No one saw it coming. Not even Nate Kmic.

And if Kmic didn't know he had it in him, how could anyone have predicted that an undersized 5-foot-9, 190-pound running back from Delta High School would become the next big name at the Ohio football factory that is Mount Union?

And how quickly would Kmic's talent show through, proving him worthy of playing with the big boys on the nine-time national champion varsity team?

Try one junior-varsity game at the beginning of the 2005 season.

Then an injury on the varsity opened the way for him to get in the lineup, finishing his freshman season as the Stagg Bowl most valuable player.

And to think, Kmic almost didn't get started at Mount.

He had to be talked out of packing his bags and heading home not long after arriving on campus.

''When I got to Alliance, just seeing all these big guys that were here, I honestly didn't think I'd ever play,'' Kmic said. ''I was in awe, and I was pretty close to quitting.''

But a desperate call home and supportive conversation with his mom, Mary Kmic, helped give the shy son the courage to give the college more time to grow on him.

''My first couple weeks, I just didn't want to be here,'' Kmic said. ''But my mom basically talked me into staying, telling me to at least give it a year. I'd been brought up to give everything my all. So as much as I didn't want to hear it, I knew she was right.''

Was she ever.

Fast forward to Saturday, when No. 1 Mount Union (4-0, 3-0 Ohio Athletic Conference) hosts No. 4 Capital (4-0, 3-0) at 1:30 p.m. at Mount Union Stadium. Kmic, the Purple Raiders' decorated senior running back, enters the game as the new NCAA Division III leader in
points and touchdowns.

He reached those heights last week after scoring four rushing touchdowns in a 48-3 victory at Baldwin-Wallace as part of a 27-carry, 218-yard performance.

In addition to becoming the career leader in points (570) and total touchdowns (95), he also tied the record for rushing touchdowns (91) and moved up to fifth on the career rushing list with 6,003 yards on 911 carries.

R.J. Bowers of Grove City (Pa.) College (1997-2000) holds the mark with 7,353 yards, and it was Bowers' points (562), total touchdowns (92) and rushing touchdowns (91) that Kmic tied or surpassed.

''What you see in Nate is what he is — he's really genuine and very real,'' longtime Mount Union coach Larry Kehres said. ''One thing I really like about him is how much he enjoys practice.

''He's always one of the first guys out there, and he's one of the men who carry practice. He just has an enthusiasm for football he's never lost. It's crucial to have players like that.''

Despite not starting until near the end of his freshman season, Kmic managed to run for 1,219 yards while powering the Raiders to a 35-28 win over Wisconsin-Whitewater in the Stagg Bowl championship game.

Until recently, Kehres wasn't aware of Kmic's initial trepidation toward college.

''Most of us are a bit homesick when we leave for college,'' Kehres said. ''I remember I was. It's just that few of us actually admit it.''

Yet had Kmic left, Kehres said he ''would have made one more trip to Delta'' to try and talk the young man into returning to school.

''I'm sure glad he didn't go home,'' Kehres said, conceding that it would be hard to imagine the success of the past few years without Kmic.

As a sophomore in 2006, Kmic ran for a school-record 2,365 yards en route to being named National Offensive Player of the Year and earning All-American honors. Again, he led the Purple Raiders to their second consecutive Stagg Bowl title over Whitewater, 35-16.

During his junior year last season, in which he racked up 38 touchdowns and 1,700 yards, he became Mount Union's and the Ohio Athletic Conference's all-time rushing leader while earning another All-American selection. But instead of capping the season with a three-peat over Whitewater in the Stagg Bowl, Kmic's Raiders fell short 31-21, leaving added motivation for his senior season.

''My goal isn't anything personal, really,'' Kmic said before the season started. ''It's to win a national championship. Nobody here wants to be the senior class that didn't win a title.''

Spoken like a true Mount Union standout.