HEADLINES & STORYLINES
• Picked to finish at the bottom of the league standings in the preseason coaches' poll, Saginaw Valley State College (8-2-1 overall) claimed its first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship, posting a 4-0-1 record under fifth-year head coach Frank "Muddy" Waters.
• Six SVSC players were named to the All-GLIAC Team, including three on each side of the football: tight end Kurt Ebert, offensive lineman Bob Loftus, quarterback Steve Zott, defensive lineman Eugene Marve, and defensive back Ken Tolfree.
• Eight Cardinals were selected to the NAIA District 23 All-State Team, including three on offense and five more on defense: quarterback Steve Zott, tight end Kurt Ebert, offensive lineman Bob Loftus, defensive lineman Eugene Marve, defensive back Ken Tolfree, defensive lineman Larry Bee, defensive back Kenny Johnson, and linebacker Steve Zuchnik.
• Defensive back Ken Tolfree was named NAIA Division I First-Team All-American.
• "Muddy" Waters was selected GLIAC and NAIA District 23 Coach of the Year.
• The team adopted the mantra: "Chain Don't Break."
QUOTABLE
Fifth-year SVSC head coach Frank "Muddy" Waters: "I'm delighted with the season we had. This season far exceeded any hopes I had, and I never thought we'd even get in the playoffs.
"I've had great talent and good teams before, but I don't think I've ever seen a team come as far as this one has on sheer teamwork. The spirit is what did it. There were times I'd tell them that they'd be outmanned and have it rough. They'd just say, 'Don't worry coach, we'll win.'
"You can laugh at that 'Chain Don't Break' chant, but it was just that, the togetherness that got us going and kept us going.
"I can't give our players enough credit for what they've done to make this program a powerful one in just a few short years. I'm mighty proud of them."
GAME RECAPS
Sept. 8 | SVSC 51, Northeastern Illinois 0
Steve Zott completed 9-of-18 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns while the Saginaw Valley defense allowed only seven first downs and 76 total yards as the Fighting Cardinals rolled to a 51-0 season-opening victory over Northeastern Illinois.
SVSC scored on its first possession as Zott connected with Karl Darling on a slant pattern for a 23-yard TD as the Cards jumped out to a 7-0 lead. Late in the first quarter, SVSC added a safety for a 9-0 lead after the Golden Eagles sailed an errant punt snap into the end zone.
Late in the second quarter, fullback Jim Martinez scored on a 19-yard run up the middle as the Cardinals built a 15-0 advantage after the extra-point attempt failed.
On the second play of the third quarter, Zott hooked up with Martinez for a 54-yard scoring play, and Martinez ran for a two-point conversion as SVSC extended its margin to 23-0. Three minutes later, Zott delivered a 36-yard TD strike to Mike Rehm as the Cardinals took a commanding 30-0 lead.
SVSC continued to put points on the scoreboard with back-ups in the lineup as Rick Kolb threw an 18-yard TD strike to Ron Fink, Brian Picard added a 1-yard TD plunge and Dan Dryer scored on a 2-yard run.
The Cardinal defense surrendered 33 rushing yards and 43 passing yards while Golden Eagle quarterback Charlie Bliss went 9-of-23 passing with two interceptions.
SVSC cornerback Ken Tolfree recorded six solo tackles and an interception to earn GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honors, while nose guard Larry Bee also produced six solo stops.
"We just have to be very cautious," SVSC head coach Frank "Muddy" Waters said. "The kids can't go thinking, we're world-beaters.
"We aren't as good as we looked today, we just capitalized on a lot of mistakes. But it showed we can be explosive."
Sept. 15 | SVSC 29, Indiana Central 12
Saginaw Valley recorded nine takeaways and scored all its points off turnovers as the Fighting Cardinals cruised to a 29-12 win at Indiana Central. The Cardinals registered a school single-game record five interceptions to go along with four fumble recoveries.
