The Purple Raiders came out swinging in the Second Round of the 2025 NCAA Championship Playoffs, steamrolling the Muhlenberg Mules 49–7 on Saturday at home in Kehres Stadium. From the opening drive onward, Mount Union Football set the tone — scoring a touchdown on its first seven drives.

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At the heart of the rout was redshirt-freshman quarterback Mikey Maloney (Concord Township, OH), who turned in a breakout performance. Maloney went 22-of-25 for an 88% clip, threw for over 300 yards for the third time this season, and accounted for a career-high six touchdowns, including three rushing scores.

On the perimeter, junior receiver Davion Grant (Naples, FL) continued his surge, hauling in eight catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns. It marked his third straight 100-yard receiving game and pushed his season total to a team-high eight receiving touchdowns.

The ground game was just as lethal. Graduate back Darnell Williams (Cleveland, OH) churned out 130 rushing yards on 9.3 yards per carry—his fifth 100-yard game of the season. Senior Shaun Thomas (Lima, OH) added a touchdown on a 51-yard total, while senior WR Nick Turner (Strongsville, OH) contributed seven catches for 94 yards and a score.

Defensively, the Purple Raiders clamped down hard. Senior DB Kosta Thrasivoulou collected his fourth interception of the season, and senior pass-rusher Kaleb Brown (La Plata, MD) notched his 29th career sack — now fifth all-time in program history.

Mount Union outgained Muhlenberg by a whopping 530 total yards to 203, including a 225–91 advantage on the ground. With the win, Mount Union improves to 11–0 on the season — and continues their incredible streak of 33 straight NCAA opening-game wins.

Next Up: A familiar foe returns — John Carroll looms

On Saturday, Dec. 6 at 12:02 p.m., Mount Union will welcome an old adversary: the John Carroll Blue Streaks. Given the history between these two, this won’t be just another playoff game — it’ll be a grudge match.

John Carroll punched their ticket to the playoffs by cruising to a 9–1 regular-season finish and winning the North Coast Athletic Conference. This season marked their first in the NCAC, forcing the Blue Streaks to adapt to a slate of unfamiliar opponents. According to recent coverage, their defense — built on discipline, communication, and adaptability — ranks among the nation’s best in total defense, rushing defense, third-down stops, and first-downs allowed. 

Historically, Mount Union has dominated the series. Per the all-time record, the Purple Raiders hold a lopsided lead — 40 wins, 3 losses, 2 ties. 

Most recently, Mount Union delivered a 42–7 playoff win over John Carroll in the second round last season. 

But don’t mistake familiarity for complacency. John Carroll is battle-tested, and this season their defense has proven capable against a variety of offensive styles — the sort of flexibility that could test Mount Union’s explosiveness.

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