Purple Raider signal-caller Greg Micheli was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player, having led his squad off the bench in Mount Union ’s two quarterback system.  Micheli set a new NCAA Division III Championship record buy completing 18-of-22 passing for an .818 completion percentage.  He threw for 202 yards and three scores, and also ran for 42 yards and one more touchdown.

The win for the Raiders marked the program’s ninth in 10 total visits to Salem , Virginia , a winning tradition that one would be hard to find an equal.  This contest, the 34^th Stagg Bowl, marked the only repeat performance in the contest’s storied history.  Unfortunately for the Warhawks, they came up on the wrong end of each of those affairs after falling to Mount Union 35-28 last season.

“This was a great football game today,” explained Coach Kehres.  “We played our best game of the season. We played more aggressive.   I think we defeated a great team.  We felt we had to play that way because Whitewater is a great team and they brought out the best in us.”

UW-Whitewater came to town with extra motivation, as if a rematch with last year’s opponent wasn’t enough.  Beloved mentor Bob Berezowitz, who announced earlier this season that it would be his last, coached his final collegiate game.  He caps a 22-year successful stay in purple and black with a pair of National Championship appearances to his credit.

“First of all I would like to extend on the behalf of my football program congratulations to Mount Union ,” mentioned Coach Berezowitz.  “They were a better football team than we were today.  Credit goes to Larry (Coach Kehres).  He has always had an outstanding program.”

UW-Whitewater scored first on a 25-yard field goal with by Jeff Schebler with 2:14 left in the opening quarter.  The 3-0 UWW lead marked the first time the Purple Raiders trailed in a game since the first quarter of last year’s Stagg Bowl, a string of 59 straight quarters.

The deficit didn’t last long as Mount Union jumped on the board just 1:10 into the second frame on a two-yard pass from Micheli to Anthony Antonucci.  Micheli put the Raiders ahead 14-3 just under seven minutes later with a darting 12-yard scamper in which he broke several Warhawk arm tackles.

“I was known as a runner and the defense is going to adjust to someone that runs more and I think that opened up the passing game today,” explained MUC’s Micheli.

Just as the game seemed to be getting out of hand, Jordan Wells sparked the Warhawk offense with an 81-yard return on the ensuing kickoff.  Two plays later, quarterback Justin Jacobs leaned into the end zone on a one-yard push with 5:46 on the clock.

UWW pulled to within one with 33 seconds to play when Schebler booted his second field goal of the game, this one from 24 yards out.

The third quarter proved the Warhawks’ undoing for the second straight season as Mount Union added two more touchdowns to the scoreboard.  Micheli hooked up with receiver Pierre Garcon on 46-yard catch-and-run for the first tally with 5:30 to play in the quarter.  Matt Kostelnik and Matt Rees made amends for Mount Unions ’ earlier special teams with 2:44 on the clock.  Kostelnik busted through the middle of UW-Whitewater’s line to block a punt and Rees returned it 34 yards for a 28-13 lead going into the final stanza.

Schebler set a new Stagg Bowl record with his third field goal of the game (36 yards) to cut the Mount Union lead to 28-16, but Garcon and Micheli connected on a second scoring pass just four minutes later, this one of 10 yards to complete the game’s scoring.

Running back Nate Kmic led the Purple Raiders’ running attack with 111 yards on the ground on the way to setting a new NCAA team playoff record with 1,478 yards (1,411 by Mary Hardin-Baylor in 2004).  Garcon finished with eight catches for 116 yards while Justin Wray added five receptions for 43 yards.  Defensive end Sam Vucelich led the Raider defense with seven total tackles.

UWW’s Jacobs finished 12-of-27 for 148 yards.  Running back Justin Beaver ran for 87 yards on 23 carries while receiver Derek Stanley hauled in six passes for 82 yards.  Linebacker A.J. Raebel led the Warhawks with 13 total tackles.  Ben Farley picked off on pass, his eighth of the season.

“Going out on top is something that you dream about since you were a kid,” said Mount Union senior caption, defensive lineman Justen Stickley.  “It’s a great feeling and it is something that I will always remember.”