Mount Union Falls In Title Game

Mount Union College lost its bid for a third consecutive Division III football championship, Saturday, Dec. 15.

The Purple Raiders (14-1) suffered a 31-21 loss to Wisconsin Whitewater (14-1) in the 35th annual Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

MUC defeated the Warhawks 35-28 in 2005 and 35-16 in 2006.

Mike Zimmerman, a 2004 Archbold High School graduate, was 3/3 in point-after-touchdown kicks.

The Warhawks had a 17-0 lead in the third quarter when Delta's Nate Kmic scored a touchdown for MUC on an 11- yard run with 8:28 remaining in the quarter. Zimmerman's PAT closed the gap to 17-7.

Kmic scored again with 4:14 remaining in the third on a 1- yard run. Zimmerman's PAT tightened the score to 17-14.

UWW took a 24-14 lead on a 13-yard touchdown run with 6:11 remaining in the fourth.

MUC came back and scored on a 4-yard run by Kmic with 3:36 left. The touchdown run was his 39th on the year, tying him for second in all-division single season touchdowns, with Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State and Delaware's Omar Cuff. Mount Union's Dan Pugh is the alltime leader, with 41.

Zimmerman's PAT allowed the Purple Raiders to close within a field goal, 24-21.

But Wisconsin-Whitewater put the game away with a oneyard score for the 31-21 final.

MUC finished with 445 yards of offense to 410 for Whitewater.