Division III champs brush off dynasty talk

SALEM, Va. -- His uniform dirty and eye black fading, Dan Pugh looked nothing like a running back who had carried the ball a record 49 times in leading Mount Union to a 48-7 victory in a national championship game.

"This definitely completes the picture," Pugh said after gaining 253 yards, scoring four touchdowns and setting a slew of records to carry the Purple Raiders past Trinity in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl on Saturday.

"This is what we came to do."

The Division III title was the third in a row for Mount Union (14-0) and its seventh in 10 years. It also was the 96th victory in 97 games for the Purple Raiders, but coach Larry Kehres prefers not to hear talk that his team is a dynasty, or college football's version of the New York Yankees.

"I think that word actually bristles some of us a little bit," Kehres said. "And I don't like the Yankees. I'm an Indians fan."

After winning the last two titles by three points each, the Purple Raiders made this game look too easy. They took a 28-0 halftime lead as Pugh ran for two touchdowns and Rob Adamson threw for two.

Trinity (14-1) played without suspended quarterback Roy Hampton, who was arrested last week for public intoxication. The Tigers struggled to get their offense going, and they finished with 203 yards, 337 below their average.

Carroll defeats two-time defending NAIA champ

SAVANNAH, Tenn. -- Robb Latrielle passed for 264 yards and three first-half touchdowns as Carroll College of Montana won its first NAIA title by defeating two-time defending champion Georgetown (Ky.) 28-7 Saturday.

The Saints (12-2) lost in the semifinals the past two years to the Tigers (12-1), who had won 53 of their previous 55 games.

-- From wire reports