Safety Dan DiTomaso intercepted two passes, with his first coming on the third play of the game. The Cardinals took a 7-0 lead on Steve Zott's 15-yard touchdown strike to Kurt Ebert.
Central Indiana fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Bob Stacy recovered for the Cards at the Greyhounds' 15-yard line. On the next play, Zott hooked up with Karl Darling for a scoring play as SVSC seized a 14-0 play.
Saginaw Valley extended its margin to 20-0 in the opening quarter as Eugene Marve picked off a screen pass and return 45 yards for a touchdown.
In the second quarter, Larry Bee recovered another fumble at the Central Indiana 4-yard line and Zott's 1-yard keeper gave the Cards a 26-0 halftime advantage.
SVSC's final points came on Kirk McCarty's 33-yard field goal as the Cardinals built a 29-0 cushion and never looked back en route to improving to 2-0 on the season.
Ken Tolfree and Ken Johnson each intercepted a pass for the Cards' defense. Following his unit's performance, first-year SVSG defensive coordinator Steve Reese suggested, "We should call our defense, 'The Flock.'"
Sept. 22 | Western Illinois 27, SVSC 7
John Staback threw a pair of touchdown passes and Scott Carpenter returned an interception 21 yards for a score to lead Western Illinois to a 27-7 victory over Saginaw Valley. Western Illinois intercepted four passes.
The Fighting Cardinals opened the scoring in the first quarter as Steve Zott's 68-yard completion to Fred Holubik set up a 2-yard TD run by Jim Martinez.
Sept. 29 | SVSC 23, Evansville 0
Steve Zott scored two rushing touchdowns and the Saginaw Valley defense forced five turnovers as the Fighting Cardinals' shut out Evansville, 23-0, improve to 3-1 on the season.
The SVSC defense recorded four takeaways in the first half, with the first coming on Evansville's second play from scrimmage as Eugene Marve stripped the ball from quarterback Vince Netherland and Pete Bede recovered the fumble at the Aces' 15-yard line. On the next play, Zott scored his first TD of the afternoon on a keeper around the right end as the Cards took an early 7-0 lead.
Terry Peabody capped off a five play 49-yard drive with a 28-yard TD run on the final play of the first quarter as SVSC moved out to a 14-0 advantage. Peabody carried the ball on all five plays of the drive.
An interception by Robert Forrest set up Kirk McCarty's 42-yard field goal into the wind that gave the Cardinals a 17-0 halftime lead.
Zott closed out the scoring with his 17-yard run with 9:42 remaining in the game.
SVSC gained 191 rushing yards, with Peabody leading a well-balanced ground game with 10 carries for 68 yards.
Oct. 6 | SVSC 21, Hillsdale 3
Steve Zott threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score as Saginaw Valley opened its GLIAC schedule with a 21-3 victory at Hillsdale. For his efforts, Zott was selected GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week.
All the scoring came in the first half. Trailing 3-0, SVSC took the lead for good on Zott's 17-yard TD strike to Fred Holwick with 42 second left in the first quarter.
Zott set then-GLIAC and school records with an 88-yard TD run with 13:06 left in the second quarter as the Fighting Cardinals built a 14-3 lead.
Late in the second quarter, Robert Forrest set up SVSC's final score with his interception and return inside the Hillsdale 10-yard line. Zott's 7-yard TD toss to Kirk Ebert with 11 seconds on the clock sent the Cards to the locker room with a 21-3 halftime advantage.
The SVSC defense limited Hillsdale to 135 yards total offense, with 106 yards on the ground and only 29 yards through the air.
Oct. 13 | SVSC 32, Grand Valley 24
Steve Zott rewrote the Saginaw Valley single-game record book, completing 24-of-32 passes for 375 yards, as the No. 20 Fighting Cardinals posted its first-ever victory over Grand Valley, 32-24. SVSC amassed 509 yards total offense.
