1996 Mount Union Purple Raiders football team

1996 Mount Union Purple Raiders football
NCAA Division III champion
OAC champion
Stagg Bowl, W 56–24 vs. Rowan
ConferenceOhio Athletic Conference
Record14–0 (9–0 OAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumMount Union Stadium
Seasons
← 1995
1997 →
1996 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Mount Union $^   9 – 0     14 – 0  
John Carroll   8 – 1     9 – 1  
Marietta   6 – 3     7 – 3  
Ohio Northern   6 – 3     7 – 3  
Baldwin–Wallace   6 – 3     6 – 4  
Muskingum   4 – 5     5 – 5  
Heidelberg   2 – 7     3 – 7  
Hiram   2 – 7     3 – 7  
Otterbein   2 – 7     2 – 8  
Capital   0 – 9     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant

The 1996 Mount Union Purple Raiders football team was an American football team that represented the University of Mount Union in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) during the 1996 NCAA Division III football season. In their 11th year under head coach Larry Kehres, the Purple Raiders compiled a perfect 14–0 record, won the OAC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 669 to 184. They qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs and advanced to the national championship team, where they defeated Rowan, 5-–24.[1]

Junior quarterback Bill Borchert completed 250 of 374 passes (66%) for 4,035 yards and 55 touchdowns, including 505 yards and seven touchdowns in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. He was selected by the American Football Coaches Association as the first-team quarterback on its Division III All-America team and won the Melberger Award as the outstanding player in Division III.[2]

Mount Union's 1996 season was the start of a record 54-game winning streak that spanned four seasons, continuing through December 6, 1998.[1]

The team played its home games at Mount Union Stadium in Alliance, Ohio.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 14at Defiance*Defiance, OHW 62–10
September 21Baldwin–Wallace
W 55–20
September 28Otterbein
  • Mount Union Stadium
  • Alliance, OH
W 49–13
October 5at Ohio NorthernAda, OHW 44–7
October 12Heidelberg
  • Mount Union Stadium
  • Alliance, OH
W 59–7
October 19at John CarrollUniversity Heights, OHW 27–9
October 26at MuskingumNew Concord, OHW 55–17
November 2Marietta
  • Mount Union Stadium
  • Alliance, OH
W 61–16
November 9Capital
  • Mount Union Stadium
  • Alliance, OH
W 42–0
November 16at HiramHiram, OHW 40–0
November 23Allegheny*
  • Mount Union Stadium
  • Alliance, OH (NCAA Division III first round)
W 31–26
November 30Illinois Wesleyan*
  • Mount Union Stadium
  • Alliance, OH (NCAA Division III quarterfinal)
W 49–14
December 7at Wisconsin–La Crosse*
W 39–212,131[3]
December 14vs. Rowan*
W 56–245,048[4]
  • *Non-conference game

References

  1. ^ a b "Mount Union Yearly Results". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  2. ^ "QB has No. 1 season". The Times Leader. December 22, 1996. pp. 1B, 5B – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Borchert leaves La Crosse in a daze". Wisconsin State Journal. December 8, 1996 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Mount Union routs Rowan, 56-24". The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 15, 1996. p. C2 – via Newspapers.com.