TACOMA, Wash. - Colleges and universities around the nation are celebrating the 150th anniversary of college football throughout the 2019 season. As part of the celebration, GoLutes.com will cover some of the greatest moments in the history of the storied gridiron program at Pacific Lutheran University. The fourth part of this series will cover the Lutes' 1980 season that culminated in the program's first-ever NAIA Division II Title, the first of 11 national titles for the Lute athletic department.
One of the biggest moments in PLU gridiron history arguably wasn't any particular play on the field but the hiring of Head Coach Frosty Westering prior to the 1972 season. Westering came to Tacoma after six years at head coach at Lea College (Minnesota) and made an immediate impact. Under Westering's direction, the Lutes claimed Northwest Conference titles in 1973, 1975, and 1979 along with making its first trip to the NAIA Division II Tournament in 1979. That success set the stage for the magical 1980 season that ended with the Lutes hoisting their first national title in any sport.
The Lutes headed into the 1980 campaign with vaunted expectations after advancing to the second round of the NAIA playoffs the previous season, getting installed as the preseason No. 1 team in the nation in August. Pacific Lutheran wouldn't disappoint, opening the season with a 30-0 shutout of Western Washington University in front of the home crowd at Franklin Pierce Stadium.
The Lutes picked up wins on the road over Humboldt State University (45-14) and Central Washington University (24-3) before earning another home shutout, this time at the expense of Southern Oregon University (25-0). PLU needed a two-point conversion with 73 seconds left to escape with a 39-38 win over Whitworth University in the NWC opener but wasn't so lucky against Linfield College two weeks later. Ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation, Linfield raced to a 20-0 halftime lead. The Lutes scored 19 points in the final 4:15 but a missed two-point conversion gave Linfield the 20-19 win. It would prove to be the Lutes lone blemish of the season, blanking Lewis & Clark College 27-0 the following week before pummeling Willamette University 42-7 to close the regular season.
The Lutes would exact revenge on Linfield in the opening round of the NAIA Division II playoffs, staking a 28-0 lead en route to the 35-20 win before steamrolling Valley City State University 32-0 in the national semifinals.
The national title game featured the Lutes against high-octane Wilmington College at the Lincoln Bowl in Tacoma. Safety Scott Kessler nabbed a team-record four interceptions in a game that can be best summarized by then PLU Sports Information Director Jim Kittilsby:
"Using virtually every scoring approach short of burrowing under the Lincoln Bowl Astroturf carpet, the Lutes rolled over Wilmington College (Ohio) 38-10 Saturday to capture the NAIA Division II national championship. PLU scored via the conventional quarterback pass, by field goal, fumble recovery, punt return, end-to-end pass, and circuitous run."
Seven Lutes earned All-American honors at the conclusion of the season, including the "Great Scotts," tight end Scott Westering and safety Scott Kessler, becoming the first Lute duo to earn First Team All-American accolades in the same season. Earning Second Team honors was running back Guy Ellison, tackle John Bley, and linebacker Scott McKay while quarterback Eric Carlson and defensive tackle Greg Rohr earned Honorable Mention status.
The Lutes outscored opponents 397-132 with four shutouts, closing the season with an 11-1 record.
The success of the 1980 team would be just the tip of the iceberg, with the football team winning three more titles while the Lute athletic department has captured 10 more national titles across four sports.
