2002 Game-By-Game Season Recap

Week 1 - September 7, 2002versus Wisconsin-Whitewater

College football's longest current winning streak was extended to 29 games as defending Division III National Champion Mount Union College opened the 2002 season with a 44-21 road win over Wisconsin Whitewater in Perkins Stadium on Saturday, September 7.

The Purple Raiders (1-0) took a 30 -14 first half lead and never looked back, led by running back Dan Pugh and wide receiver Nick Sirianni.

Pugh opened the scoring on a 16-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Rob Adamson at the 13:31 mark of the first quarter. He added a 16-yard TD run with just :18 seconds remaining in the half. Sirianni had a 54-yard TD grab at the 1:57 mark of the first quarter and a 32-yard TD catch at the 6:35 mark of the second stanza.

Adamson finished with a career-best 348 yard passing on 18-of-29. He threw for three touchdowns and one interception . Pugh finished with 19 carries, 110 yards rushing and three TDs. Sirianni had four receptions, 110 yards receiving and two touchdowns. 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.

Week 2 - September 21, 2002at Baldwin-Wallace

The Purple Raiders (2-0, 1-0 OAC) opened Ohio Athletic Conference play with a hard-fought 28-21 win against the Yellow Jackets (1-1, 0-1 OAC) in Berea, on Saturday evening, September 21.

Raider running back Dan Pugh posted career highs in carries (40) and yards rushing (210) while scoring three touchdowns as the Raiders posted their 68th consecutive conference win and 76th regular season win. Pugh compiled 330 all-purpose yards in the contest.

Mount Union 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 touchdown pass from Bruney to wideout Randy Knapp at the 13:37 mark of the fourth quarter. Bruney found Pugh in the back of the endzone for the two-point conversion (28-14).

The Yellow Jackets responded on a Mark Anders 13 yard run with 7:10 left to play in the contest (28-21). Kern intercepted his second pass of the game in the endzone on a B-W hail-mary attempt on the game's last play to seal the victory.

The game was played in front 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.

Week 3 - September 28, 2002versus Muskingum

Mount Union opened its home campaign with a 49-3 victory over Muskingum, Saturday afternoon, September 28, in front of a standing room only Homecoming Day crowd of 6,232.

Mount Union (3-0, 2-0) used a balanced offense, led by running back Rick Ciccone, who notched a career high 86 yards on 15 carries. He also posted his first two touchdown performance.

The Raiders' two quarterback system today featured Zac Bruney, who was 8 of 10 for 118 yards and one touchdown and one interception, and Jesse Burghardt, who finished 7 of 10 for 82 yards and a touchdown. Burghardt added 59 rushing on four carries while Bruney had four carries for 25 yards and one rushing score.

Tight end Josh Liddell had four catches for 55 yards while Derrick Leach had a career high four receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Raiders were led by Matt Cambell's two sack performance and Chris Kern's third interception of the season. Linebacker Luke Garland led the Raiders with eight hits. The Raiders amassed 526 yards of total offense compared to the Muskies' 181.

Week 4 - October 5, 2002at Otterbein

Mount Union extended the nation's longest collegiate win streak to 32 with a 55-0 victory at Otterbein (2-2, 1-2 OAC) on Saturday, October 5.

Running back Dan Pugh posted a career-best five touchdown performance; including a career single-rush best 63-yard touchdown run on the game's second play from scrimmage. He finished with 162 yards on 17 carries in just one half of play.

Pugh's 30 points scored tied Leo Grimes ('29) and Mike DiBlasi ('69) for second place all-time for points scored in one game. Grimes holds the all-time mark (36 points in '31).

The Raiders' two-quarterback system included Zac Bruney finishing 5-of-11 for 80 yards and Jesse Burghardt completing 5-5 for 98 yards and one touchdown.

Tight end Josh Liddell had three catches for 90 yards and one score while running back Rick Ciccone totaled 11 carries, 80 yards rushing and one touchdown.

Defensively, cornerback Chris Kern had seven hits while Dustin Blake had the game's lone interception as the Purple & White posted its first shutout of the season. Mount Union finished with 562 yards of offense compared to a season-low 82 yards for the Cardinals.

