It will be all purple in Salem as No. 2 UW-Whitewater and No. 5 Mount Union are headed to Stagg Bowl XXXIII. It will be a familiar trip for Purple Raider fans after Mount Union defeated Rowan 19-7. Mount Union running back Nate Kmic plowed away for a career-high 48 carries, gaining 160 yards and a touchdown on the ground, with one more score through the air.

UW-Whitewater is joining them after routing Wesley 58-6. The Warhawks scored twice on defense, with a safety and interception return for a touchdown. Derek Stanley caught three touchdown passes and Justin Beaver ran for 185 yards and two scores. Photo gallery and Scoreboard.

Rowan got its only score on a big pass play to Phil Silva down to the 1-yard line and quarterback Joe Rankin punched it in from there late in the third quarter to cut the Mount Union lead to 14-7, but the Purple Raiders answered with a Mike Zimmerman field goal and a safety by Buddy Wolfe to make it 19-7. Check out our archived Mount Union/Rowan broadcast.

UW-Whitewater got on the board first, recording a safety on the first snap of the game. The Warhawks led Wesley 16-0 midway through the first quarter after a touchdown pass to tight end Pete Schmitt and a Kyle Johnson interception return for a score. It snowballed from there.

It was a defensive first quarter in Alliance as Mount Union quarterback Michael Jorris was sacked four times in the first quarter but hit Nate Kmic for a 30-yard TD pass with 11:36 in the second quarter for a 7-0 lead. Kmic added a 7-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 lead which the Purple Raiders took into the locker room.

Mount Union will be making its ninth trip to Salem, UW-Whitewater its first.