Mount Union has one last hurdle to clear on the road to Houston.
The Purple Raiders will host Johns Hopkins in an NCAA Division III football national semifinal at Larry Kehres Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff time is 12:02 p.m.
The winner advances to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl on Jan. 5 at Shell Energy Stadium, home of Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo. Mount Union is aiming for a 23rd national championship game appearance.
Here are some things to know about Saturday’s national semifinal.
Johns Hopkins hopes to end its postseason slump against Mount Union.
The Blue Jays and Purple Raiders have clashed four previous times in the playoffs with Mount Union winning all four games. Mount Union won the last meeting 45-35 in 2021.
Mount Union and Johns Hopkins last played in the semifinals in 2018. The Purple Raiders won 28-20.
Johns Hopkins (12-1) has survived three close games to reach the semifinals for just the second time. The Blue Jays beat Grove City 17-14, DePauw 14-9 and Mary Hardin-Baylor 17-14.
Mount Union’s postseason obstacles have not been as big. The Purple Raiders (13-0) defeated John Carroll 42-7 after a first-round bye, held off Carnegie Mellon 24-19 and beat Salisbury 38-17.
Salisbury handed Johns Hopkins its only loss, 41-13, on Sept. 21. The Sea Gulls outscored the Blue Jays 31-0 in the second half.
The winner of this semifinal will play the North Central-Susquehanna winner for the national championship, Jan. 5, in Houston.
Reach Mike at mike.popovich@cantonrep.com
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