University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2025
Led by UNI Hall of Fame head coach Stan Sheriff, the 1975 UNI football team was among the most dominating squads in the history of Panther football, reaching the national postseason for only the third time in school history, while taking part in one of the most well known playoff games in team history.
Posting a 9-3 record overall in Division II play, the 1975 Panthers went 6-1 in North Central Conference (NCC) play, its lone loss coming against North Dakota to finish second in the league standings, thanks in part to a six-game winning streak to end the regular season.Â
UNI boasted five All-NCC and All-American players, including quarterback Bill Salmon, wide receiver Dave Schooley, offensive tackle Mike Timmermans, defensive tackle Randy Erion and defensive back Nick Maragos. Both Timmermans and Salmon would also earn Associated Press All-American honors during the season.
The 1975 Panthers rewrote the team's record book, with Salmon accounting for 28 total touchdowns on the year with Schooley hauling in 11 touchdown receptions, while the UNI running game accounting for 2,366 yards and 25 rushing touchdowns, all single-season records at the time. Northern Iowa's defense was equally, if not more impressive, recording a single-season record 27 interceptions, a mark that still stands to this day, along with 20 fumble recoveries. UNI notably set a school record with seven interceptions in a single-game in its regular season finale against Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The Panthers, who climbed to tenth in the national rankings, hosted fourth-ranked Western Kentucky in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II playoffs in the final game ever played at O.R. Latham Stadium. Dubbed the "Mud Bowl," the Panthers and Hilltoppers played in 42 degree temperatures with 16 mile an hour winds and a heavy downpour of rain, making the conditions at Latham miserable for both sides. UNI would come up short against Western Kentucky in a 14-12 loss, holding the Hilltoppers scoreless in the first and fourth quarters.
ROSTER:Â Terry Alberts, Charles Aldrich, John Aldrich, Terry Allen, Dale Blaha, Timothy Blau, Steven Blood, Randall Buchwald, Martin Burroughs, Melvin Campbell, Douglas Carlo,Timothy Carson, Robert Chown, Paul Christenson, William Clark, Carl Davis, Clee Davis, Dallas Deike, Gregory Deines, Steven Denton, Charles Dickens, Ronnie Dodd, Steven Donahue, Patrick Eisenmenger, Randy Erion, David Erstad, Robert Fertig, Ronald Fiacco, Jeffery Fisher, James Fransen, Allan Gabor, Theodore Garner, Thomas Graham, Patrick Hall, Thomas Haning, James Hobert, Randall Hoffa, Steven Houser, Reed Hunemuller, Cassim Igram, Paul James, Douglas Johnson, Timothy Johnson, Douglas Jones, Jerry Kennedy, Randy Kolbe, Karl Kortemeyer, Walter Krebs, Jeffery Lakin, Thomas Lakin, Daniel Lathrop, Terrence Leonardelli, Patrick Lynch, Joseph Manigault, Nick Maragos, Patrick McGrath, Michael Mueller, Richard Nielsen, Dan Norenberg, David Osborne, Scott Peterson, Neil Phipps, James Pitlik, James Ross, Philip Ross, Bill Salmon, Bruce Sanders, Thomas Scalissi, Dave Schooley, Kenneth Schwartz, Randy Scott, Terrence Soli, James Spahn, Martin Stratton, Phillip Swisher, James Thomas, Michael Timmermans, Richard VerHuel, Robert Wentzel, Mark Whitver, Gregory Wolter.
STAFF:Â Stan Sheriff (head coach), Donald Erusha (offensive line), Dennis Remmert (defensive coordinator), Reginald Green (offensive backfield), Tom Lorenz (defensive backfield), C.J. Lutt (team physician), Elmer Kortemeyer (trainer), Curtis Junker (equipment manager), Edward Adamson (groundskeeper), Paul James (student assistant), Larry Norman (student assistant), Art Gabriel (graduate assistant), Kevin Remillard (graduate assistant), Mike Filer (graduate assistant), Dave McCurry (graduate assistant), Dick Blau (graduate assistant).
