Big Boy Football Comes To Town

North Carolina Wesleyan football hosted the number one team in division III football today and for 20 minutes there were visions that the 13th football season for the Battling  Bishops there  just might be  a greatest victory ever on the horizon.  Seven minutes in the second quarter the 12 time Nationals champs and the team that has played in the national championship eleven straight years swatted the aggravating Battling Bishops into what hit me.

Both teams traded punts into the second quarter until the Purple Raiders quarterback ran around the left end for six yards and finally the defending champs were on the board.  During the first quarter the Battling Bishops used a short passing game but once behind they started going for the home runs and with incomplete passes the clock is slow to move and  not much turf moves toward the goal line  and Wesleyan had a three and out and two plays later Mount Union with second team quarterback in the game puts six points on the board. Quickly it's 14 -0 the big MO now wearing purple the third score within seven minutes makes it 21-0.

The Bishops managed a field goal before half to prevent being shutout but trailed 21-3 at the half.  The 2015 3A state champion Rocky Mount Gryphons were honored at the half..

Just maybe the near 90 degree temperatures and 60% Humidity will catch up with Mount Union before the end since this is their opening game of the season but this is the number one team in the country and even though their faithful fans were using their programs as fans in the stands learning about Southern heat their team taught the Battling Bishops how to play as the top team in the country

By the end if the third quarter the score reached 35-3 with a dominating run game and the lead reach 42-3 before All American Malik Adams caught a Nathan Gardner toss in the end zone with 9:04 to play to give the Bishops some self respect and a 42-10 ball game.  Just for good measure Mount Union added a field goal to end the scoring at 45-10.

There is no doubt Mount Union is a class act from the way the guys covering the game in the press box to the way they played on the field and even their fans knowing how winners act.  There is no doubt the Battling Bishops got and education on what it is to be a winner.

Mount Union rushed  for 286 yards and passed for 309 for a total of 595 on 91 plays.  The Bishops had 244 passing and only 51 rushing on 77 plays.  To me as a fan in the stands the Bishops dropped the short passing game and went totally for all or nothing deep passes in the Middle of the second quarter and it was not until the fourth quarter when they needed to keep the ball away from the Purple Raiders or get run out of the house did they go back to the short passes.  Malik Adams once again hit the century mark in receiving catching 11 for 113 yards and a touchdown.