1978 Valley City State Vikings football team

American college football season March 2026 November 2025 June 2026 since v1, note WP:AISIGNS e.g. markdown, promotional tone, etc 1978 Valley City State Vikings football 1978 VCSU Football team.jpg 285 North Dakota College Athletic Conference NDCAC 8–0–1 5–0 Jim Dew 5th Lokken Stadium NDCAC champion The 1978 Valley City State Vikings football team represented Valley City State University in the 1978 NAIA Division II football season. Led by third-year head coach Jim Dew, the Vikings completed the season undefeated at 8–0–1 and won the North Dakota College Athletic Conference (NDCAC) championship. They finished the year ranked No. 9 in the NAIA Division II poll but were not selected for the national playoffs, which expanded to eight teams for the first time in 1978. The Vikings opened the season with a non-conference win over Bemidji State and then started NDCAC play with a victory against Minot State. Their lone non-win came in a 7–7 tie at Northern State, where the Wolves declined overtime (overtime was not yet standard in college football). The following week, Valley City State earned one of the most dramatic victories in program history—defeating nationally ranked Jamestown 14–13 on the road with two fourth-quarter touchdowns and a clutch PAT conversion. Valley City State then defeated Dickinson State, Bismarck State, Mayville State and North Dakota Science to complete their undefeated season. The 1978 team contributed to streaks of **26 straight regular-season games without a loss** and **18 consecutive conference victories**.VCSU Vikings Hall of Fame – 1978 Football Team https://www.vcsualumni.org/awards-recognition/vikings-hall-of-fame/ VCSU Alumni November 26, 2025 All-Conference performers included Eric Jorgenson, Pete Hughes, Kyle Stricklin, Mike Puetz, Lyall Krueger, Nate McFadden, Tom Stevenson and Dave Zinke. Jorgenson, Puetz and Hughes were named All-District, and Jorgenson earned NAIA First-Team All-American honors. Valley City State produced strong statistical performances throughout the season, combining an efficient offense with a physical defense that held opponents to 94 total points. The dramatic victory over Jamestown—then ranked 14th nationally—served as the defining moment of the season, while the dominant finish in NDCAC play secured the program's third straight conference title. Schedule Central September 9 w y y 1978 Bemidji State Beavers Bemidji State Bemidji, MN 23–14 September 16 w 1978 Minot State Beavers Minot State Valley City, ND 20–0 September 23 t y y 1978 Northern State Wolves Northern State Aberdeen, SD 7–7 September 30 w 1978 Jamestown Jimmies Jamestown Jamestown, ND rivalry 14–13 October 7 w 1978 Dickinson State Blue Hawks Dickinson State Valley City, ND rivalry 20–12 October w 1978 Bismarck JC Mystics Bismarck JC 28–7 October 21 w y 1978 Mayville State Comets Mayville State Valley City, ND rivalry 34–0 November w 1978 Wahpeton Science Wildcats Wahpeton Science 38–21 November 4 w y 1978 Eastern Montana Yellowjackets Eastern Montana Valley City, ND 48–27 Awards and honors NDCAC First-Team All-Conference Eric Jorgenson Pete Hughes Kyle Stricklin Mike Puetz Lyall Krueger Nate McFadden Tom Stevenson Dave Zinke NAIA All-District 12 Eric Jorgenson Mike Puetz Pete Hughes NAIA First-Team All-American Eric Jorgenson References Valley City State Category:Valley City State Vikings football seasons Category:North Dakota College Athletic Conference football champion seasons Category:College football undefeated seasons Valley City State Vikings football