The 2001 Valley City State Vikings football team represented Valley City State University in the 2001 NAIA football season as a member of the Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC). Under fifth-year head coach Dennis McCulloch, the Vikings finished 9–2 overall and 8–1 in conference play, earning a second consecutive berth in the NAIA playoffs for the first time in program history. Valley City State opened the season 9–0 before falling to conference champion Mary in the regular-season finale and losing at in the NAIA First Round.
Wide receiver Steve Battle and linebacker Ben Aarestad were both named NAIA Second-Team All-Americans, while quarterback Jeremy Peschel earned conference Most Valuable Player honors for the second straight season. Eight Vikings were selected to the All-DAC First Team: Peschel, Battle, Aarestad, Justin Wieseler, Brent Miller, James Thornton, Mike Silbernagel, and David Rowe.
Valley City State dominated early in the season, posting back-to-back shutouts over Minnesota–Morris and Minot State and outscoring their first nine opponents by a wide margin. The Vikings’ 9–0 start positioned them among the top teams in the NAIA, rising as high as No. 3 in the NAIA Coaches' Poll.
A road loss at Mary in the regular-season finale left the Vikings as runners-up in the DAC standings, but they still secured an at-large bid to the NAIA playoffs for a second consecutive year. In the first round, Valley City State traveled to Helena, Montana, where they fell 45–27 to eventual national champion .
Schedule
Rankings
Coaching staff Dennis McCulloch: head coach Cory Anderson: offensive coordinator Gregg Horner: defensive Coordinator Nat Hill: assistant coach Dave Rausch: assistant coach Jamie Nelson: assistant coach
Awards and honors Jeremy Peschel – Dakota Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player (Second Consecutive Season) Steve Battle – NAIA Second-Team All-American (Wide receiver) Ben Aarestad – NAIA Second-Team All-American (Linebacker) Brent Miller - NAIA Second-Team All-American (Defensive Line)
Dakota Athletic Conference All-Conference Jeremy Peschel Steve Battle Justin Wieseler Brent Miller Mike Silbernagel Ben Aarestad David Rowe James Thornton J.O. Thielges Josh Komarek Mike Rowe
References