ALLIANCE, Ohio – The No. 1-nationally ranked Mount Union football team opened its 125
th season in style, shutting out non-conference foe Defiance College 65-0 at newly-named Kehres Stadium.
The shutout was Mount's largest season-opening win in 15 years, since the Raiders defeated Averett 75-7 in 2007.
"I think it means we did what we had to do to win the game," said third-year head coach
Geoff Dartt. "We'll learn from it and we'll get better."
Mount Union (1-0) scored a touchdown seven times out of its first eight drives in the first half, while compiling 336 total yards (155 rushing, 181 passing).
On the Purple Raiders' opening driving, senior
DeAndre Parker (Crystal River, Fla./Crystal River) got the scoring started with a hard-fought 5-yard rushing touchdown on fourth down – his first of three touchdown runs of the day to go with 95 yards on the ground. His three rushing touchdowns tied a career high.
Senior
Braxton Plunk (Plant City, Fla./Plant City) connected with classmate
Wayne Ruby Jr. (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Charles W. Flanagan) with a 60-yard dime, extending Mount's lead to 14-0 with 4:30 to play in the first quarter. After a 9-yard touchdown run by senior
KJ Redmon (Fairborn, Ohio/Fairborn), Plunk found Ruby again - this time from 54 yards out - and Mount Union led 35-0 with 7:32 left in the second.
Parker found pay dirt again as he blew past the Defiance defense with a 47-yard rushing touchdown. After Redmon's second rushing touchdown of the day, Parker notched the hat trick with a 2-yard rushing score. The Raiders led 49-0 at halftime.
Senior kicker
Thomas Piccirillo (Findlay, Ohio/Van Buren) made three goals in the second half, while classmate
Landon Jenkins (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head) made a highlight-play with a blocked-punt return for a touchdown.
For the game, Plunk went 11-of-14 for 181 yards and two touchdowns, while Ruby finished with a game-high 118 yards receiving and catching both of Plunk's touchdown throws. Ruby now has 14 games with at least 100 yards receiving for his career.
Sophomore
Rossy Moore (Lima, Ohio/Lima Central Catholic) led the Raider defense with nine tackles (five solo), to go along with a tackle for a loss. Junior
Mason McMillen (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) had a game-high 3.5 tackles for a loss (seven tackles total). Mount's defense had three interceptions, including one that was returned 70 yards by
Josh Jones (Twinsburg, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary).
Mount Union has its bye week next week and will next be on the field Saturday, Sept. 17 at home against Marietta for its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) opener. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
