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.

Trinity coach Steve Mohr rebuffed a question about whether the outcome might have been different with Hampton, who threw for 43 touchdowns, in the lineup, but Kehres thought Hampton's absence really hurt the Tigers.

"It was a very difficult thing for Trinity to play without him,'' Kehres said. "I really respect Coach Mohr for the way he was able to handle it, but no team can, on short notice, deal with a problem like that.''

Nor could the Tigers deal with Pugh.

He set Stagg Bowl records with his 49 carries and scored on runs of 19, 2, 1 and 1 yards, tying another record. The third touchdown was his 40th of the season, breaking Barry Sanders' all-divisions record of 39 set at Oklahoma State in 1988. Pugh finished with a record 15 postseason TDs.

"He's not your typical Division III running back,'' Mohr said. "Some of the cuts he made didn't do what we watched on film any justice.''

Pugh also set a Division III record for all-purpose yards in a season with 3,192, breaking Dante Brown of Marietta's record of 2,973, set in 1996. Only Sanders, with 3,250 yards for the Cowboys in 1988, had more.

Sanders set both records in 11 games, while a new NCAA rule allowed Pugh to count his numbers from four postseason games toward his totals.

Adamson also hurt the Tigers, going 12-of-23 for 222 yards and three touchdowns, all with the wind at his back. He teamed with Derrick Leach for TDs of 19 and 55 yards and Randell Knapp for 9 yards.

"That's the toughest wind I've ever play in,'' Adamson said.

The Purple Raiders' defense also did its part, holding the Tigers to 11 first downs and their lowest point total. They were averaging 47.

"I think they have as good a defense as we've played all year,'' said Tigers running back Jeremy Boyce, who gained 93 yards on 15 carries. "I guess their offense and their running game kind of overshadows it.''

Or, on the Mount Union side, helps make the defense succeed.

"It's great to play defense when you've got a guy like Dan running the ball and Rob throwing it,'' Mount Union defensive end Matt Campbell said. "It takes a lot of pressure off and gives you a lot of time to rest.''

Trinity, making its first appearance in the Stagg Bowl, gave Dan DesPlaines the start in place of Hampton, and he predictably struggled, getting his first pass intercepted at the Trinity 24, setting up a TD.

DesPlaines did connect with B.J. Smith from 18 yards out to make it 28-7 in the third quarter, but finished just 9-of-18 for 86 yards.

"If you can grow up in one day, I guess this was it,'' he said.