The only other time the Vikings had been unbeaten during a regular season was in 1938. Western was undefeated during the regular season in 1995, being ranked No.1 in the national poll for the last five weeks. Western also was third nationally in rushing defense (76.0) and fifth in total defense (260.3). It was the first time in school history that the Vikings had topped the country in any statistical category. In 1994, Western led the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 12.5 points per game. And for the fifth time that season Western did not allow an opponent a touchdown. Linfield, which entered the contest versus the Vikings averaging 33.3 points per game, was held without a touchdown for the first time in 31 games. The Lutes went on to reach the national title game. Western began its playoff run in 1994, winning at No.1 ranked Linfield, 21-2, in the first round of nationals before suffering a 25-20 loss to Pacific Lutheran in the quarterfinals. Later Smith coached 10 seasons at Humboldt State, turning that program around with a 63-44 ledger. He was named American Football Coaches Association College Division Region V and CFA Coach of the Year in 19. The trio of remarkable seasons came near the midway point of a 17-year career as head coach at Western by Rob Smith (bio located below after year-by-year reviews), who finished with a 109-61-1 record. They were Columbia Football Association (CFA) champions in 19, the first time the program had won back-to-back league crowns in 72 years. Western was 11-2 in 1996, the most wins for a single season in school history, 9-1 in 1995 and 8-3 in 1994 for a combined record of 28-6, a winning percentage of 82.4. And in 1994, Western upset the No.1-ranked team on the road in the first round before losing in the quarterfinals to the eventual national runner-up. In 1995, they were ranked No.1 nationally for five straight weeks before falling in the opening round of the playoffs to the eventual national co-champion. 21 at Savannah, Tenn., the contest was telecast live on FOX Sports Northwest. In 1996, the Vikings reached the national championship game, a school first in any sport. How special was that achievement? Consider that Western made just five national playoff appearances in football overall and was ranked among the top 10 nationally in the last rating just those three times. In each of those years, the Vikings reached the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II national playoffs and were ranked among the top 10 nationally in the final poll. Viking football enjoys unparalleled success in mid-1990s, reaching national playoffs three straight yearsĬulminates with Western's first national title game appearanceÄuring the mid-1990s, Western Washington University enjoyed the best back-to-back-to-back football seasons in the 105-year history (1903-2008) of the program.
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