2002 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

Mount Union started the 2002 season with a 44-21 road win over Wisconsin-Whitewater on September 7. The Purple Raiders took a 30 -14 first half lead and never looked back, led by quarterback Rob Adamson, running back Dan Pugh and wide receiver Nick Sirianni. Adamson was 18-of-29 for a career-best 348 yards passing with three touchdowns. Pugh finished with 19 carries, 110 yards rushing and three TDs. Sirianni had four receptions, 110 yards receiving and two TDs. Tight end Josh Liddell led Mount Union with seven receptions and 82 yards receiving. Defensively, Raider linebacker Shaun Spisak totaled 11 hits, including a sack, while cornerback Chris Kern had five hits and two passes broken up.

The Purple Raiders opened Ohio Athletic Conference play with a hard-fought 28-21 win at Baldwin-Wallace on September 21. Dan Pugh posted career highs in carries (40) and yards rushing (210) while scoring three TDs. Quarterback Zac Bruney, making his first career start for the Raiders, completed 11 of 15 passes for 175 yards and one TD. Bruney also had 46 yards rushing on 11 carries. With the score tied 14-14 at the half, the Raiders opened the third quarter with an 11 play/83 yard drive, capped by a Pugh one-yard run to take a 20-14 lead. The extra point attempt was blocked. Following a Chris Kern interception, the Raiders marched 98 yards on 13 plays. The drive ended on a 21-yard TD pass from Bruney to wideout Randell Knapp at the 13:37 mark of the fourth quarter. Bruney found Pugh in the back of the end zone for the two-point conversion.

Kern then intercepted his second pass in the end zone on the game's last play to seal the victory. The game was played in front of 9,127 fans - the second largest collegiate crowd ever at Finnie Stadium. Mount Union's victory at B-W in 1998 drew over 10,000 fans.

Mount Union opened its home campaign with a 49-3 victory over Muskingum, on September 28, in front of a standing room only Homecoming Day crowd of 6,232. Running back Ricky Ciccone had a career-best performance with 86 yards on 15 carries and two TDs. Zac Bruney was 8 of 10 for 118 yards and one TD, while quarterback Jesse Burghardt, finished 7 of 10 for 82 yards and a TD. Defensively, the Raiders were led by end Matt Cambell's two sack performance and Chris Kern's third interception of the season. Linebacker Luke Garland led the Raiders with eight hits.

Mount Union earned a 55-0 victory at Otterbein on October 5. Pugh posted a career-best five touchdown performance, including a career single-rush best 63-yard TD run. He finished with 162 yards on 17 carries in one half of play. Bruney finished 5-of-11 for 80 yards and Jesse Burghardt completed 5-of-5 for 98 yards and one TD. Defensively, Kern had seven hits while strong safety Dustin Blake had the game's lone interception as the Raiders posted their first shutout of the season.

Mount Union defeated visiting Heidelberg, 61-0, on Oct. 12. Pugh led the Raiders with 14 carries for 130 yards and two scores in one half of play. Rob Adamson returned at quarterback for the Purple and White, completing 10 of 15 passes for three touchdowns. Bruney was 7 of 10 for 142 yards, including a 76-yard completion to receiver Jason Cavell. Place kicker Chad Teague was 4 of 4 in field goal attempts (26, 30, 21, 36), which tied a Raider single-game mark, and he also set a Mount Union single-game record for points by a kicker (19). Defensively, the Raiders were led by end Chris Carter, who had five tackles, two tackles for losses and one sack, along with tackle Antoine Dillard, who totaled three tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and one sack.

Mount Union defeated #8 ranked John Carroll 35-16 before a new Mount Union Stadium record crowd of 8,072 on October 19. Adamson completed 9-of-16 passes for 132 yards with three TDs. Bruney amassed 72 yards on the ground, including a career-best 55-yard TD scamper with 3:32 remaining in the third stanza. Burghardt had a career-best 45-yard TD run at the 1:00 minute mark of the third quarter. Randell Knapp posted career bests in receptions (6) and TDs (2). Defensively, Mount Union was led by linebacker Stan Watson, who had a team-best nine hits, including two sacks. Matt Campbell had six hits with one sack and four quarterback hurries. The defense also posted a season-best six sacks in the contest.

Mount Union earned a 38-22 road win over Capital on October 26. The Raiders jumped out to a 17-0 first quarter and a 31-8 edge at half. Pugh totaled a career-best 213 yards rushing on 40 carries while Knapp had five receptions for a game-high & career-best 120 yards in the contest. The Raider defense held Capital to 29 total yards of offense in the first half. Individually, Campbell posted a career-best 15 hit performance while Antoine Dillard chipped in with seven hits and one sack.

