1993 Pacific Lutheran Lutes football team

1993 Pacific Lutheran Lutes football
NAIA Division II national champion
CFA champion
ConferenceColumbia Football Association
Record12–0–1 (5–0 CFA)
Head coach
Home stadiumCarl Sparks Stadium
Seasons
← 1992
1994 →
1993 Columbia Football Association standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Mount Hood League
No. 12 Linfield x^ 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 1
Willamette 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Southern Oregon 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Eastern Oregon 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Lewis & Clark 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Western Oregon 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 1
Mount Rainier League
No. 1 Pacific Lutheran x^ 5 – 0 – 0 12 – 0 – 1
No. 3 Central Washington ^ 4 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
No. 19 Western Washington 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Simon Fraser 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Whitworth 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Puget Sound 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 8 – 1
  • x – League champion/co-champions
    ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll

The 1993 Pacific Lutheran Lutes football team was an American football team that represented Pacific Lutheran University in the Columbia Football Association (CFA) during the 1993 NAIA Division II football season. In their 22nd season under head coach Frosty Westering, the Lutes compiled a 12–0–1 record and won the NAIA Division II national championship. The Lutes began the season ranked #1 in the NAIA national polls and ended the season National Champions. The team participated in the NAIA Division II playoffs where they defeated Cumberland (Tennessee) (61–7) in the first round, Central Washington (35–17) in the quarterfinal, Baker (Kansas) (52–14) in the semifinal, and Westminster (Pennsylvania) (50–20) in the national championship game played at Civic Stadium in Portland, Oregon.[1]

The team played its five home games at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup, Washington, and also played three of its games (including one playoff games) at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, located 10 miles to the northwest of Puyallup.

The undefeated 1993 season was generated by an outstanding offensive attack led by All-American's Marc Weekly, Chad Barnett, Gavin Stanley, and Jeff Douglas. Weekly was also named the Columbia Football Association Offensive Player of the Year in 1993 while Barnett, Stanley, Douglas and Brian Flattum were all named First Team All-Conference. The 1993 offense still holds team records at PLU for passing yards (3,829), total yards (6,105), highest scoring average (44.1) and most points (573). This offense is highly regarded as the best offense to ever come through PLU.

Leading the national champion defense was All-American and Columbia Football Association Defensive Player of the Year, Ted Riddall. Riddall was accompanied by fellow All-American's Albert Jackson, Jason Thiel, and Judd Benedick.

Coach Frosty Westering was elected NAIA Division II Coach of the Year in 1993 for his undefeated, national championship season. Westering went on to win four national championships at Pacific Lutheran (1980, 1987, 1993, and 1999) and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.[2] He eventually wrote two books, Make The Big Time Where You Are and The Strange Secret of the Big Time that both showcase the philosophies he demonstrated to his teams at PLU and how he lived his life.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 18vs. Linfield
T 20–20
September 25Eastern Oregon
W 43–13[3]
October 2at Southern Oregon
W 50–23
October 9at WillametteSalem, ORW 48–36
October 16Central Washington
  • Sparks Stadium
  • Puyallup, WA
W 49–48
October 23Simon Fraser
  • Sparks Stadium
  • Puyallup, WA
W 42–4
October 30at Whitworth
W 45–13
November 6at Western Washington
W 37–29
November 13vs. Puget Sound
  • Tacoma Dome
  • Tacoma, WA
W 41–7
November 20vs. Cumberland (TN)*Tacoma, WA (NAIA Division II first round)W 61–7[4]
December 4Central Washington*
  • Sparks Stadium
  • Puyallup, WA (NAIA Division II quarterfinal)
W 35–17[5]
December 11Baker*
  • Sparks Stadium
  • Puyallup, WA (NAIA Division II semifinal)
W 52–14[6]
December 18vs. Westminster (PA)*Portland, OR (NAIA Division II Championship Game)W 50–207,262[7]
  • *Non-conference game

References

  1. ^ "1993 Results". GoLutes.com. Pacific Lutheran University. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  2. ^ "Frosty Westering". National Football Foundation. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  3. ^ Doug Drowly (September 26, 1993). "PLU pounds Eastern Oregon". The News Tribune. p. C3 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Gary Brooks (November 21, 1993). "Cumberland lands hard: No. 1 Pacific Lutheran ends Bulldog year, 61-7". The Tennessean. p. 7C – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "PLU breezes past Central Washington". The Bellingham Herald. December 5, 1993. p. D6 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Corey Brock (December 12, 1993). "Pacific Lutheran blows past Baker". The Kansas City Star. p. C14 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "PLU wallops Westminster 50-20". The Independent-Record. December 19, 1993. p. 4B.