Division III power Mount Union loses in Week 1 to snap 85-game regular-season win streak that dated back to 2016
The loss was also Mount Union's first Week 1 loss since 1987.
Division III titans Mount Union suffered their first regular-season defeat since 2016, ending an impressive 85-game win streak that began in 2016. The Purple Raiders lost 24-23 to Wheaton in their season opener on Saturday, after Wheaton blocked a game-tying extra point with 22 seconds remaining. Mount Union's Kayden Minner had scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, and the Purple Raiders chose to go for the tie, opting for overtime instead of a two-point conversion.
Wheaton then capitalized on Mount Union's onside kick recovery, sealing the victory. This marked the team's first Week 1 loss in 39 years, with the last such defeat dating back to a 17-15 loss to Wooster in 1987. The streak's end comes after Mount Union made the D3 playoffs semifinals the previous season and won the 2017 national title with a perfect 15-0 record.
Since then, they have failed to secure a national championship, with three losses in the Stagg Bowl and elimination in the third round of the Division III playoffs in 2025 after an 11-0 start.
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