Mount Union captured a 56-10 victory over visiting Marietta on November 2. The Raiders were paced by Pugh, who totaled 130 yards rushing on 15 carries and two touchdowns. The game featured Knapp's 78 yard kickoff return for a TD. Mount Union posted a season high 637 yards of total offense, including running back Jeff Strauch, who had three carries for 85 yards and a career best 66 yard TD run. The Raider defense was led by tackle Josh Ludwig, who had eight hits, including three sacks and four tackles for loss. Linebackers Justin Burton, Stan Watson and Shaun Spisak each recorded six hits.

Mount Union earned a 34-24 win at Ohio Northern on November 9. The Purple Raiders were paced by Pugh, who scored three times and totaled 172 yards rushing on 37 carries. Knapp posted career bests in receptions (10) and yards receiving (158). Defensively, Campbell had 11 hits and two tackles for loss while Stan Watson had nine hits.

Mount Union earned its 11th consecutive OAC Championship while securing an eighth consecutive undefeated regular season with a 62-0 victory over visiting Wilmington in the regular season finale on November 16. It was a record-setting day for the Raiders. Pugh totaled 205 yards rushing on 13 carries - breaking the Raider single-season mark for yards rushing (1,466 yards) previously held by Russ Kring (1,460 yards in 1986). Pugh also scored four times - breaking the OAC and Mount Union mark for touchdowns in one season (26), previously held by Chuck Moore (24 set in 2001). During regular season play, Pugh went over the 100 yard rushing mark eight times and rushed for over 200 yards on three occasions. Defensively, Campbell set a new Raider single-season record for tackles for loss (19) - breaking the previous mark of 18 set by Todd Braden and Campbell in 2001. The Raiders have won 76 consecutive OAC and 84 straight regular season games.

Mount Union advanced to the Division III Playoff Quarterfinals for the 11th consecutive year with a 42-21 victory over visiting Wheaton College (IL) on November 30. Pugh scored four times, including a key 91 yard kick off return for a score late in the third quarter to lead the Raider offensive attack. Pugh finished with 161 yards rushing on 36 carries. Adamson finished 15-of-28 for 265 yards and one touchdown. Knapp had a game-best seven receptions for 133 yards and one score. Defensively, the Raiders were led by linebacker Josh Church, who finished with a team-best 13 hits and one sack. Dustin Blake had nine hits and a fumble recovery while Chris Carter finished with nine hits and one sack.

The Purple Raiders jumped out to an early 17-0 lead on their way to a 45-16 victory over the visiting Little Giants of Wabash (IN) on Dec 7. The win marked Mount Union's eighth straight trip to the playoff round of the 'Final Four.'

Individually, Adamson was 15-of-23 for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Knapp finished with a game-best seven receptions for 125 yards and two scores. Pugh went over the 100-yard mark for the 10th time in 12 games, finishing with 165 yards on 25 carries. Defensively, the Raiders were led by Watson's 14 hits. Carter finished with 12 hits and two sacks while Josh Ludwig also had 12 hits, including three tackles for loss.

Mount Union earned its sixth trip to the Division III National Championship game in the last seven years with a 57-19 victory over visiting John Carroll in front of a new Mount Union Stadium record crowd of 8,387 fans on December 14.

The Raiders were led by Pugh's five rushing touchdown performance. He also finished the contest with single-game career highs in carries (45) and yards rushing (254). Adamson finished the day 12-of-17 for 225 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, Josh Church had eight hits while Justin Burton had seven. Free safety Matt Caponi had six hits and two passes deflected to go along with an interception.

Mount Union won its third consecutive Division III Football National Championship, and sixth in the last seven years, with a 48-7 victory over Trinity University (TX) in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, in front of 4,389 fans at Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia, on Saturday, December 21.

The Raiders (14-0) jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead and outscored the Tigers 20-7 in the second half en route to posting a current NCAA best 42nd consecutive win. Individually for Mount Union, Adamson completed 12-of-23 pass attempts for 222 yards and three scores while Pugh finished with a career best 49 carries for 253 yards. Defensively, Burton had one interception and finished with a team-best seven hits while Carter had six tackles and one sack.

Pugh, the Gagliardi Trophy winner as the Division III Player of the Year, was voted the game's MVP and set two Stagg Bowl records, including most points scored in the Stagg Bowl (26) and Stagg Bowl rushing attempts (49). He also broke the Division III Tournament scoring (92 pts) and touchdown mark (15). His 41 TDs on the year set an NCAA All-Division single-season mark, surpassing Barry Sanders' previous record of 39 TDs set in 1988 while at Oklahoma State. Pugh also set a Division III single-season all-purpose yards record (3,192).

Mount Union's Stagg Bowl victory earned the Raiders their seventh National Title ('93, '96, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02) ' the most among collegiate teams participating in a playoff format and it ties Oklahoma for the most football championships. Overall, the Purple Raiders have won 96 of their last 97 games played. Mount Union is a Division III best 37-7 in the post-season and has a 7-0 mark in Stagg Bowl appearances.