Mount Union Advances To Championship Game
Zimmerman, Kmic Go For 2nd National Title

Mike Zimmerman, a 2004 Archbold High School graduate, was eight-for-eight in point-after touchdown attempts and converted 29- and 37-yard field goals in the Mount Union College 62-14 victory over Bethel University of Minnesota (13-1), Saturday, Dec. 8.

The win puts the 14-0 Purple Raiders, two-time defending national champions, into the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III title game for the 11th time in the last 15 years.

MUC scored with 13:58 remaining in the first quarter on a 46-yard pass. Zimmerman's PAT gave MUC a 7-0 lead.

At the 6:36 mark Zimmerman kicked a 29-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead. A 7-yard pass and a Zimmerman PAT with 3:58 left gave MUC a 17-0 advantage.

After 14 weeks of play, Mount Union has outscored its opponents 284-6 in the first quarter.

Delta's Nate Kmic scored on a 2-yard run with 14:25 left in the second quarter. Zimmerman added a PAT for a 24-0 lead.

The AHS grad kicked a 37- yard field goal with 11:18 left in the half to raise the score to 27-0.

Kmic's 10-yard TD run with 6:33 left in the first half and Zimmerman's PAT upped the score to 34-0. MUC closed out its first half scoring with an 8- yard TD run and Zimmerman PAT with 20 seconds left to lead 41-0.

Kmic scored his third TD of the game on a 6-yard run with 4:38 left in the third. Zimmerman's PAT made the score 48- 0.

Mount Union scored two more touchdowns in the fourth as Bethel finally got on the scoreboard with two touchdowns of its own for the 62-14 final.

MUC finished with 493 total yards; 233 on the ground and 260 passing. Kmic had 19 carries for 104 net yards in the contest.

The Delta grad has 1,619 yards rushing this season so far. He has scored 36 touchdowns for 216 points.

In 14 career playoff games, Kmic has gone over 100 yards 12 times.

Zimmerman is 16/20 in field goal attempts and 97/97 in PATs this season for 145 points.

He is the son of Mike and Marie Zimmerman, Archbold.

Div. III Championship

The Purple Raiders have now won 37 consecutive games- currently the second longest win streak in college football. MUC also has the most wins in collegiate playoff history at any level, at 56-9.

In a repeat of last year's championship game, the Purple Raiders play Wisconsin-Whitewater (13-1) in the 2007 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 15, 4 p.m., in Salem, Va. It's the first-ever back-to-backto back meeting in Stagg Bowl history.

The game will be televised live on ESPN.

MUC beat Wisconsin-Whitewater 35-16 in 2006 and 35-28 in 2005.