2014 Mount Union Football
#3/3 University of Mount Union Purple Raiders (4-0, 3-0 OAC) vs Ohio Northern University Polar Bears (2-2, 1-2 OAC)
Saturday, October 11 - 1:30 pm - Dial-Roberson Stadium (Ada, Ohio)
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THE GAME
No. 3 ranked Mount Union plays Ohio Northern in an Ohio Athletic Conference matchup Saturday, Oct. 11 at 1:30 pm in Ada.
Mount Union had a school record eight rushing touchdowns in a 75-0 shutout of Capital last week in Columbus. The Purple Raiders finished with 491 rushing yards and 730 yards overall while holding the Crusaders to 60 total yards. Junior running back Brandon Williams had three rushing touchdowns in six carries as he went over 100 yards for the first time in his career with 107 yards. Sophomore Bradley Mitchell and freshman Jamal Johnson each had two rushing scores. The defense forced three turnovers as junior Tom Lally had a pair of fumble recoveries.
Ohio Northern led or was tied or for more than 55 minutes, but a late score lifted No. 6 John Carroll to a 17-10 win last Saturday in Ada. Junior Devon Price led the Polar Bear offense with six receptions for 83 yards and a score and five rushes for 35 yards. Defensively, senior Dillon Kwiat and sophomore Dan Eller had 10 tackles each to lead Northern.
THE SERIES
This is the 57th meeting between the teams with Mount Union holding a 42-13-1 lead in the series that dates back to a 52-0 Mount Union win on Thanksgiving Day 1907. The Raiders have won eight-straight meetings after Ohio Northern's 21-14 win in 2005 in Alliance. Prior to that game, Mount Union had won 21-straight meetings dating back to a 14-9 Polar Bear win on Sept. 8, 1984.
THE COACHES
Vince Kehres (Mount Union '98) is 18-1 (.947) in his second season as head coach. He went 14-1 in his first season in 2013 to set an NCAA record for most wins (14) by a first year college football coach. He earned OAC Coach of the Year and Lee Tressel Ohio College Football Coach of Year awards. Kehres spent 13 years, eight as defensive coordinator, on the Raiders coaching staff for his father Larry Kehres. As either a player of coach, Vince Kehres has been part of 10 of Mount Union's 11 national championships.
Dean Paul (Mount Union '90) is 70-36 (.660) in his 11th season as head coach at Ohio Northern. In eight of his 10 seasons in Ada, the Polar Bears have been nationally ranked. He came to Northern after spending five seasons as head coach at Thomas More (Ky.) where he had a 40-12 record. His combined head coaching record is 110-48.
STORYLINES
Mount Union has out-scored its first four opponents 182-0 in the first half this season. The Purple Raiders are the nation's highest scoring team averaging 64.5 points per game while allowing opponents 5.0 points per game.
Last week, sophomore running back Bradley Mitchell had two rushing touchdowns last week that extended his streak of games with a rushing TD to 10 while Brandon Williams had the first 100-yard rushing performance for a Mount Union running back this season.
Quarterback Kevin Burke is the nation's highest rated passer at any level of college football with a passer rating of 220.8.
Ohio Northern is playing a nationally ranked team for the third straight week falling 69-52 at then No. 23 Heidelberg then 17-10 to No. 6 John Carroll last week.
SCOUTING THE POLAR BEARS
After going 2-1 in three road games to open the season, Ohio Northern pushed No. 6 John Carroll to the limit before falling 17-10 at home last week. The Polar Bears are fourth in the conference in total offense (466.2 yards per game) and ninth in total defense (489.8 yards per game).
Senior quarterback Patrick Angle leads the offense as he is third in the OAC in passing yards per game (265.8). He has completed 61.5-percent of his passes (88-of-143) for 1,063 yards with 10 TD's and one interception. Angle is also the team's second leading rusher with 285 yards and a team-best five rushing touchdowns. His top target has been junior Devon Price, who leads the OAC with 113 receiving yards per game and is second with five TD's. Junior Justin Magazine is the top running back with 305 yards on 66 carries.
On defense, the Polar Bears are led by senior linebacker Dillon Kwiat, who is among OAC leaders in tackles (5th, 9.0 per game) and tackles for loss (2nd, 5.0 on season). Senior defensive back Austin Hostetler is second in tackles with 31 while junior defensive back William Bodden tops the conference with six pass breakups.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 732 Mount Union has an NCAA III best 732 wins as a program.
