MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Opening day. There's nothing quite like it in sports; to many, the greatest day of the year, a Christmas Eve of sorts. For the established powers, it's simply the first step on the way to a special season, something to cross off their to-do list, but for those less fortunate, it's a time to test new faces, make position changes and dream about brighter tomorrows.
 
A closer look at some of the memorable opening days with the Dragons:
 
In 1970 Ross Fortier inherited a program with little to cheer about, and began to reshape Moorhead State into a proven stronghold that would produce nine Northern Intercollegiate Conference titles and eight trips to post-season play in 23 seasons.
 
Those must have seemed like pipe dreams when Fortier and the rebuilt Dragon assembled for fall camp in August.
 
Fortier and his staff had three weeks to sort through the applicants, incorporate new offensive and defensive game plans, and, perhaps most importantly, restore the faith. He certainly would have relished more time for preparation, but it was time to play, ready or not. At last, the long-awaited opening night meeting with Concordia was just days away.
 
"We're very eager for a game," Fortier said in a midweek interview. "We're somewhat of an unknown at this time, and only a game will tell us how much progress we've made in practice. We've (got) potential, but we must continue to improve all season. We may make a lot of mistakes on Saturday, but we'll try to overcome them. I know our squad is eager to get started."

 
Fortier and his staff had settled on an opening night lineup that included a pair of transfers---Rich Isaman and Dale Johnson---at tight end, service veteran Doug Peterson and junior transfer Mike Langer at tackles, Ralph Berglund and John Stolpman at guards and Gerry Turnberg at center. Karl Oelker, Mike Quirk, Tom Bell and John South would fill the offensive backfield.
 
The announced starting defensive front would include LeRoy Spears and Mike McClelland at ends and Dennis Suelflow and Jerry Deming, a junior college transfer, at tackles. Junior Larry Treglawny, a transfer from North Dakota State, would open at middle linebacker, flanked by juniors Roger Hoversten and Price. The secondary would include holdovers Mark Bublitz and Rick Moquist at safety with Greg Staszko and junior import Joe Folio paired at cornerback.
 
Concordia was coming off a 10-1 season and a runnerup finish to Texas A & I University at the 1969 NAIA National Championship game and was well stocked with proven talent, including quarterback Dale Hertel, runningbacks Mark McNelly and Kent Baldry, and defensive lineman Dave Jordahl. There were few, if any, concerns in the Cobber camp. They fully expected to defend their MIAC title and return to the national playoffs, and dispatching of their rivals from across Prairie Home Cemetery seemed a certainty.
 
There was no such bravado coming from the Dragons, but there was plenty of intrigue. Moorhead State fans were curious. How much difference could this new coach make? Are we really getting better? Is it too much to think that someday soon we can put an end to the losing streak against Concordia?
 
History would not favor the Dragons in the 48^th renewal of the unique series. Concordia College owned a whopping 30-7-10 series advantage, including a 12-game winning streak, and the Cobbers would arrive at Alex Nemzek Stadium as lopsided favorites. The last MSC victory was a 10-9 win in 1957, and Concordia had cruised to a 34-6 victory over Moorhead State in 1969.
 
Despite the gloomy forecast, Moorhead State would not go away, and a spirited performance by the Dragon defense allowed MSC to ride Peterson's 21-yard field goal into a 3-0 halftime lead. A dormant Cobber offense was certain to awaken from its slumber in the second half, but the Dragons built a surprising 20-6 fourth quarter lead. The two-tight end tandem---soon to be a Fortier trademark---paid quick dividends as Oelker tossed scoring passes to both Johnson and Isaman. Peterson also added a 28-yard field goal and narrowly missed another.
 
With time slowly draining off the clock, Dragon fans were sensing a monumental upset and the chant of Thank-you Fort-chee began cascading down Alex Nemzek Stadium. By midway through the fourth quarter many MSC students began creeping closer to the field, poised for a raucous post-game celebration. Some were already planning to hoist the triumphant young coach on their shoulders. It was the day they had dreamed about for years; surely nothing could go wrong now.
 
There were less than two minutes remaining when Concordia found real inspiration. Maybe their prayers were answered at last, or maybe, as Dragons fans thought, it was another example of the Cobbers' unfair allotment of good luck. No matter, it was sufficient time for the veterans Hertel and wide receiver Laurie Anderson to work their magic and combine for a pair of late touchdown passes to draw the Cobbers even at 20-20.
 
A poor exchange from the snapper and holder, and pressure from Spears, caused the Cobbers to miss the extra point and the game ended in a tie, but it had every bit the feeling of defeat for the rebuilt Dragons and their rookie head coach. It was a bitter turn of events, and Fortier's coming out party was spoiled by the rousing Concordia comeback.
 
"I don't think Concordia knew what hit them," said Oelker. "It was the only 100-yard rushing game I had in college; they kept taking the pitch man so I just turned it up. They were not expecting this offense at all; we knew we outplayed them. With about three minutes left, they're throwing the ball all over the place and we thought the game was over, but we dropped an interception. It was totally frustrating, and I thought, 'What do we have to do to beat these guys?' "
 
Despite the heartache, Fortier would shield his team from criticism. He would not throw them under the bus, setting a precedent he would follow throughout his coaching career. "I can't blame our secondary," he said. "They weren't fully prepared in prevent defense; that's my fault."
 

