Mount Union will play host to Utica in second round of NCAA football playoffs

One down and how many more to go?

It might not be the question of the century but a legitimate question to ask following the first round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs.

Second-ranked and undefeated Mount Union eliminated 24th-ranked and once-beaten Salisbury, 51-0, on Saturday in front of a meager 1,600 fans —hey, it was bone-chilling cold — in one of the 16 first-round games that wasn’t a surprise.

But, there were surprises — count ‘em, six and some more surprising than others — and one involved the team that Mount Union (11-0) will play host to on Saturday at Kehres Stadium.

Unranked Utica (N.Y.), regarded by many as the team that sneaked into the playoffs instead of highly-regarded Johns Hopkins, knocked off 13th-ranked and previously undefeated Susquehanna, 17-10.

So, upsets happen. Rarely does it happen to 13-time national champion Mount Union. It will take three more victories to reach the national championship game.

Utica (10-1) gained access to the post-season by being granted one of five at-large spots in the 32-team field. Mount Union, in the playoffs for the 33rd time, and Utica, in the post-season for the first time, have never played.

Salisbury (9-2) came to Alliance with a stronger resume but it wasn’t enough as the Ohio Athletic Conference champs seemed to have put their previous two games deep in the rear view mirror.

The offense was sharp in rolling up 550 yards and scoring practically at will with efficiency. The defense was equally as sharp, strangling Salisbury’s triple-option attack in holding it to a scant 65 yards. When the Raiders play complimentary football they are more than a handful.

“I told the guys in the locker room after the game that I think we got our rhythm back a little bit,” coach Geoff Dartt said of the offense, which was held well under its season average in victories over John Carroll and Baldwin Wallace. “We played two excellent opponents to end the season in the OAC and not that these guys [Salisbury] didn’t have our attention because they did some things that can stretch a defense. But our guys prepared well throughout the week and it showed on the field today.”

The passing game was virtually unstoppable. Quarterback Braxton Plunk completed 35-of-49 passes for 353 yards and five touchdowns, increasing his season total to 41, one of the top marks in the nation.

The 6-foot, 200-pound senior from Plant City, Fla., also ran the ball well when forced out of the pocket. He gained 41 yards on 10 trips and picked up four key first downs in doing so.

Senior Wayne Ruby Jr. increased on his nation-best 20 receiving touchdowns by catching four and set a school record in the process. His 24 touchdowns broke the previous mark of 23, set by Cecil Shorts and equaled by Justin Hill.

“Honestly, it’s a blessing,” Ruby said. “I couldn’t have done this without my teammates and the preparations our coaches give us. They do a great job of getting us mentally prepared and physically prepared to score touchdowns on Saturday. So, I’m obviously blessed.”

Ruby, from Pembrooke Pines, Fla., finished with 12 receptions for 159 yards and TDs of 18, 24, 1 and 12 yards.

As usual, the linebacking corps of Rossy Moore, Mason McMillen, Ian Sexton and safety Jesse Vail made life miserable for the opposing offense. Moore, a sophomore from Lima, led the team with seven tackles. McMillen, a senior from Wadsworth, was in on six and Sexton, a senior from Dover, had five.

Vail, a senior from Estero, Fla., also had five tackles and made a key stop early in the second quarter with the Raiders protecting a 14-0 lead.

Salisbury, champions of the New Jersey Athletic Conference, faced a third-and-3 situation when Vail roared into the Sea Gulls backfield and dropped Dario Belizaire for a 6-yard loss.

Salisbury, with 51 freshmen on the roster and down to its fourth-string quarterback due to injuries throughout the season, punted and Mount Union scored seven plays later to make it 21-0.

The defense also recovered three fumbles, one each by nose tackle Luke Lukowski, tackle Ryan Farrell and freshman Caleb Rinard. McMillen, Vail, Von Factor and Landon Jenkins also had tackles resulting in lost yardage.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Mount Union football will play Utica (N.Y.) in NCAA football playoffs