#1 Mount Union 38, #4 Capital 12
(ALLIANCE, Ohio)—No. 1 nationally ranked Mount Union College jumped out to a 17-0 first quarter lead on their way to a 38-12 Ohio Athletic Conference football win over No. 4 in the nation Capital University in a rainy, windy, wintry Saturday in Alliance, Ohio.
Defending national champion Mount Union wins its 16th consecutive game and is alone in first place in the OAC at 8-0 (7-0 OAC). Capital’s regular season win streak ends at 13 games and the Crusaders stand at 7-1 (6-1 OAC).
The first quarter deteriorated both in the weather with high winds, heavy rain and sleet and for the Capital offense as the nation’s No. 12 rated offense was held to zero yards on seven plays. Mount Union then finished off a pair of 10-play drives with a one-yard touchdown run by Nate Kmic and a 32-yard Mike Zimmerman field goal. The Raiders then blocked a Capital punt which they recovered in the end zone to make it 17-0 at the end of the quarter.
The Crusaders got on the board midway through the second quarter when quarterback Rocky Pentello (Columbus/Westerville South) hit Mike Niedzwiecki (Norwalk/Norwalk-St. Paul) on a 21-yard touchdown pass. The extra-point was blocked leaving the score 17-6 with 6:32 left in the frame. Mount Union answered on the ensuing drive as Kmic ended an eight-play drive with his second rushing touchdown this time from 11-yards out. The Raiders then missed a 30-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the half to make it 24-6 at the break.
Mount Union sent the score to 30-6 midway through the third quarter as wide receiver Pierre Garcon threw a touchdown pass on a wide receiver option to Maxwell Smith. Pentello then tossed his second touchdown pass of the game the extra point was blocked to leave the score 31-12 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter started with Kmic’s third rushing touchdown of the game this time from 38 yards for the 38-12 final.
Kmic finished with 240 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 35 carries as the Raiders outgained Capital on the ground 345 to minus-31. Aside from the run defense, Jonah Wilson had nine stops, while Justin Stickley had 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and blocked both of Capital's extra point attempts.
Pentello finished with 216 yards passing, going 19-for-31, with a pair of touchdown passes. Pentello became the 7th player in NCAA Division III history to pass for over 11,000 yards (11,047). His favorite target was Niedzwiecki had a career-high 134 yards on seven catches.
Seniors in Marcus McDonough (Columbus/Bishop Watterson) and Sam Abdullah (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) had 12 and 11 tackles repectively to lead the Capital defense.
Mount Union head coach Larry Kehres won his 239th game that propelled him past Woody Hayes 238 on college football’s all-time win list.
Capital returns home next week for the home regular season finale against Muskingum College at 1:30 p.m. in Bernlohr Stadium.