Less than six minutes into the game, Terry Peabody caught a screen pass from Zott on a fourth-and-4 play and raced 22 yards for a touchdown as SVSC jumped out to a 7-0 lead. Kirk McCarty added a 27-yard field goal as the Cards built a 10-0 advantage.
The Lakers scored the only points of the second quarter and the teams went to the locker rooms tied at halftime, 10-10.
Zott got into a groove in the third quarter, connecting for 12-of-13 throws for 200 yards. The Cardinals regained the lead at 24-10 following Larry Leighton's 1-yard TD run and Zott's 9-yard scoring toss to Mike Rehm.
After an offensive pass interference penalty took another SVSC touchdown off the scoreboard, Grand Valley staged a furious fourth-quarter rally. Fullback Brian Bates scored on a 2-yard plunge and Kurt Johnson ran 9-yards for another TD as the Lakers tied the score at 24-all with 6:09 left on the clock.
With five minutes remaining, Zott connected with Karl Darling on a 56-yard bomb and Larry Leighton ran in for a two-point conversion as SVSC grabbed a 32-24 lead.
The Lakers had two more scoring chances in the closing minutes, but the Cardinal defense got interceptions from Brian Drewniak and Ken Tolfree to end any comeback hopes. The SVSC defense recorded four takeaways in the second half.
The Cards limited Grand Valley to 408 yards total offense (190 rushing and 218 passing) – nearly 100 yards below its season average. The Lakers entered the game ranked No. 2 in the NAIA in total offense.
Zott, who went 15-of-19 for 261 yards in the second half, was named NAIA National Player of the Week.
"Our offense really hadn't taken off until the Grand Valley game," SVSC head coach Frank "Muddy" Waters said. "But they just didn't know what to do to stop us. No doubt, that was Steve's greatest day."
Oct. 20 | SVSC 20, Northwood 7
Saginaw Valley overcame five turnovers by scoring a pair of third-quarter touchdowns to earn a 20-7 road win at Northwood.
The Northmen jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter as Jim Dolmetsch capped a 10-play, 40-yard drive with a 5-yard TD toss to Pat Dunn.
Kenny Johnson's second-quarter interception at midfield set up SVSC's first score. Johnson ripped the ball out of the Northwood receiver's hands. Steve Zott managed a 13-play, 47-yard drive and tied the game at 7-all on a 7-yard strike to Kurt Ebert in the back of the end zone.
The Cardinal defense forced Northwood to go three-and-out on its first series of the second half, and Karl Darling returned the punt 54 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown that gave SVSC the lead good at 14-7.
Another defensive takeaway set up the Fighting Cardinals' game-clinching score as Dan DiTomaso came on a safety blitz and Dolmetsch's pass attempt was intercepted by Ross Gleason at the Northwood 18. On a third-and-10 play, Zott hooked up with Ebert for another scoring play – this time from 18 yards – as SVSC took a 20-7 lead.
Northwood's best second-half scoring opportunity ended with three-straight incompletions inside SVSC's 10-yard line. Dolmetsch went 8-of-22 passing for just 52 yards.
Following its Axe Bowl victory, the Cardinal players could be heard repeatedly chanting, "Chain don't break. Chain don't break."
Oct. 27 | SVSC 22, Ferris State 14
Steve Zott accounted for 273 combined yards and three scores as No. 11 Saginaw Valley pulled off a 22-14 victory at Ferris State. The Fighting Cardinals scored two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes to improve to 7-1 overall and remain atop the GLIAC standings at 4-0.
Ferris State executed its game plan to near perfection, controlling the time of possession for 34 of the first 48 minutes of play, with Jerome Metz rushing 35 times for 172 yards.
The Bulldogs scored on their opening possession as Metz finished off a 10-play, 51-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. Metz carried the ball six times on the first series.
The SVSC defense thrived with its back against the wall as Ferris State failed to score on four trips that inside the red zone.
