The OAC champion John Carroll football team headed into Saturday's first round of the NCAA Tournament with positive momentum and a matchup in front of their home faithful.
Following a near complete performance, the Blue Streaks are now one of the final 16 teams in Division III football.
John Carroll held Olivet College to 188 total yards in a 37-12 first round win at Don Shula Stadium in University Heights, Ohio.
JCU (10-1) advances to the second round and will host the Wesley College (Del.) Wolverines on Nov. 26 at noon inside Shula Stadium. Wesley (9-2) defeated Stevenson, 38-17, in Saturday's game played in Delaware. It is the fourth time in program history that the team has won their opening game.
"All the credit goes to our group and players," said head coach Tom Arth after the game."Their leadership and character got us here."
"We want to give Olivet all the credit in the world," Arth continued. "That team plays as hard as any team we've played against."
"I'm proud of the way we played on defense. That changes the game, and can force people's hands. It put us in a good position."
Marshall Howell caught nine passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Anthony Moeglin completed 21-of-34 passes for 262 yards and four touchdowns. The freshman was intercepted once. Arin Pruitt was the leading rusher for John Carroll, carrying the ball seven times for 42 yards.
"It was a blast, but it was just another game," said Moeglin. "We're playing this game because we love football and this game; our prep doesn't change based on who or when we're playing."
On defense, Ray Brown had ten tackles, 1.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks. Anthony Christopher had nine tackles, and Mason McKenrick contributed eight.
Moeglin and company began the game with a long scoring drive, punctuated by a Kukura rushing touchdown from five yards out. The Blue Streaks chewed up 5:07 on 13 plays, moving 75 yards for the score.
After shutting down the Comets on the ensuing drive, John Carroll got to work once again. JCU rolled 38 yards in six plays to extend the lead to 13-0. This time, it was fullback Anthony Leonetti hauling in a pass from Moeglin from the JCU 6-yard line.
Second-string quarterback Lane Porter entered the contest on the second drive for Olivet. John Carroll held once again, but the Blue Streaks gave the ball right back on an interception near midfield.
At the end of the first quarter, Howell had 43 receiving yards on four catches. JCU outgained OC, 111-4.
Early in the second, the Blue Streaks found themselves pinned inside their own 5-yard line; Danko punched the ball away to the JCU 40. Olivet took over, and promptly moved the ball inside the JCU 10. Jerome Washington got the Comets on the board with a one-yard touchdown run with 5:57 left to go in the half.
John Carroll faced a third-and-11 from the OC 48 with less than four minutes to go, and Howell provided the big play. The senior caught a short pass, split the defenders, and exploded down the JCU sideline for a 48-yard TD. After a second blocked extra point, John Carroll held a 19-6 lead.
That would not be the half's final score. Eddie Williamson returned an Olivet punt and wove through much of the Comet defense on the way to a 63-yard touchdown return. A two-point conversion failed, and JCU held the 25-6 advantage.
Howell had 92 yards on six catches plus the score at the half. Moeglin had 140 yards on 11-of-18 passing to go with the pair of TDs.
The Blue Streaks extended their lead midway through the third quarter when Nico James fought off a Comet defensive back and made a difficult one-handed grab in the endzone. The 26-yard TD made the score 31-6.
Moeglin and Howell found the end zone once more, ending most of the suspense with a four-yard touchdown connection five minutes later. JCU led, 37-6, with 3:06 to play in the third. JCU forced a turnover on downs early in the fourth, but Olivet would get on the board once more with a nine-yard quarterback keeper by Porter.
Game details for the matchup with Wesley, including location, time, and ticket information, will be made available on JCUSports.com.