- 199-8 Mount Union's win-loss record since 2000
- 55, 54 The Raiders hold the NCAA's two longest consecutive college football win streaks -- 55 from 2000-2003 and 54 from 1996-99
- 117 consecutive regular season road victories for Mount Union dating back to a 21-18 loss at Baldwin-Wallace on Sept. 28, 1991.
- 139-0 Since 1996, the Raiders record when winning the turnover battle.
- 184-1 The Raiders record since 1990 when winning the turnover battle. That lone loss was a 20-17 loss to Wisconsin-LaCrosse in a 1995 national semifinal game in Alliance. In that game, the Raiders had a +1 turnover margin.
- 11 The Raiders 11 National Championships (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012) are a record for college football teams in a playoff format. Notre Dame has the most college football titles (11) for teams playing in a non-playoff format.
- 87 game regular season win streak for Mount Union dating back to a 21-14 loss to Ohio Northern in Alliance on Oct. 22, 2005.
- 77 game home winning streak for Mount Union dating back to a 21-14 loss to Ohio Northern in Alliance on Oct. 22, 2005.
KEVIN BURKE NATION'S TOP PASSER
Nicknamed "#PaulBunyan" by ESPN's QB guru George Whitfield -- Mount Union senior quarterback Kevin Burke (Westlake/Lakewood St. Edward) was 15-of-22 for 222 yards and two touchdowns passing against Capital last week.
Burke, an All-American and reigning Gagliardi Trophy winner, is the nation's highest rated passer in all divisions of college football this season with a passer rating of 220.8. He has completed 71.9-percent of his passes (69-of-96) for 1,152 yards and an OAC-best 14 TD's with zero interceptions.
Burke also is nearing a milestone running the football as he has 1,941 rushing yards which is 211 yards from the No. 10 spot on Mount Union's career rushing list -- The person in that No. 10 spot currently is Ohio Northern head coach Dean Paul, who had 2,152 yards for the Raiders from 1987-90.
Burke has also been selected as one of 167 semifinalists for the 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented by Fidelity Investments®. There will be 16 award winners hosted at the New York Athletic Club, this December.
RUNNIN' RAIDERS
Mount Union had a school record eight rushing touchdowns in last week's 75-0 win at Capital. The previous record of seven came in the Raiders' 2012 playoff win against Widener (Pa.).
Junior Brandon Williams (Oakland, Calif./Livermore) scored touchdowns on three of his six carries as he had 107 yards. His three touchdowns are the most by a Mount Union running back in a single game since T.J. Lattimore had three against Otterbein in 2012.
Sophomore Bradley Mitchell (Detroit, Mich./South Lake) scored two touchdowns at Capital and has now scored a rushing TD in 10 straight games dating back to last season. Nate Kmic (2005-08) has the school record for consecutive games with a touchdown run at 23.
Freshman Jamal Johnson (New Philadelphia/New Philadelphia) had two touchdowns at Capital and it was the third straight game that he has scored a rushing touchdown while junior Logan Nemeth (McBain, Mich./McBain) scored a touchdown at Capital as part of a career day as he had six carries for nine.
NAMDAR IN THE ZONE
Junior wide receiver Roman Namdar (Southlake, Texas/Carroll) caught a touchdown pass at Capital last week. Namdar leads the OAC in touchdown receptions with six and is second in yards per game (105) to Ohio Northern's Devon Price (113).
PUTTING THE D IN DEFENSE
Mount Union's defense held Capital to 60 total yards last week. On the season, the Purple Raiders are No. 1 in the nation in total defense (139 yds/game), No. 1 in pass defense (81 yds/gm), No. 3 in scoring defense (5.0 ppg) and No. 4 in run defense (58 yds/gm).
Mount Union tops the OAC in turnover margin as the Raiders are +6 in the catagory. A week ago, junior safety Alex Kocheff (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) had his first career interception, senior defensive lineman Charlie Avila (Covina, Calif./Charter Oak) forced two fumbles while junior defensive lineman Tom Lally (Fairview Park/Lakewood St. Edward) recovered them both.
DID YOU KNOW?
The 75 point victory at Capital was the largest margin of victory for the Raiders since they beat the Salem Athletic Club 88-0 in 1896 ... The 491 rushing yards was just 12 shy of the school record of 503 that happened against Marietta in 2006.
UP NEXT ...
Mount Union hosts Heidelberg next Saturday, Oct. 18 at 1:30 pm for homecoming at Mount Union Stadium.
