NOTEBOOK Mount Union vs. Wheaton

Perfect vs. CCIW: Mount Union is 9-0 since 1992 against teams from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Five of those wins are over Wheaton. The Purple Raiders have eliminated the Thunder from the playoffs all five times they've qualified.
Coaching battle: The game featured two coaches who rank in the top 10 among winningest active coaches in NCAA Division III, based on winning percentage. Mount Union's Larry Kehres tops the list with a record of 243-20-3 for a winning percentage of .91887. Wheaton's Mike Swider is No. 7 on the list with a mark of 88-26-0 for a .77193 winning percentage.
Big player in big games: Mount Union running back Nate Kmic went over the 200-yard mark for the fifth time in 16 career starts. Three of those performances were in the playoffs. His 293 yards on Saturday is his second-highest total. In last year's playoff win over Augustana, Kmic ran for 361 yards.Yet to trail: Dating back to the second quarter of the 2005 Stagg Bowl against Wisconsin-Whitewater, Mount Union has not trailed in 51 straight quarters. The Purple Raiders have not played from behind all this season and have not been scored upon in the first quarter this year.Stingy run defense: Wheaton running back Chaz Black finished with 70 yards -- the most an opposing back has gained against Mount Union this season. The Thunder's 71 total rushing yards is the most by any team against the Purple Raiders in 2006.Up next: Mount Union (12-0) will play host to Ohio Athletic Conference rival Capital (11-1) in the quarterfinals next Saturday at noon. The Purple Raiders eliminated the Crusaders from the playoffs in 2005 with a 34-31 victory. Mount Union defeated Capital 38-12 in week 8 of the 2006 regular season.
Eric Hamilton