Week 5 - October 12, 2002versus Heidelberg

Mount Union extended college football's current longest winning streak to 33 games with a 61-0 victory over Heidelberg, on Saturday afternoon, Oct, 12 at Mount Union Stadium.

Running back Dan Pugh led the Raiders (5-0, 4-0 OAC) with 14 carries for 130 yards and two scores in only one half play. Pugh has a league- best 14 touchdowns on the season.

Rob Adamson returned at quarterback for the Purple and White, completing 10 of 15 passes for three touchdowns and one interception. Adamson's longest completion was a 46 yard touchdown connection to wide receiver Nick Sirianni in the second quarter.

Zac Bruney was 7 of 10 for 142 yards, including a 76 completion to receiver Jason Cavell in the third quarter. Derrick Leach also caught three balls for 59 yards and one touchdown. Place kicker Chad Teague was 4 of 4 in field goal attempts (26, 30, 21, 36).

The Raider defense posted its second consecutive shutout, while allowing 98 yards of total offense to "The Berg" (1-4, 1-3 OAC). The Raiders have not been scored on in the last 11 quarters of play.

Individually, the Raiders were led by defensive back Jamie Allman, who had six tackles on the afternoon. Defensive end Chris Carter had five tackles, two tackles for losses and one sack, while tackle Antoine Dillard tallied three tackles for losses, one fumble recovery and one sack. End Matt Campbell had three tackles for losses and a sack. Safety Jesse Clum had a 24-yard interception return in the game.

Week 6 - October 19, 2002versus John Carroll

Mount Union won its 80th consecutive regular season game with a 35-16 win over previously undefeated and #8 ranked John Carroll before a Mount Union Stadium record crowd of 8,072 on Saturday afternoon, October 19.

The previous high attendance mark of 7,132 was set on Oct. 16, 1999, when the Raiders defeated Otterbein, 44-20, setting a new NCAA record for consecutive wins (48).

The Raiders (6-0, 5-0 OAC) used a three quarterback system headed by Rob Adamson, who completed 9-of-16 passes for 132 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT. Quarterback Zac Bruney amassed 72 yards on the ground, including a 55-yard touchdown scamper with 3:32 remaining in the third stanza. Quarterback Jesse Burghardt had a 45 yard touchdown run at the 1:00 minute mark of the third quarter.

Wide receiver Randell Knapp posted career bests in receptions (6) and touchdowns (2). He had a 15-yard touchdown reception at the 13:49 mark of the second quarter and soon after a 14-yard touchdown grab at the 7:17 mark of the second stanza. Running back Dan Pugh added 72 yards rushing on 24 carries.

Defensively, Mount Union was led by linebacker Stan Watson, who had a team-best nine hits, including two sacks. Defensive end Matt Campbell had six hits with one sack and four quarterback hurries. Mount Union posted a season-best six sacks in the contest.

The Raiders totaled 335 yards of offense compared to the Blue Streaks' 286 yards. Mount Union averaged 5.7 yards per play compared to 4.0 for John Carroll.

With the win, Mount Union extended college football's current longest winning streak to 34. The Purple Raiders have now won 72 straight OAC contests. The Purple & White sport an 88-1 overall record in the last 89 games played dating back to the '96 season.

Week 7 - October 26, 2002at Capital

Mount Union took sole possession of first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference with a 38-22 road win over Capital in Bexley, Ohio, on Saturday, October 26. The Raiders (7-0, 6-0 OAC) jumped out to a 17-0 first quarter lead and were never headed.

Chad Teague capped a 7 play/25 yard drive with a 30 yard field goal at the 8:52 mark. Rob Adamson connected with Derrick Leach on a 51 yard touchdown pass with 6:20 remaining in the quarter. On fourth down, Adamson found Randell Knapp for a 16 yard touchdown to finish off a 10 play/71 yard drive with 2:23 to go in the first quarter.

Rayshaun Gales answered for Capital with a 6 yard touchdown run at the 11:45 mark of the second quarter. The Crusaders then connected on a two-point conversion following a failed PAT attempt.

