On Sept. 28, the Blue Streaks bounced back with a dominating home win over the Heidelberg Student Princes after starting the season off with two road losses against some of the best teams in Division Three football.

First Quarter: Heidelberg takes early lead
On the game’s opening drive, Heidelberg capitalized on John Carroll’s defensive penalties to engineer a methodical opening drive. A 10-yard rushing touchdown, aided by an offside penalty on fourth down, put the Student Princes up seven to zero JCU’s first possession on offense was less than ideal, as they went three-and-out, quickly punting the ball back to Heidelberg.

Heidelberg continued to move the ball on their second drive, converting a crucial third down with a 20-yard pass, which set up a 27-yard field goal to extend their lead to 10-0. However, JCU’s defense began to find its edge, forcing a poor punt on Heidelberg’s next possession, which positioned the Blue Streaks at their opponent’s 40-yard line. As the first quarter closed, JCU’s offense was finally in the red zone for the first time, ready to cut into the lead.

Second Quarter: JCU’s offense begins to click
John Carroll quickly capitalized on their strong field position. with quarterback Nick Semptimphelter delivering a touchdown pass on third-and-goal to shrink the deficit to ten to seven. The Blue Streaks’ defense stepped up again on the next drive, forcing a fumble that Heidelberg ultimately recovered, but it stalled their drive, forcing another punt.

JCU’s offense responded with an explosive drive, highlighted by a 57-yard pass by Nick Semptimphelter that put them on the goal line. He rolled out to his left on third down, finding his receiver in the end zone for a touchdown, giving JCU a 14-10 lead.
Heidelberg’s struggles continued as their next drive ended in disaster. A pick-six from John Carroll’s defense extended the Blue Streaks’ lead to 21-10. Another stalled Heidelberg drive led to a punt, while John Carroll marched down the field on their final possession of the half. However, poor clock management forced JCU into attempting a long 50-yard field goal, which they missed just before halftime.

Third Quarter: John Carroll takes control
The second half opened with John Carroll extending their lead to 24-10 with a 45-yard field goal. Heidelberg’s offensive struggles went from bad to worse when their starting quarterback left the game with a head injury. On the second JCU drive of the half, a 69-yard pass on third down by Nick Semptimphelter set them up inside the red zone. Two plays later, they punched it in with a rushing touchdown. After the extra point, the lead grew to 31-10.

Heidelberg’s offense continued to fail to manufacture points, punting on their next possession after being stopped again by JCU’s defense. Though John Carroll’s following drive ended in a punt, Heidelberg couldn’t capitalize, and their offensive struggles carried into the final quarter.

Fourth Quarter: JCU finishes the job
John Carroll began the fourth quarter with a strong emphasis on the ground game, grinding out the clock and capping off a lengthy drive with a two-yard rushing touchdown to extend their lead to 38-10 with 13 minutes left.

Heidelberg’s offensive issues persisted as a tackle for loss and a sack forced yet another punt. A strong punt return by John Carroll set their offense up in the red zone, and they quickly capitalized with a 14-yard touchdown pass, growing the lead to 45-10.
Despite Heidelberg’s attempts to generate some offense, they were stopped again by JCU’s defense. Another John Carroll interception set up the Blue Streaks deep in Heidelberg territory. A late field goal brought the final score to 48-10, completing a dominant bounce-back performance by John Carroll.

Hopefully, John Carroll can keep the momentum rolling into the game on Oct. 5 at Muskingum University.

JCU Statistical Standouts

Passing: Nick Semptimphelter, 18/23 with 272 yards and three touchdowns
Rushing: Nehemiah Jenkins, 13 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown
Receiving: Kenny Rawls four catches for 92 yards and a touchdown
Tackles: Tyler Thimons three solo 10 total tackles
Turnovers: Davon Badley (interception returned for a touchdown), Levi Veverka (interception), Ivory Travers (forced fumble)
Kicking: Colin Schuler 6/6 PATs and 2/3 field goals

To view all stats click here