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2002 Season Preview

     What a decade for Mount Union football.  Ten years ago the Purple Raiders entered the 1992 season with three Ohio Athletic Conference championships under their belt thinking they might have a successful year.  That season ended with a heartbreaking loss in the national semi-finals on a frozen field in Wisconsin.

     The Purple Raiders begin 2002 in Wisconsin, this time walking on the field for the opener in Whitewater expecting to be successful.  Mount Union enters the season with a record of 130-5 during the last ten years.  Think about this… Mount Union has lost only one regular season game in the last ten years.

     Each year the team sets a number of team goals… an undefeated regular season, an Ohio Athletic Conference championship, home field in the playoffs, and ultimately… a national championship.  And this year will be no different.

     Mount Union has won ten consecutive conference championships, 13 overall, and six national championships, including back-to-back titles the last two seasons, and enter the 2002 campaign with college football’s longest winning streak (28 games).

     This will be another experienced and deep Purple Raider football team.  Offensively, the quarterback returns, along with two of the top three running backs, the starting tight end and an experienced receiver.  There will also be a lot of experience and depth along the offensive line.

     Defensively, the team will have a lot of senior leadership.  Three starters return on the line and four of the top five performers will be back in the secondary.  One starter returns at linebacker, while two players that have high expectations are penciled in at the other two sports.

     Quarterback Rob Adamson, named Second-Team All-OAC in 2001, will again be at the center of the Raider attack.  The senior signal-caller threw for 3059 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season, his first as a starter.  Adamson completed 63% of his passes (188-296) and finished third in the country in passing efficiency (176.0) last fall.

     Sophomore Zac Bruney will back-up Adamson this season.  Bruney opened a number of eyes leading the JV team to an undefeated season in 2001.  He also looked good in limited varsity playing time, completing three of five passes for 188 yards and one touchdown.  Bruney has very good mobility and is as dangerous running the ball as he is throwing it.

     Jesse Burghardt, Adamson’s backup a year ago, underwent off-season surgery and is expected to move to defense.

     So who will catch the passes thrown by Adamson?  Well, there will be a lot of choices in 2002.  The receiving corp was thin last season due to injuries, and the top two wideouts, Jason Candle and Jason Richards, have graduated.  That will open the door for a number of candidates to step up in camp this year.

     The leading returning receiver is senior tight end Josh Liddell, Second-Team All-OAC in 2001.  Pay attention to Liddell’s receptions because each one usually goes for a first down or a touchdown.  He has a knack for making the big catch, and none were bigger than the fourth down juggling act he hauled in on the final drive against John Carroll last season that enabled the Purple Raiders to eventually score in the final minute and pull out a come-from-behind victory.  Liddell averaged 14.5 yards per catch (31-448) and scored one touchdown in 2001.  One characteristic of a Larry Kehres offense is a good tight end and Liddell fits that bill.

     Returning senior receivers include Derrick Leach (20.4 ypr, 18-367, 5 TD), Randall Knapp (22.0 ypr., 6-132, 1 TD), Rourke Skelton (13.0 ypc, 3-39) and Nick Sirianni, who suffered a season ending injury early last year.  Also expect a number of underclassmen wideouts to establish themselves as pass catching threats this season.  The sophomore class has a number of fine receivers and there are a couple freshman wideouts the coaches have high expectations for.

     The Mount Union ground game will look different this season because there is no Chuck Moore in the backfield.  Moore graduated as the leading scorer in Mount Union and Ohio Athletic Conference football history.  He holds numerous Purple Raider records, is a two-time Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl Most Valuable Player and received both the Gagliardi Trophy and the Melberger Award following last season.

     The backfield will have plenty of experience though, as seniors Dan Pugh and Vince Ilacqua will start for the Raiders.  Pugh, a First-Team All-OAC selection in 2001, averaged 60 rushing yards per game, scored 13 touchdowns and gained 4.9 yards per carry (172-860).  He is a quick, slashing back, with good hands, and is a threat catching the ball out of the backfield.  Pugh was the fourth leading receiver a year ago, averaging 13.6 yards per catch (25-339), scoring three touchdowns.  Ilacqua is a hard-nosed, straight-ahead, back.  He is a bruising blocker and runner averaging 3.8 yards per carry (37-147) in 2001.