With three minutes left in the first half, the Cardinals put together an 80-yard scoring drive. Zott completed five passes on drive and scored on a 1-yard bootleg with 13 seconds remaining in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-all.
Ferris State regained the lead at 14-7 on the first play of the fourth quarter as Bill Costner capped of a 61-yard drive that consumed nearly six minutes off the clock with a 4-yard quarterback keeper.
On SVSC's next possession, Lonnie Lukes intercepted Zott's pass attempt and returned it to the Cardinal 20-yard line with 14 minutes left in the game. Metz bulled his way inside the SVSU 10 but lost a fumble, recovered by Eugene Marve at the 1-yard line.
The Fighting Cardinals responded with a 10-play, 99-yard drive as Zott scored on a 14-yard scramble with 8:05 on the clock. After a penalty against the Bulldogs on the extra-point attempt, SVSC head coach Frank "Muddy" Waters elected to go for a two-point conversion and Zott delivered a strike to Melvin Matthews in the corner of the end zone as the Cardinals took their first lead at 15-14. The key play in SVSC's 99-yard march was Dave Larkin's 25-yard completion to Zott on a halfback pass.
Zott hooked up with Kurt Ebert for a 29-yard scoring play as SVSC extended its lead to 22-14 with 2:56 left in the game.
Ferris State drove to the Cardinals' 18-yard line in the final two minutes, but Ross Gleason's interception iced another road win.
Zott hit 11-of-24 passes for 174 yards and one TD, rushed 10 times for 74 yards and two scores and caught a pass for 25 yards.
"The guy (Zott) is simply great," Waters said. "He kept us in there with the big play; that's what he's been doing all year.
"Ferris was a tough ballclub, and that Metz, what a ballplayer he is. He was for them what Zott was for us."
"I think our offense carried the weight today," Waters said, "but the defense came through for us when it had to – at the goal line."
Nov. 3 | SVSC 77, Univ. of Mexico 0
Seven different Cardinals combined to score 11 touchdowns as Saginaw Valley routed the University of Mexico (Mexican Ministry of Education team), 77-0. Only 45 SVSC players traveled to Mexico City.
The Fighting Cardinals lead 28-0 at the end of the first quarter and 56-0 at halftime.
Larry Leighton scored twice – on a 2-yard run and a 68-yard pass from back-up quarterback Dave Larkin. Karl Darling also reached the end zone twice, scoring on a 37-yard run and a then-school-record 74-yard punt return. Kirk McCarty converted all 11 extra-point attempts.
The Fighting Cardinals outgained the University of Mexico in total yards, 493-58.
Nov. 10 | SVSC 7, Wayne State 7
Fifth-ranked Saginaw Valley won its first-ever GLIAC Championship outright by managing a 7-7 tie against Wayne State before a Cardinal Stadium-record crowd of 2,400. The Fighting Cardinals finished the GLIAC race with a 4-0-1 record.
SVSC's dynamic and explosive offense struggled as Steve Zott, played with bruised ribs. Zott, who was injured in the game in Mexico City, completed just 9-of-24 passes for 83 yards and four interceptions.
The Cardinals had only one scoring chance in the first half, but Kirk McCarty missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt in the first quarter.
The only scoring came in the third quarter, when the Cardinals and Tartars scored just 1:39 apart.
Jim Martinez capped an eight-play, 72-yard drive with a 33-yard touchdown run as SVSC took a 7-0 lead with 9:35 left in the third quarter.
Craig Gerbe caught the ensuing kickoff at the Wayne 7-yard line and weaved his way for a 91-yard return to the Cardinal 2. On third-and-goal, Bruce Nichols bulled his way into the end zone to game the game at 7-all with 7:56 on the clock.
Wayne State's Bob Guindi missed six field-goal attempts, including a potential game-winning 25-yarder in the closing minutes, but Larry Bee blocked it with his chest.
The Tartars outgained SVSC in total yards, 310-223.