The Raiders came back with an 8 play/67 yard drive with Dan Pugh scoring from 18 yard out. Adamson found Leach for a second time - a 31 yard touchdown strike with 2:56 left in the half, finishing off a 7 play/68 yard drive. The Raiders had a 31-8 lead at intermission.

Midway through the third quarter, the Raiders put together an 8 play/69 yard drive with Pugh scoring from 2 yards out with 5:39 left in the third quarter giving Mount Union a 38-8 lead.

Capital finished off the scoring with a pair of touchdowns - Danny Edghill found Matt Friesner from 9 yards out with :25 seconds remaining in the third quarter and later connected with Kyle Sellers from 30 yards with 8:26 left in the contest.

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. Quarterback Rob Adamson was 11-of-21 for 217 yards, three touchdowns and three INTs.

The Raider defense held Capital to 29 total yards of offense in the first half and two first downs. Individually, end Matt Campbell posted a career-best 15 hit performance, including six tackles for loss (44 yards) and three sacks (36 yds). End Antoine Dillard chipped in with seven hits and one sack.

Overall, the Raiders totaled 494 yards of offense compared to 205 yards for the Crusaders. Mount Union had 23 first downs while Capital had 11.

Week 8 - November 2, 2002versus Ohio Northern

Mount Union extended college football's longest current winning streak to 36 with a 56-10 victory over visiting Marietta, Saturday afternoon, November 2, at Mount Union Stadium.

The Raiders (8-0, 7-0 OAC) were paced by Dan Pugh, who went over the 100 yard mark for the sixth time this season. He totaled 130 yards rushing on 15 carries and two touchdowns. Pugh surpassed the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career (1,090 yards). Pugh also has a conference best 19 touchdowns on the season - five shy of the OAC mark (24) held by Mount Union's Chuck Moore (2001).

The Raiders' Rob Adamson finished the afternoon completing 14-of-19 passes for 186 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Adamson connected with wide receiver Randell Knapp in the second quarter on a 13 yard score and later found tight end Josh Liddell on a 14 yard touchdown strike late in the third quarter.

Knapp led all Raider receivers with five catches for 74 yards. He also returned a kick-off 78 yards for a touchdown late in the first half. The Raiders led 34-3 at the half.

Mount Union posted a season high 637 yards of total offense, with 378 yards coming on the ground. Jeff Strauch had three carries for 85 yards and a career best 66 yard touchdown run. Rick Ciccone added seven carries for 43 yards and one score while Michael Deitrick had eight carries for 36 yards.

Quarterbacks Zac Bruney and Jesse Burghardt also contributed, combining for 6-of-8 passing for 73 yards. Bruney threw a 14 yard TD strike late in the first quarter to Pugh.

The Raider defense was led by defensive end 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. The Purple and White allowed only 124 yards of total offense on the day.

Week 9 - November 9, 2002at Ohio Northern

Mount Union College earned a share of its 11th consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference Championship and 14th overall with a 34-24 win against Ohio Northern on Saturday, November 9.

The Purple Raiders scored on their first possession - a 10 play/79 yard drive capped by a 9 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Rob Adamson to wide receiver Randell Knapp at the 6:18 mark of the first quarter. Chad Teague added the extra point.

Ohio Northern answered with a Keith Gudakunst 20 yard field goal coming at the 14:56 mark of the second quarter, finishing off a 16 play/76 yard drive.

Mount Union running back Dan Pugh scored from 1 yard out at the 11:53 mark of the second quarter, capping an 8 play/60 yard drive. Teague's PAT was blocked. The Raiders led 13-3 at halftime.

Mount Union opened the second half with a quick 6 play/61 yard drive, as Adamson found Pugh on a 29 yard touchdown pass with 13:11 remaining in the third quarter. Teague added the PAT.

Following defensive back Dustin Blake's fumble recovery, the Raiders took advantage of a short field as Pugh scored from 3 yards out at the 10:47 mark of the third stanza. Teague added the PAT.

The Raiders scored at the 14:04 mark of the fourth quarter as Adamson found tight end Josh Liddell from 23 yards out, capping a 7 play/61 yard drive. Teague's PAT gave the Raiders a 24 point edge (34-10).

