Wheaton Thunder Football 2002 Game Stories Wheaton gridders end season with a 42-21 loss at #1-Mount Union in second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs

Alliance, Ohio (11/30) - The Mount Union Purple

Raiders ended the season of the Wheaton College football team today with a

42-21 victory (boxscore) over

the Thunder in the second round of the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs.

Mount Union jumped out to a 28-0 lead, before Wheaten rallied to cut its deficit

to 28-15, but the guests could get no closer than 13 points. Mount Union entered

the game ranked number-one in the Division III Coaches Poll and Wheaton was

ranked 12th. Wheaton ends the season with a 10-2 record and ties the school-record

for wins in a season with the 1995 team that went 10-1. Mount Union is 11-0

and will face Wabash in a Division III quarterfinal match.

Special teams were a key for the hosts today as it led to 21

Purple Raider points. Mount Union scored on a 91-yard kickoff return and returned

a blocked punt in addition to 93 yards on three punt returns. Thunder head

coach Mike Swider, said of the game's key, "The special teams and kick return

just killed us and it took all of our momentum away."

Sophomore tailback Garrett Granberg (Blanco, Texas/Blanco)

carried the ball 16 times for 87 yards. Fellow tailback Dan Price (Monument,

Colo./Lewis-Palmer) carried the ball 17 times for 78 yards with two touchdown

runs. Quarterback Chad Bradley (Wheaton, Ill./North) completed 15 of

his 35 passing attempts for 176 yards with one touchdown in snowy conditions.

Sophomore receiver Brad Musso (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) had

five receptions for 83 yards and senior Jonathan Wills (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour)

grabbed six catches for 68 yards with one touchdown catch.

Defensively, All-American linebacker Justin Knapp (Ames,

Iowa/Ames) led Wheaton with 14 total tackles and a pass break-up. Defensive

back Ty Gose (San Antonio, Texas/Alamo Heights) made 10 total tackles

with a tackle for lost yards (-3 yards). Junior linebacker Jeff Mumm

(Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville Heritage) made eight total tackles with one

for lost yardage (-4 yards) and senior linebacker Kevin Sellers (Phoenix,

Ariz./Desert Vista) had eight tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery

and a quarterback sack.

Running back Dan Pugh led Mount Union with 161 yards

on 36 carries and three touchdown runs. Quarterback Rob Adamson completed

15 of his 28 passing attempts for 265 yards with one touchdown. Receiver Randall

Knapp had a huge game with seven catches for 133 yards and one touchdown

catch.

The Purple Raiders were first to put points on the scoreboard

when Pugh reached the end zone on a five-yard run with 7:41 to play in the

first quarter to cap a three play drive that was setup by a 29-yard punt return

by Jason Clavell to give the hosts good starting field position. With

9:35 to play in the first half the Wheaton punt was blocked by Mount Union

and recovered by Chris Kern in the end zone for Mount Union touchdown

and a 14-0 Purple Raider lead. Mount Union took a 21-0 lead with 38.9 seconds

left in the game when Adamson found Knapp in the end zone on a 14-yard pass

to cap a three-play drive of 29-yards. The touchdown was setup when the Purple

Raiders recovered a Thunder fumble at the Wheaton 29-yard line.

Mount Union's second half scoring started on a 10-yard touchdown

run by Pugh to give the Purple Raiders a 28-0 lead with 12:36 to play in the

third quarter. The touchdown was setup by a 41-yard punt return by Clavell

to give the hosts the ball on the Wheaton 22-yard line. Wheaton reached the

scoreboard with 7:21 to play in third quarter when Bradley connected with

Jonathan Wills (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet-Seymour) on a seven-yard pass on fourth

and goal. Wills' touchdown cut the Purple Raiders' lead to 28-7 and capped

a critical 15-play drive of 74-yards for the Thunder. Price scored on an 18-yard

run through the middle of the Mount Union defense with 2:22 to play in the

third quarter. A Mount Union penalty on the extra point kick attempt gave

Wheaton the ball on the one-yard and the Thunder made the two-point conversion

to cut the Mount Union lead to 28-15. Price's touchdown capped a seven-play

drive of 59 yards. Pugh returned the ensuing kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown

to extend the hosts' advantage to 34-15.

Price reached the end zone on a yard run that cut the Mount

Union lead to 34-21 with 12:51 to play in the game. Price's touchdown came

with 12:51 to play in the game and capped an 11-play drive of 64 yards. Pugh

gave Mount Union a 42-21 lead with a one-yard touchdown run with 8:08 to play

in the game, capping an 11-play drive of 76 yards.