The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Mount Union advances to championship; Army tops Navy
Visiting Mount Union erased a 25-point deficit in the second half to defeat Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 4340, in a Division III national semifinal on Dec. 9.
The Purple Raiders (14-0) will play Mary Hardin-Baylor at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 in Salem, Va., in the Stagg Bowl for the national championship.
Josh Petruccelli (Perry) rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 27 carries for Mount Union. Quarterback D’Angelo Fulford was 28-for-42 for 330 yards with a touchdown, and he also ran for a score.
Oshkosh led, 21-10, at halftime and increased its advantage to 35-10 thanks to two touchdowns in the first six minutes of the third quarter. The Purple Raiders answered with three straight touchdowns to cut their deficit to 35-30.
After an Oshkosh field goal made the score 38-30, Petruccelli scored a touchodwn for Mount Union. Ohskosh returned the conversion attempt 98 yards for two points, making it 40-36.
Mount Union took the lead for good with 5:41 remaining in the game on a 1-yard touchdown by Jawanza Evans-Morris. Oshkosh missed a 46-yard field goal as time expired.
Army edges Navy
Bennett Moehring narrowly missed a 48-yard field goal in the swirling snow on the final play and Army held off Navy, 14-13, on Dec. 9 in Philadelphia to win its first Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy since 1996.
Army (9-3) earned its second straight win over Navy (6-6) following 14 straight losses in the series.
Ahmad Bradshaw pushed over the goal line on a quarterback sneak with 5:10 remaining and Blake Wilson kicked the extra point to put Army ahead.
Quarterback Malcolm Perry, who ran for 250 yards and a 68yard score in the second quarter, then led Navy to the Army 31 with 3 seconds left.
Navy elected to try a field goal, and after about 10 players used their feet to clear the steady snow during a timeout, Moehring’s kick was long enough but drifted barely left.
Army cut its deficit in the series to 60-51-7 in a matchup of bowl-bound teams. The Black Knights claimed the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy thanks to an earlier victory over Air Force.
In a game that included only three passes — Army completed its lone toss — the Black Knights produced a 13play, 65-yard drive to take a late lead. John Trainor tiptoed the sideline for 8 yards one play before Bradshaw’s 12th touchdown of the season.
Navy took advantage of the ensuing kickoff going out of bounds and moved down the field. Perry dropped a shotgun snap on fourth down at the Army 37, but picked up the ball and ran for a first down. But Navy committed two false start penalties, making the final field goal attempt more difficult.
The weather made one of sports’ biggest rivalries an even more physical contest. Army’s all-white uniforms — a nod to the 10th Mountain Division of World War II — served as almost camouflage in the snow.