Nov 29, 2014 5 min read

By Joe Tuscano

Staff writer

jtuscano@observer-reporter.com

ALLIANCE, Ohio – The storm that swept across Mount Union Stadium Saturday afternoon did not have snow or bitter cold temperatures.

This storm took the form of Mount Union’s football team and roared through Washington & Jefferson College, taking no prisoners and leaving with a 67-0 victory in the second round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs.

It was quite a difference from last year’s first-round playoff game between these two teams, when W&J played through an unexpected snowstorm and gave a strong effort before losing 34-20.

Mount Union, which has won 11 national titles and has lost only five games since 2005, sicked senior quarterback Brian Burke on W&J’s secondary in one of the great mismatches of the day.

Burke, who won the Gagliardi Trophy as Division III’s top player last year and is a favorite to win it this year, passed for a career-high six touchdowns and needed just one half in which to accomplish it. He completed 30 of 41 passes for 402 yards and had no interceptions. His play helped the Purple Raiders outscore the Presidents 38-0 in the second quarter to produce a 45-0 lead at halftime.

The last time W&J (10-2) was shut out was in the season-opener in 2010, a 27-0 loss to Delaware Valley. Mount Union ended the 2009 season for the Presidents with a 55-0 rout similar to yesterday’s. The 67-point margin of victory is the largest in Division III playoff history.

“It was an embarrassing loss for me,” said W&J head coach Mike Sirianni, a Mount Union alum. “This was humbling for our program. I really thought we would come in and play well.”

Maybe last year’s wintry conditions raised hopes that this game might be even closer. But the 12-0 Purple Raiders top-ranked offense and defense ruled the day. Mount Union piled up 703 total yards and produced scoring drives on six straight possessions in the second quarter.

“I felt like they were more prepared for what we were trying to do,” said W&J quarterback Pete Coughlin, who completed just 15 of 37 passes for just 98 yards. “We knew they would make plays defensively. They were a lot more prepared. They had an idea of what we were going to do. I even heard a couple of times coaches yelling out (what play we were going to run).”

It was actually a competitve game for a quarter. Mount Union led just 7-0 after 15 minutes on a 4-yard TD pass from Burke to Roman Namdar. W&J’s best attempt to get on the scoreboard came on the second possession but Blake Davis’ 38-yard field goal was wide left.

Mount Union scored four times in a span of 4:34 to produce a 45-0 lead and effectively put the game out of reach.

In that span, Burke hit Luc Meacham for a 5-yard score, Namdar for a 4-yard touchdown, Taurice Scott for another 4-yard score and Sherm Wilkinson for a 35-yard TD. W&J had only two first downs in the second quarter and that left the defense overworked and exhausted.

“We had the wind in the second quarter and that helped,” said Mount Union’s Vince Kehres, in his second season as head coach since his father, the legendary Larry Kehres, retired. “Things really clicked offensively in the second quarter.”

The Purple Raiders, who have not lost a home game since 2005, even scored with their second team as Jamal Johnson burst through for a 78-yard touchdown in the third quarter and Dwayne Aaron went 71 yards in the fourth quarter.

“Our offense has so many weapons,” Vince Kehres said. “Kevin just has to get the ball to whoever is open.”

Meacham caught 9 passes for 151 yards and the touchdown and Nadmar had 8 receptions for 112 yards and 3 scores. Scott’s TD catch was one of 7 for 49 yards.

“We just played Mount Union football,” said Burke. “I was (expecting) a four-quarter battle. Coach Sirianni is a Mount Union guy and he prepares his team well. I think it was just a matter of us executing better than they did.”

W&J tailback Ryan Ruffing had 16 carries for 62 yards but had a key fumble that set up a second-quarter score for Mount Union. At one point, Mount Union ran 22 plays to W&J’s one in the second quarter.

“I’ve been on the other side of that,” Sirianni said of the scoring outburst. “Stuff like that snowballs on you.”

W&J had four senior starters play their final game and none did it better than linebacker Jared Pratt, who set a school record with 22, including three for losses.

“Burke is the best quarterback I’ve seen in Division III,” said Pratt.

The other three seniors are cornerback Alex Schram, who had 11 tackles, wide receiver Max Creighan, who had 8 catches for 55 yards, and center John Wanner.

Notes

The two teams combined for 170 offensive plays with their hurry-up offenses. Mount Union’s record is 107 against Hiram in 1970. … W&J was held to 252 yards by the top-ranked defense in Division III. … The Purple Raiders have five shutouts in their illustrious playoff record, two of them coming against W&J.