Mount Union football routs Utica in NCAA second-round playoff game

Braxton Plunk’s accurate arm, DeAndre Parker’s churning legs and especially the Mount Union pass defense were too much for Utica to extend its first postseason to elite territory.

Saturday at Kehres Stadium, Mount Union’s senior quarterback passed for 291 yards and three touchdowns as the undefeated Purple Raiders rolled to Saturday’s 45-7 victory in the second-round NCAA Division III game.

Parker, the Raiders’ senior running back, gained 120 yards and scored twice as the Ohio Athletic Conference champions advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.

Next Saturday, second-seeded Mount Union (12-0) will play Delaware Valley (12-0). The game time and location will be announced Sunday.

The Raiders stifled the Pioneers' offense, not allowing Utica to reach the Mount Union 30-yard line until they had a 45-point lead.

The Raiders picked off three Braeden Zenelovic passes, returning them for a combined 60 yards. Mount Union converted the turnovers into touchdowns.

“We knew they were effective at passing the ball,” Mount Union head coach Geoff Dartt said. “I think we got out of our rush lanes on [the first] drive. We cleaned that up. Our guys adjusted well.”

Zenelovic passed for 301 yards, but most came in the fourth quarter with the game long out of reach.

“The defense, overall, did a great job,” Dartt said.

Plunk, the OAC’s Bob Packard Offensive Player of the Year for the third straight season, completed his first seven passes and 10 of 11 in the first quarter as the Raiders jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Plunk is a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy which goes to top all-around Division III player.

The Raiders marched 75 yards on nine plays on their opening possession, with Parker scoring on a 1-yard run. Five pass completions powered the drive.

The Pioneers (10-2) responded by marching to the Mount Union 31. But after a Zenelovic completion to Nate Palmer lost 7 yards on linebacker Marcus Saahir’s tackle, his next pass was intercepted by safety Jesse Vail at the 10 and returned to the 44.

Nine plays later, the lead was 14-0 when Plunk found running back Tyler Echeverry unguarded for a 15-yard touchdown.

The Raiders limited Palmer, Utica’s Gagliardi Trophy semifinalist (first in the program’s history) to nine receptions for 43 yards.

In the second quarter, Parker gained 67 yards on nine carries and Plunk added 90 passing yards as Mount Union opened up a 24-0 lead.

On several of Parker’s runs, he drove into a wall of Pioneers tacklers who struggled to stop his progress.

Just keep driving my feet,” Parker said of his success for extra yardage. “The O-line did a great job today, helping all the running backs get to the second level.

I think I can always do better,” Parker said.

Elliott Warner kicked a 24-yard field goal midway through the quarter and Parker’s second score covered 4 yards with 50 seconds remaining before halftime.

Two more picks in the third quarter all but sealed the victory. Senior safety Ian Sexton stopped the Pioneers’ first drive of the third quarter with his interception at the Mount Union 34. His 31-yard return set up Plunk’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Wayne Ruby Jr.

"[When] we create turnovers, we give our offense great field position so they have less to drive through,” Sexton said. “To give the ball back to the offense is our main goal.

Turnovers] just brings the energy up on the sideline,” Sexton said.

Senior linebacker Landon Jenkins tipped a Zenelovic pass that was intercepted by junior safety John Roland at the Mount Union 35. The Raiders needed just four plays to make it 37-0, with Plunk connecting again with Ruby, this touchdown covering 19 yards.

Sexton said the Pioneers’ early success moving the ball did not surprise the Raiders.

I think we were just feeling out the game,” Sexton said, adding that he thought Zenelovic “had a really strong arm, a really good player. [But] our pass rush is really good. We have a lot of guys up front who do their job and make it easy on us.”

Zenelovic completed 25 of 47 passes and was sacked four times.

“They have a very good football team,” Utica head coach Blaise Faggiano said of Mount Union. “It’s really good for our football team to play one of the top teams in the country. It’s something we can build on.”

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Mount Union football defeats Utica College in NCAA football playoff