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    1999 Playoffs

     1999 was a record breaking season for Mount Union College.  On October 16^th, the Purple Raiders would break Oklahoma's all-time win streak record of 47 games with a 44-20 victory over Ohio Athletic Conference foe Otterbein.  The record-setting contest was played before a capacity crowd at Mount Union Stadium with updates fed nationally.  The streak would reach 54 consecutive games.  Another season highlight was a three-overtime 57-51 victory over John Carroll before a standing room only crowd at University Heights.  Mount Union won the game in the third extra period on a six-yard scoring toss from quarterback Gary Smeck to tight end Adam Irgang.  The Raider defense then shut down the Blue Streaks on four successive plays.  The defending national champions would enter the playoffs with another 10-0 record.

-First Round-

     The Purple Raiders opened the 1999 playoffs with a 42-33 victory over Augustana College at Mount Union Stadium.  The Raiders scored 42 points despite possessing the pigskin less than 12 minutes during the course of the game.  The Vikings rushed for 398 yards on 83 carries.  Augustana registered two late second quarter touchdowns to take a 21-13 halftime lead.  Mount Union's first half scores came on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Gary Smeck to Jason Richards and an eight-yard run of Chuck Moore.

     Mount Union knotted the score at 21-21 early in the third period on another Moore eight-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion pass from Smeck to tailback Dave Hassey.  The Raiders took a 28-21 lead as Moore scored his third touchdown on a 21-yard draw play.  Early in the fourth quarter the Vikings cut the Raider lead to 28-27.  However, Hassey returned the ensuing kickoff 90-yards and Mount Union led 35-27.

     Augustana came back at the 4:08 mark of the quarter as quarterback Tom Schmulbach scored from a yard out.  The two-point conversion, which would have tied the score, was stopped just short of the goal line as Raider linebacker Jason Sloan tackled Schmulbach on a quarterback keeper.  It took just three offensive plays for the Purple Raiders to put the game in the win column as Moore raced 46-yards untouched for his fourth touchdown of the afternoon and a 42-33 victory over the Vikings.     

Mount Union 42       Augustana 33

Scoring

-Quarterfinals-

     Mount Union erupted for 28 third quarter points en route to a 56-31 triumph over Ohio Athletic Conference rival Ohio Northern.  The Raiders had defeated the Polar Bears 56-28 earlier in the season.  Both games were played at Mount Union Stadium.  Ohio Northern had knocked Wittenberg out of the playoffs 58-24 a week earlier.  The Polar Bears lead 9-0 after the first quarter and 16-14 at the half.  The Raiders first score came on a three-yard keeper by quarterback Gary Smeck.  Smeck then teamed up with Dave Hassey on a six-yard scoring pass.

     The Raiders opened the third quarter on a six-play, 71-yard drive which culminated with a three-yard touchdown run of Chuck Moore.  Ohio Northern took its final lead at 23-21 on an 18-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shane Franzer to wide-receiver Steve Vagedes.  Just 32 seconds later Smeck teamed up with wide-out Adam Marino on a 36-yard touchdown pass and Mount Union regained the lead at 28-23.  The other third quarter scores came on a Hassey one-yard plunge and a 20-yard aerial from Smeck to Rob Sondles.

     The Purple and White's fourth quarter scores came by the way of a touchdown pass from Smeck to tight-end Adam Irgang of nine-yards and a 19-yard touchdown run of Chuck Moore.  Moore finished the game with 168 yards on 27 carries.  Smeck completed 16-23 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns.

     Mount Union 56       Ohio Northern 31

Scoring

-Semifinals-

     The Purple Raiders remarkable 54-game winning streak came to an end with a 24-17 overtime loss to Rowan College before a full house at Mount Union Stadium.  Mount Union took an early 7-0 lead on its first possession of the game as quarterback Gary Smeck delivered a 13-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Ron Sondles to cap a 92-yard drive.  That would be the Raiders only score of the first half.  Mount Union was able to shut down two of the Profs first half drives and hold Rowan to field goals of 20 and 40 yards by place-kicker Nick Fradle.  Possibly, the key play in the game came in the last minute of the first half.  With the Raiders in possession of the football on their own 41-yard line Smeck dropped back to pass.  Rowan's Leroy Thompson sacked Smeck and jarred the ball loose.  Defensive tackle Tim Watson picked up the pigskin at the Raiders 33-yard line and rambled into the end zone.  The successful two-point conversion gave the Profs a 14-7 halftime lead.

     Mount Union tied the score at 14-14 midway through the third period on a Smeck to Chuck Moore 15-yard scoring pass.  Fradle then gave the Profs the lead at 17-14 on a 33-yard field goal.  The only scoring in the fourth quarter came by the way of a Mount Union 33-yard field goal of Rodney Chenos early in the period.  On their first possession of overtime the Profs converted a third and 10 play at the Raiders 25-yard line on an 18-yard pass from quarterback Michael Warker to split-end Scott Lipford who gathered in the pigskin while on his knees at the Raider seven-yard line.  Freshman tailback Jason Frabasile dashed into the end zone on the next play.  Mount Union's season and streak ended when on fourth down on the Profs 19 yard line, a Smeck to Jason Richards pass fell incomplete as two Prof defenders hit the receiver just as the football arrived.

     Moore would finish the game with 116 yards on 21 carries while Smeck would complete 20 of 36 passes for 230 yards.  Adam Marino would gather in seven of those completions for 109 yards.  Frabasile led Rowan with a career best 147 yards on 24 carries.  Mount Union head coach Larry Kehres noted that "I told the players after the game that if we would have won today and we would have won next week, I couldn't be any prouder of them than I am right now."  It can be noted that once again Rowan failed in a bid to win its first championship by losing to Pacific Lutheran the following week in the title game.

Rowan 24       Mount Union 17  (OT)

Scoring