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    2001 Playoffs

     Mount Union began the 2001 season as the number one team in the nation and again were defending not only an Ohio Athletic Conference championship, but a national championship as well.  The Purple Raiders got off to a fast start with wins over Allegheny and Otterbein, both at Mount Union Stadium.

     John Carroll was next on the schedule.  The last three times these two teams played the game was decided by 10 points or less with the Purple and White winning each time, including the 1999 triple overtime thriller.  This game would be played at Bedford Stadium due to construction to the football facility at John Carroll, and the evening start produced a crowd of 8,800 fans. 

     It was another classic as Mount Union rallied from three points down with 2:13 left in the game.  Running back Chuck Moore capped a 68-yard, 11-play drive, when he scored from seven-yards out with just 26-seconds remaining, giving the visitors a 33-30 victory.  The Raiders made a number of big plays in the final drive, but none were bigger than the converted fourth and three from the John Carroll 35-yard line.  Quarterback Rob Adamson found Josh Liddell for seven-yards, but the tight end was sandwiched between two Blue Streak defenders and the ball deflected up into the air.  Liddell had the concentration to grab the ball for the reception, convert the first down, and keep the drive alive for the Purple Raiders.

     Mount Union took over sole possession of first place in the OAC the following week with a four-touchdown home win over Ohio Northern as Moore and Dan Pugh each ran for more than 100 yards.  A trip to Marietta in week five produced another win as Moore became the all-time rushing leader in Mount Union history, surpassing Russ Kring's mark of 3,295 yards.

     The Purple Raiders rolled through the second half of the schedule with road wins over Wilmington, Muskingum and Heidelberg, sandwiched around home victories over Capital and Baldwin-Wallace.  The Purple and White finished the regular season second in the nation in total offense (518.1 ypg), seventh in scoring (43.6 ppg), third in points allowed (8.6 ppg) and fourth in total defense (216.1 ypg).

   Chuck Moore set numerous records including points in a season (144), points in a career (432), touchdowns in a season (24), touchdowns in a career (72), most consecutive games with a touchdown (25), yards rushing in a career (3,846) and all-purpose yards in a career (5,831).  In addition defensive ends Todd Braden and Matt Campbell set the single season tackles for loss mark (18) and place kicker Rodney Chenos set the mark for PAT's in a career (179). 

-Second Round-

     Mount Union won its 10th straight OAC championship and the schools 13th overall and received a first round bye in the playoffs.  The Purple Raiders second round opponent would be Augustana, who qualified for the game by defeating Defiance 54-14 in the first round.

     Rob Adamson hit wide receiver wide receiver Derrick Leach for a three-yard touchdown pass and Chuck Moore scored from a yard out to give the Raiders a 13-point lead before the Augie's scored late in the second stanza to make it 13-7 at halftime.

     But the Purple and White would put the game away with 19 unanswered third quarter points, on its way to a 32-7 victory.  Moore scored on a 13-yard run five minutes into the second half and Adamson and wide receiver Jason Candle hooked up on scoring plays of 67 and 54 yards as Mount Union evened the all-time series between the two schools at two apiece and earned a trip to the quarterfinals.

     Adamson completed 16 of 25 passes for a career best 326 yards and three touchdowns, while Candle finished with six receptions for a career high 215 yards and two scores, and Moore ran for 146 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns.

Mount Union 32       Augustana 7

Scoring

-Quarterfinals-

     Mount Union was set to face Wittenberg in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs for the third time in four years.  The Purple Raiders won a hard-fought 21-19 match-up in 1998 and a 32-15 decision last year.  Wittenberg entered the contest with playoff wins over Hardin-Simmons, 38-35 in overtime, and Thomas More, 41-0.

     It was a record-setting performance by All-American Chuck Moore that highlighted the day.  Moore ran for a Raider record 346 yards on 32 carries and scored four times.

     Running back Dan Pugh scored the lone fist quarter touchdown from one-yard out before Mount Union exploded for three second quarter touchdowns and a 28-7 halftime lead.  Moore scored twice in the second quarter, both runs from 15-yards out, and Pugh added a two-yard score to give the Purple and White the 21-point lead at the half.

     Moore scored the only touchdown of the third quarter on a 28-yard run before the two teams traded scores in the final stanza.  Moore finished off his day with a 62-yard score and Pugh added his third touchdown from 17-yards out with six and a half minutes left to play.  In all, Mount Union scored seven rushing touchdowns in the 49-21 victory and earned a spot in the national semifinals for the seventh consecutive season.

