The Muskies (1-2, 0-2) lost four of five fumbles in the first quarter, providing Mount Union numerous short field opportunities, culminating in a new Raider and Ohio Athletic Conference record for points scored in a quarter – 42. The old mark of 41 points was set by the Raiders in the second quarter of the 1996 opener at Defiance College. The Division III record for points in a quarter is 49 - held by Washington & Jefferson (PA), set in 2004.

The Purple Raiders (3-0, 2-0 OAC) opened the game with a 53 yard drive concluding in a Nate Kmic one yard touchdown run. On the ensuing kick-off, Raider linebacker Chas Yoder recovered a fumble and returned it 15 yards for his first career touchdown. Minutes later, defensive end Justen Stickley’s hit caused a fumble recovered by safety Anthony Ursetti – setting up a quarterback Mike Jorris to wide receiver Pierre Garcon 11 yard touchdown strike.

"A couple of our guys on the kick-off unit were ahead of me and got a good hit in on the ball carrier," said Yoder. "The ball just floated into my hands and I headed for the goal line. You work hard all week on special teams in practice hoping to make a play in the game, and when it happens, it's pretty exciting."

Working with another short field following a Muskingum punt, quarterback Greg Micheli connected with running back Justin Wray on a 16 yard touchdown. Raider defensive back Jonathan Previlon then recovered another Muskies’ fumble on the kick-off that followed, leading to Jorris connecting with Garcon from 11 yards out for the second time in the quarter. Tackle Pat McCullough posted the Raiders’ fourth fumble recovery late in the period, which culminated in a Wray three yard touchdown carry with 0:50 seconds remaining in the quarter.

"Anytime you can be a part of something like that - setting a scoring mark - it's an honor," said Micheli afterwards. "It's a tribute to the coaches and players. The ball bounced our way early and we took advantage of it."

The lone score of the second quarter came on a Mike Zimmerman 20 yard field goal. The Raiders led 45-0 at halftime. Jorris finished the contest 4-of-5 for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Kmic had 61 yards on the ground on six touches while Garcon had two grabs for 22 yards and two scores.

The third quarter featured Micheli scoring from six yards out and safety Chris Kappas taking his first career interception back 18 yards for a touchdown. The final quarter included Zimmerman’s second field goal of the game and fourth of the season – from 21 yards out to complete the scoring at the 9:37 mark. Zimmerman was also 8-of-8 in PATs in the contest.

In the contest, the Raiders amassed 450 yards on 58 plays while the Muskies had 94 yards on 53 plays. Mount Union finished +4 in turnovers on the day – giving the Purple & White a +11 mark after three weeks of play.

"We made a pact before the game defensively that we would try to get 11 hats on the ball as much as possible," said Raider defensive end Sam Vucelich. "It showed early on with the turnovers. We competed hard and it paid off. As a defense, posting a shutout is very rewarding."

Micheli finished the day with career highs in completions, attempts and yards passing - 13-of-16 for 151 yards with one rushing score and his first career passing touchdown. Wide receiver Bryson Davis had a career-best five grabs for a personal-best 52 yards. Aaron Robinson had 46 yards rushing on five carries.

"We did a good job of taking advantage of turnovers early," stated Raider Head Coach Larry Kehres. "We had five straight opportunities to score with the ball inside their 50 and that made it hard for them to battle back. We also got a chance to play a lot of young players - especially in the second half. That hopefully will make us a better team in terms of depth later in the season when fatigue and injuries tend to pile up."

Muskingum was paced by running back Steve Mamak, who had 42 yards on nine carries. Defensively, the Muskies were led by Jack Junker and Brett Maniaci who each totaled 5.5 hits.

The victory extended the Purple Raider road win streak to 59 games and 75 consecutive regular season road wins. Mount Union opens its home portion of the season hosting Heidelberg College Saturday evening, September 30. Kick-off from Mount Union Stadium is set for 7 p.m.

Box Score