SMSU Athletics

Sept. 10, 1967 - John Rutter named first head football coach
Sept. 1, 1968 - 86 athletes report to the first ever football practice
Sept. 21, 1968 - Mustangs play first game and lose 13-6 to Sioux Falls                  
Oct. 5, 1968 - First win over Northland (WI), 26-6
Mar. 21, 1969 - SMSC is named member of NIC, begins league play in 1970    
Sept. 26, 1970 - Mustangs begin NIC play with 22-0 loss to Michigan Tech
Oct. 17, 1970 - SMSC tops Bemidji State for first NIC win, 30-20
Nov. 23, 1970 - Bob Gilmore, Alan Widmark named all-conference                
Dec. 16, 1970 - Head coach John Rutter is re-assigned to full-time teaching
Feb. 25, 1971 - Ralph Young named head coach
Oct. 14, 1972 - Lionel Bolden, Rich Froemling become the first running backs to each go over 100 yards rushing in one game vs. Bemidji State
Nov. 15, 1972 - Ralph Young resigns as head coach 
Nov. 22, 1972 - Mike Sterner named head coach
Nov. 10, 1973 - Rich Froemling finishes year with 1,014 yards rushing
Aug. 7, 1974 - 5,000-seat SSU Stadium is completed after construction began in 1970
Oct. 25, 1975 - SSU loses 85-0 to Michigan Tech at home
Dec. 17, 1976 - Mike Sterner resigns football job, stays as head wrestling coach
Dec. 21, 1976 - Lew Shaver named head coach
Oct. 22, 1977 - 22-game losing streak broken at home, with 29-25 win over Michigan Tech
Nov. 15, 1978 - Lew Shaver resigns as head coach       
Nov. 28, 1978 - Gary Buer named head coach
Dec. 22, 1978 - Paul Litwicki named honorable mention NAIA All-America 
Nov. 7, 1981 - Mustangs clinch first ever winning record (6-4)
Dec. 2, 1981 - Curt Strasheim named MVP of Northern Intercollegiate Conference
June 14, 1983 - Mustang football player Bruce Johnson dies of heart attack while working out at home in Hutchinson, Minn.
Nov. 12, 1983 - Dan Koster established NAIA national records with 260 completions and 469 pass attempts during 1983 season
Dec. 20, 1983 - Randy Haycraft named NAIA first team All-America
Jan. 19, 1984 - Dan Koster named NAIA Academic All-America
Nov. 18, 1984 - Mustangs play first ever game indoors, at Metrodome in Minneapolis
Nov. 17, 1985 - Southwest State ranks first in NAIA in total defense
Nov. 17, 1985 - SSU finishes above .500 for only second time ever, 6-4
Dec. 3, 1985 - Gary Buer named NAIA District 13 Coach of the Year
Nov. 27, 1987 - Mustangs host Mesa State (Colo.) in first round of NAIA Playoffs. First playoff appearance ever for program, finish #14 in NAIA I
Dec. 15, 1987 - Buer named NIC and NAIA District 13 Coach of the Year
Dec. 22, 1987 - James Ashley named first team NAIA All-America
Nov. 10, 1990 - SSU claims a share of first ever conference title, finishes season ranked 5th in final NAIA I poll
Nov. 17, 1990 - SSU loses to Carson-Newman (Tenn.) in first round of NAIA playoffs
Dec. 11, 1990 - Gary Buer named NAIA District 13 Coach of the Year
April 22, 1991 - Walter Sutton drafted in the 10th round of the NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons
Nov. 17, 1991 - SSU ends best season ever at 9-1, but is snubbed for NAIA playoffs, finish No. 9 in final NAIA I poll
Jan. 17, 1992 - Wayne Hawkins and Jeff Loots named All-America. Hawkins named first team, Loots named second team
April 27, 1992 - Wayne Hawkins drafted in the 7th round of the NFL draft by the New England Patriots
Nov. 17, 1992 - Finish season ranked 13th in final NAIA I poll
Dec. 14, 1992  - Gary Buer resigns as head football coach
Jan. 13, 1993  - Jeff Loots and Alvin Ashley both named first team NAIA All-America.Darick Jordan named second team    
Feb. 23, 1993 - Brent Jeffers named head coach
Jan. 20, 1994 - Alvin Ashley named first-team NAIA All-America, while Preston Cunningham was named second team
Oct. 22, 1994  - Mustangs upset No. 2 Moorhead State in Marshall 15-13.