Mount Union 49       Wittenberg 21

Scoring

-Semifinals-

     The semifinal was a rematch of last year's Stagg Bowl as Mount Union hosted St. John's (MN) for the right to play for the national championship the following week in Salem, Virginia.  The Johnnies arrived in Alliance with playoff wins over St. Norbert 27-20, Wis-Stevens Point 9-7 and Pacific Lutheran 31-6.

     The Purple Raiders gave St. John's notice that there would be no last second field goal needed to win on this day as the home squad jumped on its visitors for three first quarter scores.  Chuck Moore scored twice from five-yards out and Rob Adamson hit fullback Vince Ilacqua for a seven-yard touchdown to give the Purple and White a 21-0 lead after one quarter of play. 

     Mount Union put the game away late in the second stanza when Adamson hit Jason Candle for a 20-yard touchdown with just 12-seconds remaining in the half.  The Purple Raiders and Johnnies were tied at seven at halftime in last year's championship game, but this year Mount Union led 28-0 at the intermission.

     After a scoreless third quarter Moore gave Mount Union a 35-0 lead with a four-yard run in the first minute of the fourth period and two late touchdowns by St. John's made the final 35-14.  Moore led all rushers as he totaled 233 yards on a career-high 47 carries and three touchdowns and defensive back Alex Grinch had two interceptions for the Raiders in the game.

Mount Union 35       St. John's 14

Scoring

-Stagg Bowl-

     There was a standing room only crowd of 7,992 fans on hand at Salem Stadium and a primetime national audience on ESPN2 tuned in as Mount Union, five-time Division III national champions, took on Bridgewater (VA), a team making its first appearance in the championship game, in the 2001 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.  The Eagles trip to the championship contest went through Trinity (TX) 41-37, Widener 57-32 and Rowan 29-24.

     Bridgewater scored on its first play from scrimmage on a 67-yard touchdown pass and run, but Mount Union answered right away with a six-play, 49-yard scoring drive that culminated in a three-yard touchdown run by Chuck Moore.  That score held up as the first quarter ended with the teams tied at seven.

     Mount Union grabbed its first lead when Rodney Chenos connected on a 27-yard field goal three-minutes into the second quarter to make the score 10-7.  Bridgewater came right back and regained the advantage on a short touchdown pass midway through the second stanza.  The extra point was blocked by Mike Miller which made the score 13-10, Eagles.

     Mount Union would then score 20 unanswered points to go up 30-13.  Moore scored his second touchdown of the game on a draw play from 36-yards out against a blitzing defense to put the Purple and White back on top with five and a half minutes remaining in the first half.  The biggest defensive play of the game followed as Purple Raider outside linebacker Jason Perkins intercepted a Bridgewater pass and returned it 44-yards for a touchdown two minutes later.  The extra point attempt was blocked and the Raiders took a 23-13 lead into the locker room at halftime.

     The game was scoreless following intermission until Moore broke off a school-record 95-yard touchdown run with six minutes to go in the third quarter.   It was Moore's third touchdown of the game and gave Mount Union a 17-point lead.  The Raiders would take the 30-13 advantage into the fourth quarter.

     The Eagles scored on a 59-yard touchdown pass and run early in the fourth stanza to cut the lead to 10-points, and would then add another score with two minutes remaining in the contest to get within three, but Mount Union's Jason Richards recovered the ensuing onside kick and Moore picked up the game's final first down as Mount Union won it's sixth Division III national championship with a 30-27 victory over Bridgewater.

     Moore set numerous Stagg Bowl records, including rushing yards (273) and attempts (34).  His 95-yard touchdown run was also a championship game best.  His 12 tournament touchdowns, 998 rushing yards and 138 carries are all new Division III playoff marks.

     Following the game Moore was named the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl's Most Valuable Player for the second straight year.  He was also named the Gagliardi Trophy and the Melberger Award winner, becoming the third Purple Raider player to win those honors, following Quarterbacks Jim Ballard and Bill Borchert.  No other school has had more than one player win either of those awards.

Mount Union 30       Bridgewater 27

Scoring

 
*Read more about the 2001 Stagg Bowl and see complete statistics from the game here.
*See more on the 2001 season with complete game stories, standings and statistics here.