The Raiders were led by Pugh, who totaled 172 yards on 37 carries and three scores, giving him a league-best 22 touchdowns on the year. Knapp posted career bests in receptions (10) and yards receiving (158). Defensively, end Matt Campbell had 11 hits and two tackles for losses for the Raiders. The Raiders finished with 502 yards of offense compared to the Polar Bears' 377.

Week 10 - November 16, 2002versus Wilmington

Mount Union College earned an automatic bid to the Division III Football Playoffs with a 62-0 victory over visiting Wilmington College in the regular season finale on Saturday, November 16, in front of 4,772 fans in Mount Union Stadium. The win also caps the Raiders' eighth consecutive undefeated regular season ('95-'02).

It was a record-setting day for the Purple & White. Running back Dan 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). Overall, he totaled 301 all-purpose yards of offense in one half of play.

On the year, Pugh has gone over the 100 yard rushing mark eight times and has rushed for over 200 yards on three occasions.

Defensively, end Matt Campbell set a new Raider single-season record for tackles for losses (19) - breaking the previous mark of 18 set by Todd Braden and Campbell in 2001.

Raider quarterback Rob Adamson finished the day 6-of-7 for 150 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Derrick Leach had two receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. The Raiders had 547 yards of offense and averaged 9.1 yards per play in the contest.

Defensively, the Raiders allowed just 114 yards of offense and 2.3 yards per play. Linebacker Stan Watson had eight hits while tackle Antoine Dillard had eight hits and two tackles for losses. Cornerback Chris Kern had his fourth interception on the year.

The Raiders, the six-time National Champions (93, '96, '97, '98, '00, '01), finish the regular season riding college football's longest current winning streak (38). Mount Union has won 76 consecutive OAC and 84 straight regular season games. Overall, the Raiders are 109-1 in regular season play since 1992 and have won 92 of their last 93 games.

NCAA Div. III Playoff Second Round - November 30, 2002 versus Wheaton

Mount Union College advanced to the Division III Playoff Quarterfinals for the 11th consecutive year with a 42-21 victory over visiting Wheaton College (IL) on Saturday, November 30.

Running back Dan Pugh, a Gagliardi finalist for the Division III Player of the Year, 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 (36 att/161 yds) also went over the 100 yard rushing mark for the ninth time in 11 games. He totaled 275 all-purpose yards in the contest.

Raider quarterback Rob Adamson finished 15-of-28 for 265 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Randell Knapp had a game-best seven receptions for 133 yards and one score. Tight end Josh Liddell finished with four receptions for 75 yards.

Mount Union led 21-0 at half and 28-0 early in the third quarter before Wheaton scored on a 7 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chad Bradley to wide receiver Jonathan Wills at the 7:21 mark of the third. The Thunder scored again at the 2:22 mark of the third quarter when running back Dan Price scored from 18 yards out. Following a Raider penalty on the PAT, Wheaton went for two and scored, cutting the lead to 28-15.

Pugh then answered with his first career kick off return for a touchdown at the 2:01 mark of the quarter, making the score 34-15 Mount Union.

Wheaton followed Pugh's long return with an 11 play/64 yard drive capped by a 1 yard touchdown by Price at the 12:51 mark of the fourth quarter. Mount Union finished the scoring with an 11 play/76 yard drive, as Pugh found the end zone for the fourth time at the 8:08 mark of the period, giving him a Division III best 30 touchdowns on the year.

Mount Union totaled 418 yards of offense compared to Wheaton's 358 yards. The Raiders averaged 5.8 yards per play while Wheaton was at 4.3.

Defensively, the Raiders were led by linebacker Josh Church, who finished with a team-best 13 hits and one sack. Defensive back Dustin Blake had nine hits and a fumble recovery while end Chris Carter finished with nine hits and one sack. End Matt Campbell totaled eight hits, one tackle for loss and one sack.

NCAA Div. III Playoff Quarterfinal - December 7, 2002versus Wabash

The Purple Raiders (12-0) jumped out to an early 17-0 lead and never trailed in the contest. Mount Union wide receiver Randell Knapp was on the receiving end of a Rob Adamson 22 yard touchdown pass with 9:47 remaining in the first quarter. That capped a 6-play/41 yard drive. Following linebacker Stan Watson's interception, the Raiders went 44 yards on six plays as Adamson found tight end Josh Liddell on an eight yard touchdown strike at the 6:21 mark of the first quarter.

