2010 Mount Union Football Guide - University of Mount Union

ncaa diVision iii plaYer of the Year honorees
NCaa Division III Player of the Year honorees
JIM BaLLarD - 1993
Quarterback Jim Ballard (321-of-458/.701/4,572 yds/54
TDs/14 INTs) was the recipient of the first Gagliardi Trophy and first
Melberger Award recognizing the Division III Player of the Year. Ballard
led the Purple Raiders to their first National Championship and
undefeated season (14-0). He set 17 Mount Union, nine Ohio Athletic
Conference, 15 NCAA Division III regular season and six Division III
playoff records during his career. He threw eight touchdown passes
against St. John’s (MN) in the playoff semi-finals in December of ’93,
and followed that with a 28-of-45 performance for 387 yards and
three touchdown passes in the National Championship game against
Rowan (NJ) under weather conditions that included driving snow and
a 35 mile per hour wind. Ballard became the first Mount Union player
inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
BILL BOrCherT - 1996, 1997
Quarterback Bill Borchert (250-of-374/.668/4,035 yds/55
TDs/9 INTs) earned the Melberger Award as the Division III Player of
the Year in leading the Raiders (14-0) to their second National Championship.
Borchert ignited an offense that led the nation in scoring
during the regular season (49.4 ppg.). In the National Championship
game on December 14, he set Stagg Bowl records for touchdown
passes (7), yards passing (505) and total offense (535). In 1997,
Borchert (275-of-413/.666/4,335 yds/63 TDs/2 INTs) was named
the Gagliardi Trophy and Melberger Award winner as Division III
football’s best player as the Purple Raiders (14-0) won their second
straight National Title.
ChUCK MOOre - 2001
Running back Chuck Moore (319 att/2,349 net/7.4 ypc/30 TDs)
won both the Gagliardi Trophy and the Melberger Award in leading
the Purple Raiders (14-0) to their sixth National Championship.
Highlights included a 346-yard rushing performance against Wittenberg
in the playoff quarterfinals on December 1. He set a Stagg
Bowl record with 273 yards rushing on 34 carries on Dec. 15. He
also set several tournament records, including yards rushing (998)
and longest run (95 yards). He averaged over six yards per carry
during his career (6.5 ypc career mark) and finished with 105 career
touchdowns.
DaN PUGh - 2002
Running back Dan Pugh (384 att/2,303 net/6.0 ypc/35 TDs)
was named the Gagliardi Trophy winner as the Division III Player of
the Year in helping the Raiders (14-0) earn their seventh National
Championship and third in a row. Highlights included five touchdowns
in one half versus Otterbein on October 5 and a 254 yard rushing
performance against John Carroll on December 14 in the playoff
semi-finals. Pugh set a then NCAA record with 41 touchdowns in
2002 as well as setting a Division III single-season all-purpose yard
mark (3,192 yards).
NaTe KMIC – 2008
Running back Nate Kmic (377 att/2,790 net/7.4 ypc/43 TD)
won the Melberger Award as he set an NCAA All-Divisions record
with 2,790 yards as he helped Mount Union to a 15-0 record and its
10th National Championship in 2008. Against Wheaton (IL) in the
playoffs, Kmic became college football’s all-time leader in rushing
yards on a 41-yard touchdown scamper. He would finish his career
with 8,074 yards. He also became the most prolific scorer in NCAA
history as his record 44 touchdowns in 2008 lifted him to a record
130 total touchdowns and 780 points.
GreG MICheLI – 2008
Quarterback Greg Micheli (240-of-320/.750/3,743/36 TD/2
INT) claimed the Gagliardi Trophy as he helped lead the Purple Raiders
to an undefeated 15-0 season and their 10th National Championship.
Micheli is the only player to be named the most valuable player
of two Stagg Bowls as he won the honor in both 2006 and 2008.
His 4,258 yards of total offense in 2008 is the sixth highest single
season total in NCAA Division III history. Micheli finished his career
with a passer rating of 197.4 which made him the most efficient
quarterback in NCAA history.
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