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From the beginning, Moorhead State was largely overlooked when serious NIC observers began assessing the approaching 1991 season. After all, MSU had tumbled to a 5-5-0 finish the year before, including a pedestrian 3-3-0 mark in the NIC, and the Dragons had also absorbed substantial graduation losses.
 
The 1991 season dawned with the annual Crystal Ball attraction, featuring Moorhead State and Concordia College, the defending MIAC co-champions. Mike Tanner would be high atop Jake Christiansen Stadium as the broadcast voice of the Dragons on KVOX radio while WDAY-TV, featuring Ed Schultz on play-by-play, would once again telecast the game across the upper Midwest.
 
Playing at Concordia was never an issue for Fortier. "Concordia is like a home game. I think anytime you play the Cobbers, it's almost like a conference game. There's a lot of hoopla, and it's on television, too."
 
Fortier and Concordia head coach Jim Christopherson would be meeting for the 22^nd time in the series, and the Cobber head coach, as usual, would be quick to portray his club as a sizable underdog.
 
"In all honesty, they (Moorhead State) have to be heavily favored, but once the game starts, you throw out all the pre-game hype; you never know what's going to happen. If we want to be in the game, our defense has to hold them under 35 points. I feel they've got the weapons to score a lot."
 
As advertised, the 69^th meeting of the ancient Moorhead rivals provided lots of fireworks as Moorhead State sidestepped a late Concordia rally to claim a 21-16 victory. Quarterback Bob Jones produced 262 yards of total offense and scored three touchdowns. He rushed for 197 yards and three TDs and completed 12 of 21 passes for 155 yards and was named the game's Outstanding Player, a harbinger of a special season to come.
 
Jones' 16-yard touchdown run was voted 'Sweetest Play of the Game' by corporate sponsor American Crystal Sugar. It was a nice honor, complete with a plaque, but Jones preferred to talk about his fellow Dragons. "Concordia wore down in the second half when we ran the ball," he said.
 
Fortier also thought conditioning was a major factor. "I thought our kids were mentally ready. They played hard, and as the game went along, we gradually took charge of the line of scrimmage and the game."

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Twenty years ago Ralph Micheli, a former center at Macalester College and later the head coach at Sul Ross State University, made his Dragon coaching debut. Micheli was promoted from offensive line coach to head coach at Moorhead State in the spring of 1993, and his baptism would be a meeting with the neighboring Cobbers of Concordia College and his pal, Concordia coach Jim Christopherson. The onetime Minnesota Viking had built a 170-68-6 record at Concordia, including a 13-9-2 mark against Moorhead State, in 24 seasons.
 
The Cobbers were fresh from a 7-2-1 finish and were well stocked with tested veterans, including quarterback Dan Sward, runningback Mike Jousma, free safety Tim Langemo and linebacker Harold Hegg.
 
Tickets, priced at $4 for adults and $2 for students, were gobbled up quickly and an overflow crowd stuffed Jake Christianson Stadium for the Crystal Bowl Showdown
 
MSU christened the season in style with a 21-0 whitewash, the first shutout over Concordia since 1986. Junior quarterback Matt Jones rushed for 130 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns while Bryce Carlson collected a game high 161 rushing yards on 21 attempts with one touchdown. Paul Swaby headlined an active Dragon defense with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery and was saluted as NAIA District 13 and NDSIC Defensive Player of the Game.
 

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Fifty years ago, in the autumn of 1963, head coach Dwaine Hoberg and his Dragons began the season with the usual supply of optimism, but with some serious doubts as well. There were several veterans to lean on, including wide receiver Bruce Bausman, runningbacks Jim Berg, Steve Duginski and Don Pate, linebackers Bob Henry and Jerry Hegna, offensive tackles Lorny Johnson and Craig McComb, offensive guards Wayne Thuesch and Ken Bjorkman, center Dennis Kapets and quarterback Kevin Wimmer. Still, there were worries, and they looked to the opener for validation.
 
It is highly unlikely a Dragon team ever came out of the starting blocks in such splendid fashion.
 
That the Dragons opened on the road was simply another challenge, a short bus ride, and while they were substantial underdogs, word never got back inside the Dragon locker-room, and before a shocked crown at Dacotah Field, the Dragon rolled to a 31-14 victory. Wimmer and Bausman were unstoppable, combining on 65-yard and 75-yard touchdown passes to help the Dragons build a 22-0 lead, and before the carnage was over Bausman had set new single game records with 203 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions. Wimmer completed 10 of 15 passes for 282 yards and three TDs. Steve Duginski rushed for 63 yards on 17 carries while Don Pate added 56 yards on 11 trips.
 
North Dakota State never saw it coming, and while the Bison went on to quickly build a dynasty, that long ago meeting still stirs memories and remains a vivid reminder that, indeed, anything can happen on opening day.