After cornerback Matt Sotcan's interception, Mount Union went 77 yards on eight plays, capped off by a 34 yard Chad Teague field goal midway through the second quarter.

Wabash (12-1) got on the board with a 23-yard field goal from Olmy Olmstead at the 3:58 mark of the second quarter. That drive covered 76 yards on 11 plays.

Mount Union came right back as Adamson found wide receiver Derrick Leach for 23 yards, then running Dan Pugh broke a game-best 36 yard scamper, setting up his own 3 yard touchdown run with 2:35 left before half.

The Raiders then scored their first defensive touchdown of the season when end Chris Carter picked off a Jake Knott screen pass and returned it 21 yards for a score putting Mount Union up 31-3 with 2:15 left in the second quarter.

Wabash scored at the 9:44 mark of the third quarter when running back Chris Morris capped a 14 play/64 yard drive with a 2 yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion failed.

The Raiders answered right away when Adamson hooked up with Knapp on a 14-yard touchdown strike at the 5:07 mark of the quarter. That finished off a 9 play/65 yard march, putting the Raiders up 38-9.

Mount Union struck first in the final stanza when Pugh scored his NCAA Division III best 32nd touchdown of the season on a 14 yard run at the 7:25 mark.

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 this season, finishing with 165 yards on 25 carries.

Defensively, the Purple & White was led by Stan Watson's 14 hits. Carter finished with 12 hit and two sacks while tackle Josh Ludwig also had 12 hits, including three tackles for loss. Mount Union had four sacks to go along with three interceptions in the contest. Mount Union totaled 439 yards of offense compared to Wabash's 352. The Raiders averaged 7.7 yards per play while the Little Giants were at 4.0 yards per play.

NCAA Div. III. Playoff Semifinal - December 14, 2002versus John Carroll

Mount Union College 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 University in front of a Mount Union Stadium record crowd of 8,387 fans on Saturday,
December 14.

Running back Dan Pugh scored from 4 yards out at the 13:27 mark of the first quarter, capping a quick 2 play/41 yard drive. Kicker Chad Teague added the first of his seven PATs in the game. Following safety Matt Caponi's interception, wide receiver Nick Sirianni was on the receiving end of a Rob Adamson 21 yard touchdown pass at 9:39 of the first quarter, finishing off a 5 play/25 yard march. Pugh scored from 10 yards out at the :30 second mark, completing a
9 play/80 yard drive.

Adamson found tight end Josh Liddell for a 4 yard touchdown strike at the 6:15 mark of the second quarter, completing a 14 play/56 yard drive and putting the Raiders up 28-0.

The Blue Streaks (12-2) got on the board with 1:30 to play before halftime when quarterback Tom Arth connected with wide receive Antoine Dunklin for a 47 yard touchdown. That short drive covered 53 yards on two plays and made it 28-7 Mount Union at half.

Pugh scored twice in the third quarter - a 14 yard run at the 13:36 mark, capping a 3 play/63 yard drive, and an 8 yard scamper at the 10:21 mark, finishing off a 5 play/56 yard march. Mount Union stretched its lead to 42-7.

John Carroll wide receiver Brian Shellito was on the receiving end of an Arth 15 yard touchdown pass at the 6:33 mark of the third. That completed John Carroll's longest drive of the game - a 9 play/70 yard march. The PAT was missed.

Raider wide receiver Randell Knapp was on the receiving end of Adamson's third touchdown pass - an 18 yard strike with 4:01 to play in the third quarter. The Raiders went 60 yards on five plays on that drive. Teague added the PAT.

Pugh scored for the fifth time - a 1 yard run with 8:04 to play to complete a 10 play/58 yard drive. The Raiders then scored on a two-point conversion following a botched PAT attempt when Zac Bruney found Chris Carter in the endzone. Pugh's fifth rushing touchdown tied an NCAA Division III playoff mark held by five other players. 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. Knapp led all receivers in receptions (5) and receiving yards (129). Defensively, Raider middle linebacker Josh Church had eight hits while outside linebacker Justin Burton had seven. Caponi had six hits and two passes deflected to go along with his interception. The Raiders also finished with four sacks on the day.

