MSU Moorhead Athletics

The 1971 Dragon football team, after beginning their season 0-1-1, closed with a seven-game winning streak to capture its first Northern Intercollegiate Conference title since 1966, and the first of nine under coach Ross Fortier. The Dragons' late season rush included a dramatic 6-0 upset of unbeaten Michigan Tech University, ranked fourth nationally. It has been 40 years since the first NIC title won under the Fortier regime.