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    2000 Playoffs

     Mount Union entered the 2000 season with a determination to begin another winning streak after seeing its collegiate record 54-game win streak end in overtime in the 1999 semifinals against Rowan.  The second ranked Purple Raiders began the campaign with big road victories over #11 ranked Allegheny and Otterbein before preparing for the toughest two-week stretch on the schedule... a home date with John Carroll and a trip to Ohio Northern in weeks three and four.

     A standing room only Homecoming Day crowd of over 7,000 fans at Mount Union Stadium watched the Purple Raiders overcome a third quarter deficit to pull away from the Blue Streaks for a 10-point victory.  Quarterback Gary Smeck threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns, wide receiver Adam Marino had 154 receiving yards and one score and running back Chuck Moore ran for 102 yards in the victory.

     The following week, Mount Union jumped out to a fast start and never trailed in handing #16 ranked Ohio Northern a 24-point loss.  The running tandem of Moore and Dan Pugh combined for 264 yards rushing and six touchdowns in the game.  Moore ran for 137 yards and a career best four touchdowns while Pugh added two scores and ran for a career high 127 yards.

     Mount Union returned home for weeks five and six as the new number one ranked team in the nation and continued to pile up the wins with a 40-point victory over Marietta and a 35-point decision vs. Ohio Athletic Conference newcomer Wilmington.  Moore became the College's all-time leader in points scored in the Pioneers contest with 288 points... a total he would add to the rest of this season and next year.

     The Purple Raiders didn't stumble in the back half of the regular season schedule with 41-point road wins at both Capital and Baldwin-Wallace, and 50+ point home wins over both Muskingum and Heidelberg.  Marino set numerous records late in the year, becoming the schools all-time leader in receptions (197), touchdown receptions (40) and receptions in a season (77).

     Mount Union won its ninth straight OAC football championship and the schools 12th overall and a date with a familiar face in the playoffs... 

-Second Round-

     Mount Union received a first round bye in the playoffs and hosted Ohio Northern in the second round at Mount Union Stadium.  It would be the second meeting of the season between the two OAC schools and the fourth over the last two years as the Purple Raiders ended the Polar Bears season the year before in the quarterfinals with a 25-point victory.  Mount Union won the week-four meeting this season, 48-24 in Ada, Ohio, but Ohio Northern defeated Millikin 47-21 in the first round of the playoffs for another chance at the Purple and White.

     The Raiders broke open a 24-14 game with a pair of touchdowns in the final 15 seconds of the second quarter en route to a 59-28 win.  Chuck Moore scored his third touchdown of the day with 15 seconds to play in the half.  Following a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, wide receiver Steve Gehlert caught a 30-yard scoring strike from Gary Smeck with no time left on the clock giving Mount Union a 38-14 halftime lead. 

     Moore scored four times in the game, on runs of 40 yards and three times from one-yard out.  Dan Pugh added touchdown runs of four and three yards, and set a personal best with 152 rushing yards.  Smeck threw two touchdown passes and Adam Marino had one score in the contest as Mount Union led 52-14 after three quarters and cruised into the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.

Mount Union 59       Ohio Northern 28

Scoring

-Quarterfinals-

     Wittenberg defeated Aurora 31-20 and Hanover 32-21 for the right to face the Purple Raiders at Mount Union Stadium.  The Purple Raiders scored 26 unanswered points after trailing 6-0 early in the contest en route to a 32-15 victory over the visiting Tigers.

     Wittenberg scored on its first play from scrimmage but then saw Mount Union counter when outside linebacker Jesse Pearson returned a fumble 34 yards for a score midway through the first stanza.  Following an interception by defensive end Matt Campbell, Chuck Moore scampered 29 yards for a touchdown to give the Raiders a 14-6 lead with 46 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.

     Adam Marino then caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Gary Smeck five minutes into the second quarter to put Mount Union ahead 20-6.  Place kicker Rodney Chenos added a pair of field goals (25, 30) to give the Purple and White a 26-6 halftime lead.

     Moore added a two-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to give Mount Union a 32-9 lead entering the final quarter and finished with a game high 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns.  With the victory, Mount Union qualified for the semifinals for the sixth straight season.