Nov. 23, 1994 - Brent Jeffers named NSIC Co-Coach of the Year
Nov. 17, 1996 - Brent Jeffers officially resigns as head football coach
Nov. 24, 1996  - Mike Meier named NSIC Defensive Player of the Year
July 29, 1997 - Ron Flowers named head coach
Nov. 17, 1998 - Jason Jacobs named NSIC Defensive Player of the Year
Jan. 22, 1999 - Jason Jacobs named Football Gazette third team All-America
July 9, 1999 - Nate Rudolph named to first team All-America Farm Team
Sept. 22, 1999 - Russ Barclay named to AFCA Good Works Team
Dec. 3, 1999 - Jason Jacobs named first team All-Region.  Becomes first SSU player ever to be named all-region first team at NCAA II level
Dec. 6, 1999 - Ron Flowers resigns as head football coach
Dec. 7, 1999 - Jason Jacobs named second team Academic All-America
Dec. 26, 1999 - Jason Jacobs named Football Gazette third team All-America
Jan. 24, 2000 - Curt Strasheim named head football coach
Oct. 14, 2000 - Mustangs earn 21-16 homecoming win over eventual NSIC champion Winona State. It's WSU’s only league loss of the season
Dec. 4,  2001 - Dan Linden named second team Daktronics All-Region
Nov. 17, 2003 - Curt Strasheim resigns as head coach
Jan. 21, 2004 - Eric Eidsness named ninth head coach in team history
Oct. 23, 2004 - SMSU records its fifth win of the season, the most since the 1999 season
Nov. 30, 2005 - Andy Schlichting named first team Daktronics All-Region
Dec.  22, 2005 - Andy Schlichting named first team Football Gazette All-Region
Jan. 12, 2007 - Jon Kubat and Matt Fischer both named third Football Gazette All-Region
May, 4, 2007 - John Kunelius and Brendan Osuocha participate in Minnesota Vikings mini-camp as invited try-out players
Sept. 12, 2007 - Tyler Fischer named to AFCA Good Works Team
Nov. 28, 2007 - Tyler Reed named first team Daktronics All-Region
Jan. 2, 2008 - Tyler Reed named first team Football Gazette All-Region
Aug. 30, 2008 - SMSU plays first-ever game at Regional Event Center defeating Minnesota, Crookston 54-14
Oct. 4, 2008 - SMSU defeats defending NSIC champion Winona State
Nov. 8, 2008 - SMSU defeats MSU Moorhead to clinch first winning season since 1999
Jan. 22, 2009 - Tyler Reed named honorable mention All-America D2Football.com
Nov. 25, 2009 - Blake Wilson named Daktronics second team All-Region
Jan. 8, 2010 - Bill Noethlich plays in the NCAA II Cactus Bowl All-Star game
Feb. 26, 2010 - Eric Eidsness resigns as head coach
Mar. 29, 2010 - Cory Sauter named 10th head coach in history
Aug. 14, 2010 - Bill Noethlich plays for the Minnesota Vikings in an exhibition game versus the St. Louis Rams
Sept. 2, 2010 - Head coach Cory Sauter earns first career victory
Sept. 14, 2013 - SMSU rushes for a school recod 416 yards in victory at MSU Moorhead
Sept. 14, 2013 - Tyler Tonderum rushes for school record 343 yards in victory at MSU Moorhead
Nov. 2, 2013 - Tyler Tonderum sets NSIC single-season rushing record in victory over Winona State
Nov. 14, 2013 - Tyler Tonderum named regional finalist for Harlon Hill Trophy
Nov. 17, 2013 - SMSU accepts bid to the Mineral Water Bowl
Nov. 25, 2013 - Tyler Tonderum named national finalist for Harlon Hill Trophy
Dec. 4, 2013 - Tyler Tonderum named Daktronics first team All-Region, Brandon Puffer named second team
Dec. 7, 2013 - SMSU plays Pittsburg State at the 48th Mineral Water Bowl
Dec. 20, 2013 - Tyler Tonderum named second team AP Little All-American
Oct. 26, 2016 - SMSU ranked No. 8 in NCAA region ranking. First region ranking in team history
Nov. 14, 2015 - SMSU defeats Winona State to records its eighth win of the season and set school record for wins at the Division II level
Dec. 2, 2015 - Davontay Stevens and Donovan Woods both named CoSIDA first team Academic All-Americans
Sept. 1, 2016 - SMSU defeats No. 19 Minnesota Duluth, 42-38, for the program's first-ever win over a Division II ranked team
Nov. 16, 2016  - Max Simmons named NSIC Offensive Newcomer of the Year
Nov. 11, 2017 - Nate Huot becomes program's all-time receptions leader at Concordia-St. Paul
Nov. 11, 2017 - Nate Huot ties school single-game receptions record with 19 at Concordia-St. Paul
Dec. 12, 2017 - Jon Dicke named CoSIDA first team Academic All-American
Sept. 12, 2018 - Jon Dicke named to Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
Nov. 10, 2018 - Blake Gimbel becomes the program's all-time leader in passing yards
Nov. 16, 2019 - Daniel Davis finishes the season with 104 receptions for 1,337 yards and leads the NSIC for the second straight season in both categories
Nov. 13, 2021 - Onte Burns finishes the season leading the NSIC in tackles for the second straight season
Nov. 16, 2021 - Cory Sauter steps aside as head coach
Jan. 7, 2021 - Scott Underwood named the 11th head coach in team history
Nov. 16, 2022 - Onte Burns named All-NSIC South first team for the third straight season
Nov. 18, 2024 - Parker Knutson finishes season leading the NSIC in passes defended and ties for NSIC lead in interceptions