The Mount Union Purple Raiders won their 33rd Ohio Athletic Conference championship in stunning fashion on Saturday, pulling off a Hail Mary on the final play to beat Baldwin Wallace 23-21 and clinch an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III playoffs. The win also ensured Mount Union's 31st undefeated regular season in the program's history.
After their win over John Carroll last week improved them to 9-0 and gave them at least a share of the OAC title, the Purple Raiders needed only to win against Baldwin Wallace in order to win their conference championship outright and earn a playoff spot. However, Mount Union found themselves trailing the Yellow Jackets 21-17 on the final play, with half the field separating them from the championship and the playoffs.
Quarterback Braxton Plunk heaved a pass toward the endzone, where it was deflected off the helmet of a Yellow Jackets defender and then caught by Purple Raiders receiver Wayne Ruby Jr., giving Mount Union an improbable victory and everything that went with it.
One for the history books! What a way to clinch your 33rd OAC Title outright, 31st undefeated regular season, and 33rd NCAA Playoff appearance!#GoMountGo #SCTop10
— Mount Union Purple Raiders (@purpleraiders) November 12, 2022
(📹Image Video's Dean Marini) pic.twitter.com/PXl3EwpBNu
What made Mount Union's win all that more satisfying was that they were able to prevail despite blowing a 17-0 lead in the fourth quarter. The Yellow Jackets went on a run of 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead touchdown by Reese Warner with just 22 seconds left to play.
The Purple Raiders will now look to win their 14th national championship at the Division III level and their first since 2017.
