Quarterback Kurt Rocco (Cincinnati/Roger Bacon) matched his career-high with five touchdown passes to lead No. 1 ranked Mount Union to a 56-0 shutout of Marietta and an undefeated regular season in an Ohio Athletic Conference matchup Saturday in Alliance.
After Mount Union was forced to punt twice and stopped on downs to start the game, Rocco completed a 52-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Miller (Elida/Elida) with 16 seconds left in the first quarter to get the offense going.
Rocco would throw four more touchdown passes on the day as he finished 16-of-23 for 372 yards and led an offense that outgained Marietta 597-114.
Wide receiver Cecil Shorts III (Cleveland/Collinwood), who was held out of the end zone last week for the first time all season, came back in a big way today as he had a game-high seven catches for 167 yards and touchdown grabs of 34 and 59 yards.
Shorts was also the team’s leading rusher on the day with 54 yards, 43 of those coming on a nifty end around for a touchdown. Terrance Morring (Sandford, FL/Winter Springs) ran one in from four yards out as Mount Union had 225 yards on the ground.
Shorts and Miller were not the only Raiders with big plays on the day as fellow receiver A.J. Claycomb (Medina/Medina) caught a pair of touchdown passes from 17 and 58 yards, while Jasper Collins (Geneva, NY/Geneva) had the longest punt return in school history as he ran one back 89 yards for a score.
The defense held the OAC’s top running back, Marietta’s Lamar Hunter, to 71 yards on 28 carries as the Pioneers had just 54 net yards on rushing and 60 through the air.
Judd Lutz (Tiffin/Tiffin Columbian), Joe Millings (Copley/Copley) and Charles Dieuseul (Winter Springs, FL/Lake Region) each had six tackles to lead the Raiders. Lutz had an interception while Millings and Dieuseul each had 1.5 sacks.
Mount Union (10-0, 9-0 OAC) wins its 43 consecutive regular season game and closes out its fourth straight undefeated regular season. The Purple Raiders hold the nation’s longest winning streak at 25 straight games and wait for Sunday’s announcement (3 pm ESPNEWS) to find out who they play next week as they begin defense of their 10th NCAA Division III National title in the NCAA Playoffs.
Marietta finishes its season with a mark of 3-7 overall and 2-7 in the OAC.
COURTESY: MOUNT UNION SPORTS INFORMATION
