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    1994 Playoffs

     Mount Union College entered the 1994 campaign with more questions then Regis Philbin asks on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire."  Who would be the starting quarterback?  How do you defend the school's first football national championship?  Was 1993 an end of an era or just the beginning of gridiron greatness on the horizon?  How do you replace star players such as Jim Ballard, Ed Bubonics, Mike Hallett, Rob Atwood and Jim Gresko?  Once again, Head Coach Larry Kehres was able to provide the correct answers.

     The Raiders were able to battle their way to a Tri-Championship of the Ohio Athletic Conference along with John Carroll and Baldwin-Wallace.  All three schools finished the regular season with identical 8-1 league records.  Mount Union defeated the Blue Streaks in week four at University Heights 10-7 but dropped a 23-10 decision to the Yellow Jackets at home two weeks later.  In week 10, John Carroll upset Baldwin-Wallace 9-0 and the Purple Raiders were selected to represent the OAC in the playoffs.  All three teams were deserving to enter post-season play but Mount Union was the defending national champion.

-First Round-

     The Purple Raiders opened the playoffs by stunning unbeaten Allegheny College 28-19 in Meadville, Pennsylvania.  The Gators entered the contest as the top-ranked team in the nation.  Mount Union scored first in the opening quarter as linebacker Brian Wervey picked off a Gator aerial and returned it to the host's 27-yard line.  Six plays later, freshman quarterback Bill Borchert connected with tailback Eric Brock on a seven-yard touchdown pass.  Placekicker Dan Ulichney gave Mount Union a 7-0 lead.  However, four plays later the Gators tied the score on a nine-yard run by Chuck Bremer.  Bremer would go on to rush for 131 yards on 25 carries.  His 10-yard scoring jaunt early in the second quarter gave Allegheny the lead at 13-7,  which held till the intermission.

     Raider senior cornerback Joe Jackel shocked the Gator faithful early in the third quarter as he picked off a Paul Bell pass and raced 46 yards to put Mount Union ahead 14-13 after Ulichney's conversion.   Late in the third stanza, Borchert found receiver Sean Lyons open in the back of the Allegheny end zone and teamed up on a 11-yard scoring strike and a 21-13 lead.  The Purple Raiders then broke the game open midway through the fourth quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Borchert to Kevin Knestrick.  The Gators closed out the scoring as Tom Susec rambled in from two yards in the final two minutes of the game.

     Borchert, who cemented the signal calling duties in week two of the season, completed 23 of 34 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns.  Much credit went to the Mount Union offensive line of Matt Johnson, Russell May, Rick Rofe, Mike Wenderfer and Josh Weber who gave Borchert time to locate his receivers.  The Purple Raiders proved that afternoon they belonged in the playoffs.

Mount Union 28       Allegheny 19

Scoring

-Quarterfinals-

     Mount Union's 1994 campaign came to a close as the Purple Raiders dropped a heartbreaking 34-33 decision to Albion College in Michigan.  Two blocked extra point attempts by the Britons' Jason Nagy cost the Raiders the chance to advance to the semi-finals.  Albion took the early lead 7-0 on its first possession of the game on All-American Jeff Robinson's four-yard run.   Mount Union battled back and knotted the game at 7-7 on Borchert's three-yard toss to Mark Lantos.

     The Raiders took a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter as Borchert teamed up with Lyons on an 88-yard bomb.  But the Britons bounced back as quarterback Kyle Klein dumped a one-yard pass to Todd Morris to tie the game at 14-14.  Mount Union regained the advantage 20-14 as Borchert completed a six-yard TD pass to tailback Brock.  But Albion answered with eight seconds left in the half as Klein scrambled and found Chris Barnett open for a nine-yard touchdown pass following a Raider fumble.  The halftime score was knotted at 20-20.

     The Britons seemed to take control of the contest in the third quarter as they took a 34-20 lead on touchdown runs of one yard by Gabe Cooper and nine yards of Robinson.  Mount Union reduced the advantage to 34-27 later in the quarter as Borchert hooked up with Knestrick on a 19-yard touchdown pass.  The Raiders then cut the lead to 34-33 as a result of a 59-yard, eight-play scoring drive early in the fourth quarter.  The six-pointer came as a result of a Borchert to Lyons 23-yard pass.  Mount Union's final drive of the game was stopped as the result of three penalties and a quarterback sack.

     Borchert finished the contest completing 23 of 34 passes for 328 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions.   Brock rushed for 108 yards.  Mount Union outgained Albion 459 yards to 361 yards but were held three times inside the Britons' 25-yard line.  The Raiders limited Klein to only 112-yards passing on a 12 of 28 performance but the talented quarterback ran for 105 yards on 13 carries.  Robinson added 104-yards rushing.  

     Albion would go on to defeat St. John's and Washington & Jefferson to win the schools first football national championship in 1994.

Albion 34       Mount Union 33

Scoring