Dec. 1 | Presbyterian 36, SVSC 6
Paul Scott came off the bench to complete 14-of-15 throws for 169 yards and two scores to lead top-ranked Presbyterian to a 36-6 win over No. 8 Saginaw Valley in the NAIA Playoff Quarterfinals. Clato Burke rushed 30 times for 120 yards and a touchdown.
The Blue Hose amassed 27 first downs and 480 yards total offense, including 293 rushing yards, while the Fighting Cardinals managed just 10 first downs and 125 total yards.
On Presbyterian's third play from scrimmage, Burke fumbled and SVSC nose guard Larry Bee recovered at the Blue Hose 24-yard line.
The Fighting Cardinals put points on the scoreboard five players later. On a fourth-and-3 play, Larry Leighton gained 4 yards for a first down, and on the next play, Steve Zott fired a 13-yard TD strike to Melvin Mathews across the middle as SVSC took a 6-0 lead as the extra-point attempt failed.
The Cardinals failed to record another first down over the next 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Presbyterian's offense kicked into high gear when starting quarterback James Spence left the game with an injury in the first quarter.
With Scott under center, the Blue Hose answered with a 53-yard scoring drive and took the lead for good at 7-6 on Burke's 2-yard TD run.
On its first play after the ensuing kickoff, SVSU lost a fumble, and Scott rolled left and found Jay Byers for a 10-yard scoring play as Presbyterian moved out to a 14-6 lead.
The Blue Hose extended the margin to 17-6 on Chuck Bishop's 23-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Late in the first half on a fourth-and-3 play, Scott rolled right and fired a 31-yard TD strike to Jesse Cason as Presbyterian built a 24-6 lead. Bishop added a 21-yard field goal as time expired in the first half as the Blue Hose carried a 27-6 advantage into the intermission.
"I knew our timing would be poor on offense because of the three-week layoff and cold weather practices (in Michigan)," SVSC head coach Frank "Muddy" Waters said. "After we got that quick touchdown after the fumble, I was just hoping we could hold close for the first half. I thought maybe we could open things up in the second half.
"I'm not sure we could have beaten them at our best, but we certainly were not at our best."
1979 SCHEDULE & RESULTS (8-2-1, 4-0-1 GLIAC)
Sept. 8 Northeastern Illinois W, 51-0
Sept. 15 at Indiana Central W, 29-12
Sept. 22 at Western Illinois L, 7-27
Sept. 29 Evansville W, 23-0
Oct. 6 at Hillsdale W, 21-3
Oct. 13 Grand Valley State W, 32-24
Oct. 20 at Northwood W, 20-7
Oct. 27 at Ferris State W, 22-14
Nov. 3 at University of Mexico W, 77-0
Nov. 10 Wayne State T, 7-7
Dec. 1 at Presbyterian (1) L, 6-36
(1) NAIA Quarterfinals, Clinton, S.C.
1979 NAIA FINAL TOP 20 POLL
Rank Team (Record) Points
1. Texas A&I (12-1) 320
2. Central State [Okla.] (11-2) 304
3. Angelo State (9-3) 286
4. Presbyterian (11-2) 273
5. Kearney State (8-2) 254
6. Western State [Colo.] (8-2) 236
7. Wisconsin River Falls (9-2) 224
8. Saginaw Valley State (8-2-1) 210
9. Fairmont State (9-1-1) 183
10. Arkansas Monticello (9-2) 168
11. Northeastern [Okla.] (8-2) 154
12. Mars Hill (7-2-1) 141
13. Oregon College (8-1-1) 118
14. Southern Colorado (8-2) 98
15. Pittsburg State (8-3) 89
16. Stephen F. Austin (8-3) 74
17. Oregon Tech (7-2) 63
18. West Liberty State (7-2-1) 48
19. Southwestern [Okla.] (7-2) 42
20. Wisconsin LaCrosse (7-2) 32