Quarterback Kurt Rocco (Cincinnati/Roger Bacon), wide reciever
Cecil Shorts III (Cleveland/Collinwood) and running back Terrance Morring (Sanford, FL/Winter Springs) all had career days to lead a
Mount Union (6-0, 5-0 OAC) offense that out-gained Heidelberg (1-5,
0-5 OAC), 536-333.
Rocco completed 24-of-34 passes for a career-best 406 yards and
a career-high four TD passes. The 406 passing yards
was the fourth-best performance in Mount Union history.
Shorts was his favorite target as he caught a career-high
13 receptions for 297 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
Morring tallied a career-high 22 carries for 108 yards and two
scores.
Heidelberg received the opening kickoff and on its first play
from scrimmage quarterback Andrew Miller was picked off by Raider
safety Alex Ferrara (Independence/Walsh Jesuit).
Three plays later Morring capped a three-play 41 yard drive with
a one-yard touchdown run.
Heidelberg then fumbled the ensuing kickoff that was recovered
by James Coppeler (Worthington/Worthington Kilbourne) to give Mount
Union the football on the Student Prince 17-yard
line. Two plays after that, Rocco hit reciever Vince Petruziello (Mentor/Lake Catholic) for a 21 yard touchdown pass to
give Mount Union a 14-0 lead in the game's first two minutes.
Mount Union scored again just under four minutes later
as Morring would run in from nine yards out to extend the lead to
21-0.
Heidelberg would get on the board when Miller ran in from a yard
out to make the score 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.
The Raiders made it 24-7 with a Jay Carpenter (Fairmont,
WV/Fairmont) 33-yard field goal with 9:10 remaining in the second
quarter.
Shorts would get his first touchdown catch on a 79-yard
catch and run as Mount Union would take a 31-7 lead into the
lockers. The 79-yard reception was longest of Shorts'
career.
Shorts would be at it again as he hauled down a 45-yard pass
from Rocco just 1:15 into the second half and that would be the
only score of the third quarter as Mount Union led 38-7.
Rocco tossed his fourth touchdown of the day early in the fourth
quarter when he hit tight end Kyle Miller (Elida/Elida) on an
11-yard pass.
Heidelberg finished the scoring as Brett Weidemann caught a
five-yard pass from Miller for the 44-14 final.
Linebacker Judd Lutz (Tiffin/Tiffin Columbian) had a team-best
nine tackles in his hometown on his high school field to lead a
Mount Union defense that had four sacks and forced three
turnovers.
Mount Union extended the nation's longest winning streak to 21
games and the nation's longest regular season winning streak to 39
games. The Raiders have also now won 93 consecutive regular
season road games.