The Purple Raiders finished with 516 yards of offense compared to the Blue Streaks' 278. Mount Union averaged 7.3 yards per play to John Carroll's 4.5

Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl - December 21, 2002versus Trinity, TX

Mount Union College 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) opened the scoring following linebacker Justin Burton's interception with a Dan Pugh 19 yard touchdown run at the 8:32 mark in the first quarter. Chad Teague added the PAT giving Mount Union a 7-0 first quarter lead.

With a 30-40 mile per hour wind at their backs, the Purple Raiders scored on all three of their second quarter possessions.

Quarterback Rob Adamson hit wide receiver Randell Knapp from nine yards out, capping a 14-play/80-yard drive at the 10:27 mark. Teague's PAT was blocked.

Adamson then connected with wide receiver Derrick Leach from 19-yards at the 3:13 mark, finishing off a 10-play/60 yard march. Pugh then scored on the ensuing two-point conversion giving Mount Union a 21-0 advantage.

Pugh went over from two yards out with 24 seconds remaining late in the quarter, capping a six play/35 yard drive. Teague's PAT made it 28-0 at half.

"It was an extremely tough day to be either a quarterback or a punter," said Raider Head Coach Larry Kehres. "In my 29 years of coaching, I've never seen the wind so bad. We tried to run the ball when we were against the wind to eat up some clock and tried to throw it more when we were with the wind."

On the day, the Raiders scored on five of their six possessions when the wind was at their backs.

The Tigers (14-1) opened the second half with an 8-play/85-yard march at the 7:59 mark, with a Dan DesPlaines 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver B.J. Smith. Todd Canion added the PAT.

The Raiders responded with a 12-play/75-yard drive with Pugh scoring from one-yard out at the 1:08 mark of the third. Teague's PAT gave the Raiders a 35-7 third quarter advantage.

"That drive Mount Union put together after we scored at the beginning of the third quarter really snuffed out any chance we had of getting back into the game," said Trinity Head Coach Steve Mohr.

The fourth quarter opened with Pugh's fourth rushing touchdown - a two-yard scamper completing a six-play/19 yard drive with 12:57 remaining. Teague's PAT failed.

The final score of the game came when Adamson and Leach connected for the second time on a 55-yard touchdown pass, giving Mount Union a 48-7 advantage with 10:38 left in the contest.

Pugh, who was voted the game's MVP, set two Stagg Bowl records, including most points scored in the Stagg Bowl (26) and Stagg Bowl rushing attempts (49). He broke the Division III Tournament scoring (92 pts) and touchdown mark (15).

His 41 touchdowns on the year sets an NCAA All-Division single-season mark, surpassing Barry Sanders' previous record of 39 touchdowns set in 1988 while at Oklahoma State. Pugh also set a Division III single-season all-purpose yards record (3,192), which includes rushing, receiving and kick return yards.

"Pugh is not your typical Division III player," added Mohr. "He made people miss in the open field, he's got power and speed. He's the whole package. You can see why he was voted the nation's best player."

Individually for Mount Union, Rob Adamson completed 12-of-23 pass attempts for 222 yards and three scores, Dan Pugh finished with a career best 49 carries for 253 yards. Randell Knapp had a team best four catches for 58 yards. Defensively, Burton finished with a team-best seven hits while end Chris Carter had six tackles and one sack.

"Rob played his best football when it counted most in the playoffs," added Kehres. "He's been throwing the ball extremely well and led us throughout the playoffs."

Individually for Trinity, running back Jeremy Boyce rushed 15 times for 93 yards. Quarterback Dan DesPlaines completed 9-of-18 for 86 yards and one score. End Derek Hivnor had a game-best 10 tackles, one sack and three tackles for loss. Linebacker Jason Terrell had eight hits in the contest.

The Raiders gained 490 total yards while holding the nation's number one ranked offense to just 203 total yards on the day.

Mount Union's Stagg Bowl victory earns 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 victory also extends the nation's longest collegiate winning streak to 42. 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. Overall, the Raiders have a .955 winning percentage (162-17-1) since 1990.