’67 BIG TEN CHAMPS WEB PAGE MISSION:

   We have produced the following Web Page to acknowledge the accomplishments of the 1967 Co- Big Ten Championship Football Team. In October of 2004 the team, coaches and staff were honored at the Golden Gopher game vs. Penn State. Some 50 attended the event and all were very appreciative of the efforts and hospitality of the University Athletic Dept.

   It was decided that a Web Page devoted to the team players, staff and coaches would be highly beneficial to all involved. Therefore we have provided this medium for all to access. Team members and fans can access the information provided on the Site. It will also allow fans and the public to inquire and ask questions from the team as well. Addresses and e-mail addresses are being withheld for direct use, but individuals wishing to contact members of the team may contact the Site by way of the Feedback form and all inquiries and questions will then be forwarded on to the specific individual.

   We invite you to peruse the many pages we have produced and encourage your input and questions.

Thank you, Steve Nestor – Web Editor

A MAROON AND GOLD “PATCHWORK QUILT”

The Gopher’s, coming off a 4-5-1 season and a 5th place Big Ten finish in the 1966 season, were again expected to be a mid-division team in 1967. The team would be made up of a mixture of veteran leadership from seniors, most on defense, and many juniors who had seen considerable action in ’66. Add to them a group of promising sophomores and some key position switches for a few seniors and Murray’s task was to tie it all together.

Who was to start at Quarterback was entirely up in the air for the Maroon & Gold. Gone was perennial starter John Hankinson and his heir apparent was the great question.

The Defense looked solid from the start. Veteran Nose Guard - Ed Duren and fellow North Carolinian tackle McKinley Boston, both seniors, would anchor the line. Juniors Ron Kamzelski [Pennsylvania] slated for the other tackle spot and ‘book-end’ Defensive Ends Bob Stein [St. Louis Park, Mn] and Del Jessen [Luverne, Mn] would handle the other ‘D-Line’ openings.

Seniors Tom Sakal and fellow Pennsylvanian Mike ‘Bullets’ Condo would head the Defensive backfield. Junior Denny Hale [Jackson, Mn] filled the other D-back position and Noel Jenke, like Gopher great Herb Joesting was from Owatonna, Mn., was the ‘Monster Back’.

The Linebackers were also juniors, John Darkenwald [Edina, Mn] and Wayne King [Chatfield, Mn].
The ’67 Offense would show the most diverse patchwork quilt line-up presented in years. Senior John ‘B.J.’ William, who’d played fullback as a Sophmore and Defensive End as a junior would now anchor the Offensive Line at Tackle. Next to him, offering the most dynamic double team in College football was Tight End Charley Sanders [Greensboro, N.C.] As a Soph, ‘Satch’ had played flanker and end and was Williams counterpart at Defensive end his junior season. Both would go on to be Minnesota’s finest at their position. Sanders came in as a 178# freshman, but thanks to banana malts and a great workout regimen now weighed 228#! The other Tackle was another No. Carolinian Ezell Jones. Like ‘Easy’, the starting Guards and Center were juniors. Two of the biggest guards in College football- Dick Enderle [Elbow Lake, Mn] and Tom Fink [Delano. Mn] along with Center Steve Lundeen [Mpls. Roosevelt], gave the Gophers a very big and athletic Offensive Line. Junior Andy Brown would see considerable action at Guard as well.

In the backfield there were openings as well, however Pennsylvanian Junior Hubie Bryant returned at Flanker. Hubie, who had split the position in ’66, would now split the duty with newcomer Mike Curtis [Cincinnati, Ohio]. Murray had for sometime used the Flankers to relay plays to the Quarterbacks – alternating on each play.

The Fullback looked solid, but was inexperienced. Jim Carter had the credentials and gave the Gopher’s a bruising, line bustin’ 235 pounder, Minnesotans had come to expect a grinding ground game led by great fullbacks such as Bronko Nagurski, Herb Joesting [The Owatonna Thunderbolt], Sheldon Biese, Stan Kostka [the Hammer of the North], Roger hagberg and ‘Judge’ Dickson. Carter, like Kostka was from so. St. Paul would not let them down. At halfback – there would be several candidates and the crop would be led by Sophomore George Kemp [Robbinsdale, Mn] and Juniors John Wintermute [Illinois] and Maurice ‘Mo’ Forte [Hannibal, Mo.] All would prove their worth. Kemp led the way early on in the season before becoming ill after 5 straight starts. Forte, who had a career game at Iowa, was instrumental in the Gopher’s 10–0 win vs the Hawkeyes. Wintermute, who had shown promise in ’66, was called upon to start the all important Indiana game and his 135 yards, along with Carter’s 94 and Wilson’s 118, led the Gophers vs the Hoosiers.

As for the Quarterback position – No one knew who would start. Returning Senior, ‘southpawer’ Larry Carlson got the opening nod and led the Gopehers to a 13-12 win over Utah. However, little did anyone know at the time that Coach Warmath would use a platoon system at quarterback – one which had never been seen before – nor for that matter, would ever be seen again in College football – or any other level of football.

‘Papa Bear’, by season’s end would use 4 different starting QB’s! Yes 4! Imagine – Co-Big Ten Champions and starting 4 different Quarterbacks!

Carlson started and won the Opener at Memorial stadium, 13-12 over Utah. Phil Hagen spelled him later in the game. The next week at Nebraska Sophomore Ray Stephens [younger brother of All-American Sandy Stephens] started. Ray played well but the Gophers lost 7-0 in a defensive struggle. In week 3 at home – Phil Hagen [Wisconsin] started vs Southern Methodist with the Gophers winning 23-3. Hagen again was called upon in the following week’s Big Ten Opener at Champaign, Illinois vs the Fighting Illini. The Gophers won again 10-7. But, with the offense sputtering again- Murray looked to senior Curtis Wilson from Lawton, Oklahoma to take over the QB role vs Michigan State. Wilson, who had started the 1st three games at halfback, had been a high school QB who could not only run but threw the ball very well too.

Murray’s plan worked well as the Gophers defense continued to hold opponents to 12 points or less by shutting out the Spartans and the offense led by Wilson put up 21 in the Gopher’s 2nd straight Big 10 win over Michigan State 21-0. Wilson continued at QB for the 20 - 15 come back win over Michigan and the 10-0 win at Iowa. Hagen would spell Wilson in the second half at Iowa, but it was Wilson’s passing to Sanders that led the way.

Wilson and Hagen split the duty at Purdue, but neither could put up the needed points to off set the Boilermaker’s 4-receiver attack.

In the all-important Indiana game in week 9 – Wilson was firmly back in charge as he and the Gophers throttled the undefeated Hoosiers 33-7!

In the season finale, at home vs the ‘Cheeseheads’, Wilson led his fellow teammates again with 2 TD’s and a 21-14 win over the Wisconsin Badgers.

Not only did the team run the ball very well that year, but Murray probably threw the ball more than anyone ever expected, using Bryant, Curtis and Litten as deep threats, Litten and Sanders over the middle and possession passes to Carter and Kemp.

10 games – 4 different starters at QB! Who would ever have ‘thunk’ it?