 Mount Union
running back Chuck Moore ran for a Stagg Bowl-record 273 yards and
was named the championship game's Most Outstanding Player for the
second year in a row.Photo by Pat Cummings, D3football.com |
Mount Union took a 30-13 lead into the fourth quarter and held off a furious Bridgewater rally to win Stagg Bowl XXIX 30-27 in front of a Salem-record 7,992 fans.
Chuck Moore ran for a Stagg Bowl-record 273 yards and three touchdowns, including a 95-yarder with 5:50 left in the third quarter that would prove to be the Purple Raiders' final points of the night. Box score
Bridgewater rallied, riding its semifinal hero, Brian Ratliff, who caught a 59-yard touchdown pass with 13:09 left in the game. Jason Lutz then hit Ratliff on consecutive passes for 39 yards before Marcus Richardson caught a 43-yard pass to the 3-yard line at the 2:01 mark. Lutz then pushed it over with 1:55 left. But Bridgewater failed to cover the onside kick, and Mount Union ran out the clock.
Playoff results
North bracket
at No. 4 Augustana 54, No. 7 Defiance 14
No. 5 Wittenberg 38, at No. 3 Hardin-Simmons 35 (OT)
at No. 2 Thomas More 34, No. 6 MacMurray 30
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West bracket
No. 6 Pacific Lutheran 27, at No. 5 Whitworth 26 (OT)
at No. 3 UW-Stevens Point 37, Bethel 27
at No. 2 St. John's 27, St. Norbert 20
East bracket
No. 6 Ithaca 35, at No. 4 Montclair State 23
at No. 3 Rowan 40, No. 5 Brocport State 17
No. 7 Western Connecticut 8, at No. 2 Westfield State 7
South bracket
at No. 4 Trinity (Texas) 30, Mary Hardin-Baylor 6
at No. 3 Washington and Jefferson 24, No. 6 Western Maryland
21
at No. 2 Widener 56, No. 7 Christopher Newport 7
Second round
at No. 1 Mount Union 32, Augustana 7
Wittenberg 41, at Thomas More 0
Pacific Lutheran 27, at No. 1 Central 21 (OT)
at St. John's 9, UW-Stevens Point 7
Ithaca 27, at No. 1 RPI 10
at Rowan 43, Western Connecticut 14
at No. 1 Bridgewater 41, Trinity (Texas) 37
at Widener 46, Washington and Jefferson 30
Quarterfinals
at Mount Union 49, Wittenberg 21
St. John's 31, Pacific Lutheran 6, at Fargodome
at Rowan 48, Ithaca 0
at Bridgewater 57, Widener 32
Semifinals
at Mount Union 35, St. John's 15
at Bridgewater 29, Rowan 24
Stagg Bowl XXIX
Mount Union 30, Bridgewater 27, at Salem, Va.