If this is the end, Mount Union brought things to a close with the ultimate exclamation point.
The Purple Raiders remained unbeaten Saturday, and did so in grand style against their bitter Ohio Athletic Conference rivals, dismantling John Carroll 42-7 in the second round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs at Kehres Stadium. It was a far cry from their meeting in Week 2 of the regular season, when Mount outlasted JCU 37-31 in Alliance.
This weekend's showdown was also potentially historic, as it was the final game between the two teams before the Blue Streaks depart the OAC for the North Coast Athletic Conference next year. It is currently unknown if the rivalry will remain intact.
In the present, Saturday's clash had John Carroll seeing purple, with Mount Union (11-0) never punting once and going 11 of 16 on third downs in a vintage performance (they were also a perfect 4 of 4 on fourth-down tries). Leading the way was senior running back Tyler Echeverry, who not only ran for 176 yards and two touchdowns but also tallied 35 receiving yards along with another score. Quarterback T.J. Deshields totaled 159 yards through the air with 2 TDs and an interception.
On defense, Rossy Moore picked up a Nick Semptimphelter fumble midway through the first quarter and took it back 31 yards to the house, putting the Purple Raiders up 14-0 early. Semptimphelter was able to close the gap to 14-7 with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dorian Facen Jr., but Mount quickly answered with Echeverry's first score, and after a goal-line stand on the ensuing drive, the Purple Raiders took control for the rest of the afternoon.
Semptimphelter finished the game with 135 yards for JCU (9-3) as well as his lone TD. Nehemiah Jenkins added 49 yards on 11 carries.
Mount Union ends the in-conference phase of the rivalry with nine straight wins dating back to 2017, along with four victories in four playoff meetings. Ironically, their last regular-season loss was to John Carroll eight years ago.
As for whether the series will continue in the future, JCU athletic director Brian Polian has previously said, "It is bittersweet to lose our OAC rivalries and we will work to keep some intact. However, we are excited about developing new rivalries in this new era for JCU athletics."
The Purple Raiders have won 13 D-III national championships in their history, but none since 2017, making this the longest title drought for the program since the first such win back in 1993. Geoff Dartt is now 53-3 since taking over as head coach, previously reaching the Stagg Bowl in 2022 before falling to North Central.
Mount Union will face Carnegie Mellon in the third round next Saturday. The location for the game has not yet been been finalized, though it will take place on one of the two team's campuses.
