269 to 90. It was Michigan Tech's first perfect season since the 1948 team went 7âÂÂ0. It was also the program's first nine-win season, and its fourth NIC championship in six years.
The team played its home games on Sherman Field in Houghton, Michigan.
In a 76âÂÂ28 victory over , the Huskies set several NIC single-game records, including total offense (670 yards), rushing yards (511), touchdowns (11), and points (76). Van Wagner also established new individual single-game records against Southwest State with 286 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Jim Van Wagner, a 195-pound sophomore tailback from Novi, Michigan, led the team with 1,452 rushing yards, breaking Michigan Tech's single-season record set by Larry Ras in 1971. He led all Division II players with an average of 161.4 rushing yards per game. Sports Illustrated wrote of Van Wagner:<blockquote>As a soph in 1974 he led Division II in rushing with 1,453 yards. Archie Griffin and Anthony Davis made national headlines, but that November VanWagner had perhaps the most productive month a running back ever had. He gained 231 yards in just 16 carries against Bemidji, rushed a conference record 48 times for 217 yards in a win over Minnesota-Morris that clinched the Northern Intercollegiate Conference title and then rambled through Southwest State for 286 yards and six touchdowns in 30 carries.</blockquote>
After the season, Jim Kapp was named "NIC Football Coach of the Year", and six Michigan Tech players received first-team honors on the 1974 All-NIC team selected by the conference coaches. The first-team players were: sophomore tailback Jim Van Wagner; senior fullback Keith Morrison; senior tight end Dave Sprik; senior offensive guard Dan Rhude; junior offensive guard Tom Van Wagner; and junior linebacker Kurt Anderson. Rhude also received the NIC's "Glen Galligan Award" as the NIC's outstanding senior student-athlete.
The 1975 Michigan Tech Huskies football team represented Michigan Technological University as a member of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) during the 1975 NCAA Division II football season. In their third year under head coach Jim Kapp, the Huskies compiled a 7âÂÂ2 record (4âÂÂ2 in conference games), finished third in the NIC, and outscored opponents by a total of 245 to 53.
The 1976 Michigan Tech Huskies football team represented Michigan Technological University as a member of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) during the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. In their fourth year under head coach Jim Kapp, the Huskies compiled a 7âÂÂ3 record (5âÂÂ2 in conference games), finished in a tie for second place in the NIC, and outscored opponents by a total of 276 to 134.
The 1977 Michigan Tech Huskies football team represented Michigan Technological University as a member of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) during the 1977 NCAA Division II football season. In their fifth year under head coach Jim Kapp, the Huskies compiled a 3âÂÂ7 record (1âÂÂ6 in conference games), finished in a tie for last place in the NIC, and were outscored by a total of 205 to 149.
The 1978 Michigan Tech Huskies football team represented Michigan Technological University as a member of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) during the 1978 NCAA Division II football season. In their sixth year under head coach Jim Kapp, the Huskies compiled a 4âÂÂ6 record (4âÂÂ4 in conference games), finished in a tie for fifth place in the NIC, and were outscored by a total of 203 to 172.
The 1979 Michigan Tech Huskies football team represented Michigan Technological University as a member of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) during the 1979 NCAA Division II football season. In their seventh year under head coach Jim Kapp, the Huskies compiled a 4âÂÂ6 record (4âÂÂ4 in conference games), finished in a tie for fifth place in the NIC, and were outscored by a total of 200 to 125.