Tigers championship dreams on the line against nations top-ranked team

2000 NCAA Division III Playoffs: Wittenberg (12-0, 7-0 NCAC Champions) at Mount Union (11-0, 9-0 OAC Champions)
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2000 Kickoff: Noon Mount Union Stadium

Setting the Scene: The Wittenberg University Tigers advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs with a hard-fought 32-21 victory over visiting Hanover last Saturday. The Tigers entered the fourth quarter trailing for the first time all year (Allegheny and Wooster were both tied with the Tigers at that point). But senior tailback Casey Donaldson (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) did his usual Superman impression, going for two fourth quarter touchdowns to put the Tigers over the top.

Donaldson, who finished with 258 rushing yards and five TDs in the game, and his teammates earned an opportunity to test themselves against the best this level of football has to offer the Mount Union Purple Raiders, national champs four times since 1993 and the top-ranked team in the country this year. Wittenberg heads into the showdown with a perfect 12-0 record, while the Raiders are 11-0 after thrashing Ohio Athletic Conference rival Ohio Northern 59-28 last Saturday.

Re-Match: Saturdays game marks Wittenbergs second trip in the last three years to Alliance for a playoff game against Mount Union, which has won nine straight OAC titles. In the second round of the 1998 playoffs, the Tigers dropped a heart-breaking 21-19 decision to the eventual national champion Raiders.

In that game, Donaldson went for 132 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries, and wide receiver Michael Aljancic (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) caught three passes for 89 yards and a 64-yard touchdown. But Mount Union, which went on to two straight lop-sided victories and a third straight Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl championship, survived on the strength of 347 passing yards and three touchdowns by quarterback Gary Smeck.

Third Times A Charm?: The Wittenberg Tigers have made it a habit in recent years. The last three seasons have all included perfect 10-0 regular season records and undefeated marks in the evolving North Coast Athletic Conference (Wittenberg went 8-0 in 1998, 6-0 in 1999 as Oberlin took a year away from competition, and 7-0 this year with the additions of Hiram and Wabash and the introduction of a power-weighted schedule).

What the last two years also included were heart-breaking defeats in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Two years ago, Mount Union won the aforementioned second round game after Wittenberg had defeated Milliken, 13-10, in the playoff opener. Last year, Wittenberg started with a 42-19 victory over Alma before being stunned by red-hot Ohio Northern, 58-24, at home in the second round.

The Tigers finally got over the two-and-out hump last weekend, surviving a game challenge from Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Hanover. That came one week after Wittenberg turned back another stern challenge, against Illini-Badger Conference champion Aurora, 31-20. It is the first time the Tigers have won two playoff games since 1979, when Wittenberg defeated Millersville and Widener before falling 14-10 to Ithaca in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

Streaks: Wittenberg has now have won 31 straight regular season games and 22 straight NCAC games, dating back to a 21-19 loss at the hands of the College of Wooster Fighting Scots on Nov. 8, 1997.

In addition, the Tigers havent lost a regular season game at home since 1996 and coach Joe Finchams second game, a 26-14 loss to Allegheny, a span of 29 consecutive regular season home victories. Since losing three home games in 1991, the Tigers have an overall home record of 48-3 (playoffs and regular season), with the only losses coming against Ohio Northern in the second round of the 1999 NCAA Division III playoffs, Baldwin-Wallace in the 1992 opener and Allegheny in 1996.

The NCAC record for consecutive conference victories (22) is now held jointly by Allegheny and the current Wittenberg squad. Ironically, the Gators streak began after a 17-12 loss to Wittenberg in 1992 and ended with a 31-17 loss to the Tigers in 1995. In between, Allegheny went undefeated in the NCAC under Head Coach Ken OKeefe in 1993 and 1994.

Since 1991, when the Tigers finished 5-3 in the conference, Wittenberg is 63-4 against NCAC competition. Since joining the conference in 1989, the Tigers have not had a losing record against NCAC competition and sport a 78-12 overall mark.

But thats not all. Wittenberg has never suffered through a losing conference season since records indicate OAC standings in 1955.

Keeping Up With Casey: Its not easy, but someone has to do it. The incomprehensible Casey Donaldson has piled up 5,112 yards in his four-year career, more than 1,300 yards better than anyone in school history and nearly 1,000 yards better than anyone in NCAC history. He also is the record-holder for touchdowns and scoring in both the conference and Wittenberg history.

But that only takes into account his dominance during the regular season. Donaldson has been at his best during the playoffs the last three years. In six playoff games, his rushing totals have been 141, 132, 152, 139, 178 and 258. That adds up to 1,000 playoff rushing yards exactly. And that also adds up to 6,112 total rushing yards in his illustrious career.

The Coach: Wittenberg is led by Head Coach Joe Fincham, who became the fastest of six men in school history to win 50 games in a career with a season-ending victory over Earlham.

Fincham has compiled a 52-4 overall record in nearly five complete seasons, including a regular season record of 48-2 and an NCAC mark of 35-2. The former Ohio University standout and Williamstown, W.Va. native, who earned NCAC Coach of the Year honors for a third straight year in 2000, is the first coach to lead the Tigers to the NCAA Division III playoffs three straight years.

No Rest On Returns: Junior defensive back Jason Jackson (Columbus, Ohio/South) has put fear into opponents, even after they score points against Wittenberg. Thats because he has returned 13 kickoffs for 437 yards, good for a 33.6 average. That includes a 94-yard touchdown return against Allegheny that sparked the Tigers to a tough road victory. Jacksons 11 returns for 370 yards, one touchdown and a 33.6 average ranked him first in the NCAC and No. 2 nationally.

It also was the second-best in Wittenberg history behind Gene Urbanski, who posted nine returns for 306 yards and a 34.0 average in 1956.

All-NCAC Honors: To the victors, go the spoils. Head Coach Joe Fincham (Ohio '88)was named NCAC Coach of the Year for a third straight year, and Casey Donaldsontook home the Mike Gregory Offensive Player of the Year award for an unprecedented third straight season.

Also on the first team were junior wide receiver Mike Aljancic (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville), junior offensive lineman Matt Leisure (Canton, Ohio/McKinley),senior offensive lineman Mark Sunderman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon), junior defensive tackle Juan Howard (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster), sophomore outside linebacker Andy Pope (Hamilton, Ohio/Lakota East), junior inside linebacker Dustin Goldsbury (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Ready), junior safety John Hauser (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Hartley), sophomore cornerback Elio Harmon (Columbus, Ohio/Walnut Ridge), senior placekicker Ryan Walker (Newark, Ohio/Newark), senior punter Matt Gallatin (Johnson City, Tenn./Science Hill) and junior kick returner Jason Jackson (Columbus, Ohio/South).

Second team selections were senior quarterback Anthony Crane (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) and junior defensive lineman Tim Daoust (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic). Honorable mention went to senior fullback Gary Henson (Columbus, Ohio/Marion-Franklin), senior wide receiver Labon Storts (Columbus, Ohio/Westland), junior defensive lineman Michael Houck (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain)and senior defensive back Rob Harris (Cincinnati, Ohio/Withrow).