ALLIANCE, Ohio (AP) -Nick Kmic ran for 217 yards and four touchdowns to lead Mount Union past Ithaca 42-18 in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs Saturday.
The Purple Raiders (11-0) extended their winning streak to 34 games in their sternest test of the season. They came in with six consecutive shutouts, having given up three points in their last eight games and outscoring opponents 554-24 overall.
Kmic carried 29 times, scoring on runs of 48, 64, 2 and 1 yards, extending his school scoring record to 76 touchdowns, including 28 this year.
Dan Juvan completed 19 of 39 passes for a career-high 324 yards and two scores for Ithaca (8-3), which became the first team to score in the first quarter on the Raiders when Jamie Donovan’s 1-yard plunge capped a 10-play, 65-yard drive.
The last time the Raiders had trailed at all was 3-0 in the first quarter of the 2006 Stagg Bowl last Dec. 16 against Wisconsin-Whitewater. They won that game 35-16 to earn a second straight national title and ninth in 14 years.
Ithaca’s extra-point kick was blocked and its lead lasted only 1:38. Kmic ran 48 yards around left end and Mike Zimmerman’s kick put Mount Union ahead to stay, 7-6.
Greg Micheli completed 19 of 24 passes for 270 yards for Mount Union, including touchdowns of 40 yards to Pierre Garcon and 7 yards to Bryson Davis.
Juvan connected with Brian Weverbergh for touchdowns of 5 and 3 yards. Senior Brian Hogan caught seven passes for 131 yards for Ithaca, national champions in 1979, ’88 and ’91, which had a six-game winning streak snapped.
Mount Union improved to 226-10-1 overall since 1990 including 52-9 in the playoffs.
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