     Also expect to see junior Mike Deitrick (4.2 ypc, 74-321, 1 TD) and sophomore Jeff Strauch (6.8 ypc, 14-96) in the backfield for the Raiders this season.

     Up front, the Purple Raiders return three players that saw significant playing time in 2001.  Junior Larry Kinnard (6-6, 299), an Alliance High School product, was named Second-Team All-OAC at tackle a year ago.  Junior Brent Miller (6-2, 265) was an 11-game starter and will hold down one of the guard spots, and senior Josh Hammond (6-4, 325) started three games at guard before a season ending injury, is expected back this season.

     Also expected to see playing time on the offensive line are seniors John Gliha (6-3, 231) and Justin Coston (6-2, 279) and juniors Bob Bradley (6-5, 347), George Momirovic (6-4, 350) and Dustin Wilson (6-5, 324), among others.

     Defensively, Mount Union will field a very solid, veteran group.  The Purple Raiders return seven defensive starters along with a number of other players that saw considerable action a year ago.

     The team will be very good up front, with three returning starters, including senior All-American end Matt Campbell, who earned the Paul Hoernemann Award in 2001 as the OAC’s best defensive lineman.  Campbell recorded 83 hits, 20 tackles for loss and nine sacks last season.

     Senior Second-Team All-OAC tackle Jeff Knoblauch (71 hits, 9 tfl, 3 sacks) also returns, as does junior tackle Antoine Dillard (35 hits, 7 tfl, 5 sacks).  And you can expect to see seniors Chris Carter (33 hits, 7tfl, 4 sacks) and Jason McElhaney (24 hits, 3 tfl, 1 sack) see action at the other end spot.

     Two linebackers return from last year.  First-Team All-OAC senior Stan Watson returns at one outside position.  Watson recorded 77 hits and nine tackles for loss and three sacks in 2001.  Junior Shaun Spisak has recovered from the season ending injury he suffered early last year and is expected to hold down the other outside linebacker spot, while senior Josh Church (25 hits, 2 tfl) will battle for the inside spot.  Senior Tony Buckler (12 hits) and junior Donte Rhodes (3 hits) will also fight for playing time.

     The secondary looks to be as strong and as deep as one ever fielded by a Purple Raider team.  All-American senior Chris Kern, who recorded 28 hits and five interceptions a year ago, will lead the squad.  Kern received the Lee J. Tressel Award last year as the OAC’s top defensive back.  He has recovered from a nagging injury he played with in 2001 and looks forward to a great senior season.

     The other cornerback spot will be manned by Honorable-Mention All-OAC senior Mike Miller (46 hits, 2 INT).  Miller has become a staple in the Purple Raiders defense, as he is one of the few Raiders who saw varsity playing time as a freshman, and his over the shoulder interception last year vs. Augustana had to be seen to be believed!

     Senior Dustin Blake (43 hits, 1 INT) returns at Strong Saftey and senior Matt Sotcan (39 hits, 4 INT) from Alliance High School, is back at the Free Safety spot.

     Head Coach Larry Kehres returns for his 17th season at Mount Union College.  Kehres has an overall record of 178-17-3 (.906) and has been named GTE Division III National Coach of the Year six times ('93, '96, '97, '98, '00, ‘01) as voted by the American Football Coaches Association.

     Mount Union Stadium will have a new look in 2002.  The natural grass field has been replaced with a new artificial grass playing surface called AstroPlay.  There is also a new 1,500 square foot press box located behind the east stands and two new concession stands replacing existing ones inside the stadium.

     This summer’s improvements are the third step in a three-year plan that has included new public restrooms, rebuilt perimeter brick walls with wrought iron gating, a 600-seat addition to the covered stands and new walkways, among other things.

     It should be another exciting season in the friendly confines of Mount Union Stadium this fall, and let's see if the campaign can't end with another pleasant road trip to visit all our nice friends in Salem, Virginia.

                                                                                         Ric Brienza

 Note: Individual statistics reflect 14 game totals from '01.