Mount Union 32       Wittenberg 15

Scoring

-Semifinals-

     The Widener Pioneers paid a first-ever visit to Mount Union Stadium for the national semifinals on a cold, snowy day in early December.  Widener arrived in Alliance with powder-blue uniforms, a high-powered offense and playoff wins over Union (NY) 33-26, Hobart 40-14 and Springfield 61-27.  But what they didn't bring was a defense.

     Mount Union set a school record for points scored in a playoff game with a 70-30 victory over the visiting Pioneers.  The Purple Raiders blew open a 35-23 halftime lead with 35 unanswered second half points, including 28 in the third quarter. 

     For the second week in a row, the Purple and White saw the opposition score on a long touchdown pass on its first play from scrimmage.  But Gary Smeck hit Adam Marino from 14 yards out 27 seconds later to tie the game and the first half track meet was on.

     Following a Widener score, Chuck Moore scored on runs of three and two yards to give Mount Union a lead it would never relinquish.  Dan Pugh scored on a 28-yard pass from Smeck and on a 27-yard run to give the Raiders a 35-13 advantage before the Pioneers scored the final 10 points of the quarter to make it 35-23 at halftime.

     Moore and Adam Marino lit up the scoreboard in the third quarter as Mount Union left no question they were going to make a return trip to Salem, Virginia after losing in overtime in the semifinals the prior year.  Moore scored on runs of 52 and 35 yards and Marino caught touchdown passes of eight and 14 yards from Smeck as the Raiders led by 40 points entering the final quarter.

     Pugh scored his third touchdown five minutes into the fourth period before Widener added a late score to make the final 70-30.  Smeck completed 23 of 30 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns.  Marino tied an NCAA playoff mark with 17 receptions, good for 239 yards and three scores.  Moore added four scores and rushed for a game high 145 yards.  On to the championship game!

Mount Union 70       Widener 30

Scoring

-Stagg Bowl-

     Mount Union's opponent in the 2000 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl was old friend St. John's (MN).  It was the Johnnies that the Purple Raiders defeated in the semifinal match-up back in 1993 on the way to the school's first football national championship.

     But this Johnnies team remembered to pack its defense for the trip and so we would not have another 56-8 rout.  What we would have is the most exciting finish of any of our Stagg Bowl appearances to date.

     Mount Union scored on its first possession of the game, an eight play, 62-yard drive, that was capped when Gary Smeck connected with tight end Adam Irgang on an eight-yard touchdown strike 3:42 into the contest.  St. John's answered on an eight play, 49-yard drive late in the second quarter that ended on a one-yard touchdown run by Chris Moore that evened the game at seven just before halftime.

     The two teams fought for field position through the third quarter and into the final stanza.  The Purple Raiders then put together a 12-play drive that stalled at the Johnnies' 18-yard line with just under ten minutes left on the clock.  The ensuing 35-yard field goal attempt was blocked and the score remained tied at seven.

      The Raider defense, which forced four turnovers in the game, held again when Matt Campbell sacked St. John's quarterback Tom Linemann, forcing a punt with just over four minutes to play.  Mount Union's offense then put together a 65-yard, 11-play drive setting up a game winning 20-yard field goal attempt by Rodney Chenos with one second remaining on the clock.  Chenos nailed the last second field goal and the Purple Raiders pulled out a 10-7 victory in front of 4,643 fans at Salem Stadium.

     Chuck Moore  earned the games Most Valuable Player award as he rushed for 146 yards on 32 carries.  Adam Marino led all receivers in receptions with eight and receiving yards with 88.  Smeck, who completed 19 of 27 passes with one touchdown, set a new NCAA Division III tournament percentage mark, as he completed 80 of 115 passes, a completion percentage of .696, in the four playoff games played by the Purple Raiders.  

     Mount Union totaled 323 yards of offense, while the defense held the Johnnies to 207 yards in the game.  The Purple Raiders fifth national championship is more than any team in Division III history.

Mount Union 10       St. John's 7

Scoring

 
*Read more about the 2000 Stagg Bowl and see complete statistics from the game here.
*See more on the 2000 season with complete game stories, standings and statistics here.