Many players and the lone surviving coach from the 1975 Wildcat football team, which achieved the most remarkable turnaround in sports history by following a winless season with a championship, reflected on their improbable journey to the NCAA Division II title during a 50th anniversary reunion last weekend. A production team planning to give “the greatest story never told” a feature-film treatment was also on campus for the event.
After going 0-10 in 1974, the Wildcats compiled a 13-1 record the following season, secured a playoff berth, and finished with a 16-14 victory over Western Kentucky in the DII championship broadcast on national television. Players offered their perspectives on what accounted for the team's dramatic change in fortune.
“It was really about believing in ourselves,” said backup quarterback Bob Tuma. “We weren't that bad in '74, losing some close games. But we needed to have confidence that we could win and figure out a way to get over the hump and do it. We weren't stacked with all-star players, but we had guys who were willing to out-work and out-hustle their opponents. The team culture also became more cohesive, with a lot of good chemistry. We also had a great coaching staff.”
“I think beating Whitewater in the first game by a score of 34-0 was essential to everything that happened after that,” said former center Dan Stencil. “It was such a convincing victory that we started to believe we really could play at a higher level and take on the world. Once we had a taste of that, everything was a contest in practice. We ran from every drill; in fact, we sprinted to see who got there first. Just remembering all of this 50 years later is incredible.”
Steve Mariucci, who became starting quarterback because of injuries to the two ahead of him on the depth chart, said a major turning point of the season was the third game. The Wildcats were serious underdogs projected to lose by a wide margin when they traveled to Central Michigan University, the reigning Division II champs who had been elevated to Division I.
“They beat us 20-0 the year before, but we went down there, played before a big home crowd in their stadium and won 17-16; it was a huge upset,” he remembered. “So all of a sudden it was like, ‘Whoa, wait a minute, this is the best team from Division II last year and we can play with these guys. If we can beat them, we can beat anybody.' That really gave us some confidence going forward, but it wasn't easy.
The Wildcats got off to a 5-0 start, but were humbled a few weeks later by a 30-13 home loss to Akron. Some of the players consider that a pivotal shift because it increased their focus, and their motivation to avoid the bitter taste of defeat again that year. They made a big comeback to win the last regular season game at Western Illinois. The Wildcats were one of eight teams invited to the playoffs.
“I feel very strongly that the guys who were there the previous losing season were the leaders and worked so hard to turn it around,” said former defensive line coach Herb Grenke, the only surviving member of the coaching staff. “They really stepped up. We also had some talented players who transferred from other programs for the '75 season.”
However, NCAA transfer rules at the time made four defensive starters ineligible for the playoffs. They were replaced by true freshmen with little experience, but the Wildcats still managed to defeat Livingston (Ala.), 28-26, and Boise State, 24-21, to earn a spot in the title game against Western Kentucky in Sacramento, Calif.
Running back Kurt Albrecht played both offense and defense in the second half of the championship contest, after injuries sidelined both a starting running back and linebacker. He hadn't been trained in the latter role, but was able to perform admirably and made a few key tackles.
“It was quite unexpected when I heard my name called because I had only practiced for linebacker about five minutes,” he said. “I was over with the offense and coach Gil Krueger screamed my name from the defensive side and they sent me in. I knew where to line up and that was about it. I also continued to play on special teams as I always had. That was a pretty busy game for me, but it was a blast. I wouldn't have traded that experience for anything.”
It took only two years for head coach Gil Krueger to guide the Wildcats from cellar to stellar. Mariucci attributes that in large part to the coaching staff he assembled.
“They were capable of coaching in the Big 10 or anywhere else in the country because they were that good and that qualified,” he added.
One of the most impactful additions was offensive line coach “Buck” Nystrom, who previously won national championships as a walk-on player for Michigan State and as a coach at other universities.
“He implemented a fourth-quarter system that made a huge difference that season,” Hirn said. “He wanted us to own the closing minutes of the game, so at the start of the quarter we would each raise four fingers to represent effort, motivation, conditioning and discipline—the principles he preached every day. Buck knew the game inside and out and was a great motivator who got the best out of us. He was tough and worked us extremely hard, but also cared about players and would shake your hand or put his arm around you. He helped shape us into better players and better men.”
At a previous team reunion, defensive back Keith Ponder remarked that someone should make a movie about the Wildcats' turbo ascent from winless to champions because it was unprecedented and “the greatest story never told.” The comment stuck with Hirn, and he initiated a documentary project directed by Scot Fure of Marquette titled “Put Your Hand on the Line,” one of Nystrom's favorite phrases. It premiered before a standing room-only audience during NMU's 2018 Homecoming celebration and went on to win some film festival awards.
Now the story is being adapted into a feature film called “Northern Boys,” with Hirn as executive producer. Last weekend, he was accompanied by a producer who learned about the 1975 Wildcat team from a mutual friend and was interested in pursuing a project after watching the documentary.
“He got us in touch with [writer/director/producer] Alec Roth, the son of Oscar-winning ‘Forrest Gump' screenwriter Eric Roth,” Hirn said. “Thirty-nine of the guys have been interviewed, so there are more and different perspectives than what we shared before through the documentary. We're polishing the final script right now, the production team is in place and things are progressing.”
A production crew also attended the 50th anniversary reunion events and is scheduled to begin filming in Marquette early next year. Find more information on the film project here.
Hirn said the documentary stated the bottom line of the Wildcat's unlikely championship season most appropriately. The team wasn't comprised of the biggest, fastest, strongest or most talented players, but as a cohesive unit, they demonstrated unparalleled chemistry and dedication on the field when it mattered most, making 1975 “The Year of the Cat.”
