Iowa History Daily: On December 7, 1974, the Central College football team captured the NCAA Division III National Championship. Led by legendary head coach Ron Schipper and linebacker Al Dorenkamp, the Dutch posted a perfect 11-0 record on the run to the title.
Starting the season with a dominant win in a Dutch duel with Northwestern College 19-0, Central rolled through the Iowa Conference to enter the postseason with a perfect 9-0 record. The Dutch defense allowed only 6.9 points per game, while Dorkencamp gained distinction as the IIAC MVP.
Eight Central players received first-team honors on the All-IIAC team: Dorenkamp; offensive linemen Don Knock and Dan Wright; wide receiver Randy Busscher; running back Mike Hodges; quarterback Gary Cutler; defensive lineman Ron Merema; and defensive back Cliff Marlow.
Over the course of the season, quarterback Gary Cutler completed 69 of 126 passes for 1,236 yards and 16 touchdowns. The team participated in the second annual NCAA Division III playoff, defeating Evansville (17–16) in the semifinal and Ithaca (10–8) in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl championship game. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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