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    1992 Playoffs

     It could be argued that the 1992 Mount Union College Purple Raiders may have been the best Division III football team in any given season not to win a national title.  The '92 Raiders rolled through the regular season only being seriously challenged by Baldwin-Wallace before swatting the Yellow Jackets 21-14 on Homecoming in week four of the regular season.  Mount Union finished the regular season 10-0 and were Ohio Athletic Conference champions.

-First Round-

    The Raiders traveled to Dayton Welcome Stadium where they stunned the number one ranked Flyers 27-10 in the host's final game as a Division III college. Reports prior to game time had established Dayton as a 12 1/2 point favorite but the Raiders turned the news into a rallying cry.  Led by junior quarterback Jim Ballard's 19 pass completions in 28 attempts and 332 yards, the Raiders were able to frustrate the favored Flyers on this day. 

     After Dayton took an early 3-0 lead in the first quarter, the Raiders answered with a 23-yard Tim Dreslinski field goal to tie the score.  That three-pointer were the first points scored all season against Dayton in the first quarter.  Dayton took a 10-3 lead in the second quarter on a one-yard plunge by Paul Hofacre.  After that score the Flyers would cross midfield only once during the remainder of the game.  While the Mount Union defense became dominant, the offense got untracked with Ballard hooking up on a 21-yard touchdown pass to Mike Sirianna to tie the score at 10-10.  Later in the quarter, tailback Jim Gresko bulled into the end zone from two-yards out giving the Raiders the halftime lead 17-10.  It marked the first time all year that Dayton trailed in a football game.

     Junior Greg Huss scored on a three-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.  That score was set up on a Ballard to Sean Lyons 42-yard pass.  Dreslinski added the final points of the game with a 20-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.  The Raider defense led by Rich Williams and Rich Dine, who each registered two quarterback sacks, held the Flyers to a meager 212 yards.  Mount Union more then doubled the Dayton offense with 444 yards.

     Flyer head coach Mike Kelly summed it up by stating "They (Mount Union) just dominated us. We really didn't know how good they were."  The Flyers found out!     

Mount Union 27       Dayton 10

Scoring

-Quarterfinals-

     Jim Ballard passed for a school record 454 yards and five touchdowns as Mount Union whipped Illinois Wesleyan 49-27.  Ballard also tied a Division III record with 17 consecutive completions in front of a standing-room-only crowd of more than 6,000 fans at Mount Union College Stadium.

     The Purple Raiders raced to a 21-0 first quarter lead and never looked back although the Titans were able to tally four touchdowns.   Ballard's three first-quarter scoring tosses were to Rob Atwood (13-yards), Mike Sirianni (31-yards) and Jim Gresko (2-yards).  The Raider offense registered three more touchdowns in the second stanza as Mount Union took a 42-14 halftime lead.   Ballard threw another scoring toss with a 40-yard aerial to Sean McCrate and Gresko bulled over from the one and two-yard lines.

     Gresko capped the Mount Union scoring with a 30-yard touchdown reception from Ballard early in the fourth quarter.  The Illinois Wesleyan defense had not given up more than 20 points in any game prior to the second round playoff loss.  Substitute receiver Kirk Liesimer was on the receiving end of all four of quarterback Tom Monken's touchdown passes.

     Mount Union 49       Illinois Wesleyan 27

Scoring

-Semifinals-

     Despite 566 yards of offense, the Purple Raiders couldn't overcome seven turnovers as they dropped a 29-24 heartbreaking decision to eventual national champion Wis-La Crosse on a frozen football field. The Raiders more than doubled the Eagles' offensive output as quarterback Jim Ballard set the school record in passing yardage with 461 yards.  The record was just one week old.

     Wis-La Crosse took a 7-0 first quarter lead on a 67-yard pass interception by defensive tackle Rick Schaaf.   That was a pretense of what would follow.  The Raiders rallied to take a 10-7 second quarter lead on a 28-yard Ballard to Rob Atwood touchdown pass and 22-yard field goal by Tim Dreslinski.  Eagle quarterback Tim Gonnion scored on a three-yard touchdown run with a minute left in the half as the hosts took a 14-10 halftime lead despite being out-gained 265 to 46 in total yards.

     Mount Union took a 17-14 lead in the third quarter on a Ballard four-yard rollout.  The Eagles scored a safety and cut the margin to 17-16 when Ballard was tackled for a loss in his end zone.   Wis-La Crosse then fashioned its' best offense drive of the football game as the Eagles marched 80 yards capped by a 15-yard run by tailback Eric Richards.   Linebacker Frank Zagrodnik then picked off a batted Ballard pass out of the air on the Purple Raiders first play from scrimmage and returned it to the Mount Union six-yard line. The Eagles scored on fourth down as Gonnion snuck in from the one-yard line.

     The Raiders came right back and narrowed the gap to 29-24 on a Ballard to Greg Hass five-yard pass play with 1:27 remaining in the game.  Mount Union was unable to recover the onside kick attempt however and time ran out on a terrific season.

     The Raiders drove to the Eagles 27, 24, 3, 36, 37 20, 21 and 10-yard lines during the course of the game without scoring.  Mount's defense was led by defensive end Jim Frink who registered 10 1/2 tackles.  Chris Datttillio, Rich Williams and Mike Hallett each had quarterback sacks.

     Head coach Larry Kehres summed up everyone's feelings stating, "It's disappointing. They (the Raiders) played hard, played tough. We just didn't win."

Wis-La Crosse 29       Mount Union 24

Scoring