1969 and 1970 Football Team (2009) - Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame

1969 and 1970 Football Team

Induction:
2009

1969 and 1970 Grizzly football teams
Back-to-back 10-0 regular seasons and two Big Sky Conference championships
First undefeated Grizzly team (19690 in 70 years
Set 82 team and individual offensive and defensive team records
The 1969 team’s Big Sky title was the first-ever league championship by a Montana team
Montana Head Football Coach Jack Swarthout’s 51 wins were the most in school history
Both the 1969 and 1970 teams posted the most victories ever by a Grizzly squad and had the best regular-season records to date in school history
The 10 victories by the teams were the most in school history since 1897, until the 1989 squad went 11-3
The 1969 and 1970 teams played in two straight Camellia Bowls, competing for the NCAA Division II National Championship
Some of the key players on those great Grizzly football teams included All-Americans Arnie Blancas, Ray Brum, Steve Caputo, Barry Darrow, Les Kent, Larry Miller, Steve Okoniewski, Karl Stein and Tuufuli Uperesa
The teams still hold numerous Big Sky and school single-season records
Still hold Big Sky and Grizzly records for single-season rushes (728, 1970) and first downs rushing (171,1970)
The 1969 squad had a school-record 11 first team All-Big Sky selections: Blancas, Tim Gallagher, Bil Gutzman, Kent, Miller, Jim Nordstrom, Roy Robinson, John Stedham, Stein, Larry Stranahan, and Uperesa
Stein still holds the Big Sky single-season interception record with 11 in 1969 and also led the league in 1970 (9 picks)
Blancas led the Big Sky in rushing in 1970
Kicker Dan Worrell led the league in kick-scoring in 1969 and 1970
1970 team had 28 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries for 4.3 take-aways a game, held opponents scoreless for 15 consecutive quarters, and allowed just 69.7 yards rushing a game
Those teams held opponents scoreless in five games (two in 1969 and three in 1970)