Main Page             Email

Mount Union  55    Marietta  0

                                                                     by Ric Brienza

Larry Kehres notches 200th victory in win over Pioneers

    Mount Union won its 50th consecutive football game, defeating Marietta 55-0 at Don Drumm Field to improve to 8-0 overall and 7-0 in Ohio Athletic Conference play this year.  In just his 18th season, Larry Kehres notched win number 200 as head coach of the Purple Raiders.  He reached 200 wins in just 220 games coached with an overall record of 200-17-3, a winning percentage of .916%.

     Mount Union, wearing its road white jerseys over the purple pants, kicked off to the Pioneers, wearing all dark blue, from head to toe, to begin the game.  It was overcast with temperatures in the mid sixties at kickoff, and the sun even made an appearance in the second half, something that hasn't happened on many recent trips to the city on the river.

     Marietta opened in a wide open offense featuring four receivers, similar to what the Purple Raiders faced vs. Capital a week ago.  The home team picked up a couple first downs and moved the ball into Raider territory, but eventually had to do something Mount Union would not do all afternoon... punt.  Marietta punted on nine of 13 possessions in the game with three drives ending with an interception and the other on a missed field goal.  Matt Caponi, Mike Miller and Wade Kick all recorded interceptions for Don Montgomery's defense.

     Mount Union's first drive was a dandy, and set the tone for the afternoon.  Eight plays, 85 yards, almost three minutes off the clock.  Ricky Ciccone capped the march with a 13-yard touchdown run and the Raiders had all the points they would need at 7-0 following George Wilders extra point conversion.

     The Purple and White struck again just two minutes later when Zac Bruney hit Randell Knapp for a 24-yard scoring toss.  It was the first of three touchdown passes in the game for Bruney and the start of a big afternoon for Knapp as well.  The drive covered 52 yards in just three plays and took only 34 seconds, doubling the advantage to 14-0 following Wilders' PAT.

     A second Bruney to Knapp touchdown, this one from 17 yards out, finished the first quarter scoring.  It was a seven-play, 61-yard drive, consuming 2:13 off the clock.  Knapp led all receivers in the game with six receptions for 110 yards and the two scores.  Wilders' PAT made it 21-0, Raiders.

First Quarter Score:  Mount Union 21, Marietta 0

     Mount Union scored on five of six first half possessions, with four touchdowns and one field goal.  The lone drive that did not end in a score ended on a J.J. Wheeler interception for Marietta.

     The Purple Raiders scored 10 second quarter points to push its advantage to 31-0 at halftime.  Brian Miller scored his fifth touchdown of the season on a two-yard run to cap a six-play, 61-yard drive.  Wilders' boot made it 28-0. 

     Following Marietta's sixth and final punt of the first half, Wilders was called upon to attempt his first of three field goal tries on the afternoon.  Attempt one was good from a career long 32 yards, capping a drive that pretty much finished the first half as Mount Union kept if for over five minutes, moving 78 yards in 13 plays, scoring with just 40 seconds remaining before intermission.

     The Pioneer's, aided by a nice return to the 40-yard line following the kickoff, quickly moved to the Raiders' 28, but Justin Papania's pass attempt for touchdown was intercepted in the endzone by Caponi to seal the first half shutout.  It was Caponi's fourth interception this season.

Halftime Score:  Mount Union 31, Marietta 0

     The field in Marietta is one of the worst in the OAC.  It's a natural grass surface that the college shares with Marietta High School in the fall, and could use a coat or two of the green paint that was so often used for the playoffs at the old Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.  The good news is the college has just regained control of the property this past August from the Marietta City Schools system, and upgrades to the facility are expected in the near future.

     Mount Union had seven second half possessions, of which they scored four times with three touchdowns and a field goal.  The other three possessions ended on a missed field goal, a fumble and the victory formation to put a lid on the contest.

     The fumbled possession followed the kickoff to start the third quarter.  Marietta then started on its own 46 and moved to the Raiders 14-yard line with a fourth and three situation.  Rather than attempt to go for it and try to get a touchdown on the board, the Pioneers opted for a 31-yard field goal try.  As the kick fell short of the goal posts, it ended the home teams last legitimate scoring threat.  The Pioneers would get no closer than the Mount Union 45-yard line the rest of the game.

     The Purple Raiders then put an exclamation point on the contest by moving 80 yards in just five plays to put another touchdown on the board.  Bruney passes of 10 yards to Joe Bugara, 20 yards to Brian Miller, 35 yards to Scott Casto and eight yards to John Healy surrounded a 15-yard run by Miller to get to the Marietta 17 where Bruney hit Bugara for his second touchdown catch of the season.  Wilders' extra point increased the margin to 38-0.

     Bruney played well in the contest, connecting on 27 of 39 throws as 11 different Purple Raiders caught a pass, totaling 382 yards, all career highs.  The junior quarterback threw for three touchdowns and one interception, and added 35 rushing yards on five carries.

     Miller's first interception of the season and 27-yard return set Mount Union up with great field possession at the Marietta 33 for another try, but this drive stalled at the four and Wilders nailed his second field goal, this one a 21-yarder, to finish the third quarter scoring.

Third Quarter Score:  Mount Union 41, Marietta 0

     Following another Pioneer punt the Raiders put together a 15-play, 64-yard drive that stalled at the Marietta 12.  Wilders 28-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright, his only miss on the afternoon.

     The Raider defense forced Marietta's offense to go three and out and Casto returned the punt 36 yards to the Pioneer 16 to set the offense up once again.  It took just one play, a 16-yard scamper by E.J. Lilly, to get back on the board.  It was Lilly's first career touchdown as a Purple Raider.  Chad Teague's extra point made it 48-0. 

     Following another offensive set by Marietta that went three and out, freshman quarterback Michael Jorris saw his first varsity action for Mount Union, leading a touchdown drive that consumed 57 yards in seven plays.  Jorris completed three of four passes on the drive, which culminated with Lilly taking it in from 11-yards out, his second touchdown of the game.  Teague's PAT ended the scoring at 55-0.

     Kirk put the finishing touches on the game with his first career Purple Raider interception on Marietta's final drive.  Mount Union defeated the Pioneers for the 24th straight time and now leads in the overall series that began 70 years ago, 33-8-1.

Final Score:  Mount Union 55, Marietta 0

     Ciccone rushed 13 times for 73 yards to lead a Raider ground attack that produced 251 yards.  The passing attack racked up another 415 yards, led by Knapp's 110, as Mount Union finished with 666 total yards to just 279 for the Pioneers.  The Purple Raiders averaged a whopping  8.6 yards per play.

     The defense posted its fourth shutout of the season and has allowed just 53 points through eight games this fall.  In recent history, the benchmark defensively is the '97 squad that produced five shutouts and allowed just 56 points during the regular season. 

     Mount Union's current 50-game victory streak is the longest active win streak in all of college football, and is just four wins shy of tying the overall mark set by the Purple Raiders from 1996-1999 when they won 54 consecutive football games.

    Mount Union returns home next Saturday to host Ohio Northern for Parents Day, Community Service Day and M-Club Hall of Fame Day.  Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at Mount Union Stadium.


Ric Brienza