September 13, 2023

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) will be honoring the 1973 Dakota State College (DSC) Trojan Football squad that happened 50 years ago.  The 1973 season was a year to remember for DSC football team and their fans.  The Trojans claimed their first-ever South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC) title in football program history, downing all five SDIC opponents.

A sputtering start by Joel Swisher's 1973 football, the Trojans ended in a championship flourish and numerous honors.

DSC kicked off the 1973 season losing the first two games against non-SDIC members.  The Trojans visited the NAIA's Division II top-ranked team of Northwestern (Iowa) in Orange City, Iowa.  The Trojans fell short by the score of 16-13 when the Red Raiders made a 46-yard field goal into the win.  Dakota State had an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown called back on a clipping call.

After losing a 26-7 contest to Bemidji State (Minn.), the Trojans kicked off the SDIC conference season with a hard-fought 21-19 victory over highly ranked conference foe Huron (S.D.).

Trailing 19-15 with ten minutes and 11 seconds left in the game, Dakota State mounted a comeback by using a combination of rushing and passing to cover 80 yards and give them the game-winning touchdown.  The scoring drive took eight minutes and four seconds to give the Trojans a 21-19 lead.

Darwin Robinson set a DSC school record for most rushing attempts in the game versus Huron, carrying the ball 46 times for 207 yards.

The Trojans scored 33 straight points in the annual Trojan Day Homecoming game versus the University of South Dakota/Springfield.  DSC went on to defeat the Pointers 33-6, giving DSC a 2-0 start in the SDIC conference play.

Dakota State traveled to Rapid City to visit another SDIC conference favorite – South Dakota Tech.  Down 21-10 in the third quarter, the Trojans trimmed the Hardrockers' lead to four points (21-17) after a 26-yard touchdown pass from Terry Kasperbauer to Robinson just before the quarter ended.

The final score of the game came for the Trojans with 9:54 remaining in the fourth quarter when Jeff Rodman led a drive, which took up about five minutes of the fourth quarter.  The Trojans won in a nail-biter over South Dakota Tech by the score of 23-21, putting DSC in the driver's seat for the SDIC Championship.

Dakota State destroyed their long-time rival, the Tigers of Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) by the score of 44-14 in Mitchell (4-0 SDIC conference record).

Against non-loop foe and Swisher's alma mater Northern State (S.D.) at Trojan Field, the Trojans raced to a 27-0 lead early in the third quarter.  The Wolves stormed back and scored 28 unanswered points to defeat DSC by the score of 28-27.

DSC clashed with Black Hills State (S.D.) in the SDIC title-clinching game.  Dakota State put on an offensive show against the Yellow Jackets, winning 52-34 to earn DSC's first-ever SDIC football conference title in school history.  The Trojans gained a school record of 566 yards of total offense in the game.  In that game, a trio of Robinson, Kasperbauer, and Toney Blanks took charge.

Kasperbauer quarterbacked the team, contributing an 18-for-28 passng game, which amassed 381 yards.  Blanks caught five of Kasperbauer's completions for 149 yards including a 60-yard touchdown bomb near the end of the contest.  Robinson rushed 16 times for 133 yards.

DSC finished the 1973 season with a 25-15 victory over Concordia (Minn.) of St. Paul, a game which saw Robinson rush into the school record book.  He carried the ball 21 times for 144 yards, giving him 1,018 rushing yards for the season.  It also was the first time a Trojan running back had eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in a single season (5.3 yards per carry in 192 rushing attempts).

The win against Concordia gave the Trojans a 6-3 mark, the fourth-best mark in Trojan history at the time.

Deny Lather and Robinson were the team's co-captains.  The SDIC and NAIA District 12 recognized the 1973 Trojans efforts at the end of the season.

Dakota State led in four different categories in five SDIC conference games.  The Trojans led in rushing yards per game (229.4 yards), passing yards per game (182.2 yards), total offense yards per game (411.6 yards) and defense rushing yards per game (86.2 yards).  DSC was second in the SDIC in total defensive yards per game (224.6 yards)

Robinson captured three individual titles while sparking his Trojan teammates to the 1973 SDIC football championship.  In five SDIC conference games, he ran for 726 yards (5.8 yards per carry), scored 36 points (6 touchdowns) and averaged 14.6 punt return yards in five attempts to earn SDIC individual titles.

Robinson was drafted in the eighth round of the National Football League (NFL) by the Washington Redskins.

Dakota State had six players named to the SDIC All-Conference team.  They were Robinson, Wayne Stowell, Blanks, Craig Ebert, Mick Twiss, and Lather.  Two Trojans received honorable mention on the team - Bob Casagrande and Kasperbauer.
Swisher was named the NAIA District 12's Coach of the Year.

Dakota State was ranked No. 17 in the final NAIA Division II Football national poll.
 

1973 Dakota State College Football Schedule/Results
Opponent	Score
Northwestern (Iowa)	L, 13-16
Bemidji State (Minn.)	L, 7-26
Huron (S.D.)*	W, 21-19
South Dakota/Springfield*	W, 33-6
South Dakota Tech*	W, 23-21
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)*	W, 44-14
Northern State (S.D.)	L, 27-28
Black Hills State (S.D.)*	W, 52-34
Concordia (Minn.)	W, 25-15
*SDIC Conference Contest