box score
John Carroll doesn't lose 14-point leads often, and had never lost a game in Wilmington, Ohio.
Both unthinkables happened this afternoon, as host Wilmington College overcame a 35-21 third quarter deficit to stun the Blue Streaks, 42-35, in overtime in a wild affair staged at Williams Stadium.
Wilmington quarterback Billy Blackburn, just a sophomore, riddled the John Carroll defense for what was a school-record six touchdowns, the last of which produced the winning points in overtime.
John Carroll won the toss and elected to defend first in the overtime. The Quakers made them pay, as Blackburn connected with Jeremy Stuckey on just the second play from 21 yards out to take a 42-35 lead.
The Blue Streaks, whose only previous overtime loss was a 57-51 triple overtime setback to Mount Union in 2000, did not record a first down in overtime, as the game ended on a sack on a fourth-and-three play from the 18-yard line.
Wilmington ended a seven-game losing streak to John Carroll, and won for just the second time in 14 all-time meetings.
JCU opened the scoring on a 62-yard drive that was capped by a Mark Petruziello nine-yard pass to Peter Spachner. The extra point was missed, leaving the score at 6-0.
In a portend of things to come, the Quakers answered with a 13-play drive, 56-yard drive that ended ona three-yard touchdown pass from Blackburn to Brandon Hiatt.
JCU erased the 7-6 deficit on its next drive, as Spachner caught a 30-yard pass from Petruziello. The Quakers again had an answer when Marque Jones hauled in a 20-yard pass from Blackburn.
Just before the half, the Blue Streaks would score a touchdown when Michael DiCillo was on the receiving end of a four-yard touchdown pass. The Blue Streaks took a 20-14 lead into the locker room.
JCU appeared to deliver a knockout punch when, after forcing a turnover -- a Carlo Melaragno interception -- to open the second half, Tyler Gingrich took a Petruziello pass and raced 61 yards for a touchdown.
Showing resiliency, the Quakers needed just five plays to go 70 yards for an answer, as Stuckey scored on a Blackburn pass from 17 yards out.
Despite the shooutout nature of the game, the Blue Streaks would score for the last time with 7:01 remaining in the third quarter. Petruziello, after four touchdown tosses, ran one in from four yards away. He then ran in the two-point conversion that gave John Carroll a 35-21 lead.
That was where the fun ended for JCU and started for the host Quakers.
With 3:38 left in the third quarter, Wilmington pulled to within seven points on a Blckburn to Hiatt seven-yard pass play. The Quakers then tied the game at 35-35 with 12:31 to play in the fourth quarter. this time, Blackburn hit Stuckey with a 21-yard pass.
Both teams drove into the enemy territory late in the game, but both drives imploded. Matt Siracusa intercepted a pass from Blackburn with 2:50 to play at the JCU 36-yard line. The Blue Streaks drove to the Wilmington 31-yard line with less than a minute to play, but a holding call wiped out an 18-yard pass play to Gingrich, effectively ending any threat, and the clock ran out with the two teams tied at 35-35.
John Carroll (5-3, 4-3 OAC) was led by Petruziello's career-high 363 passing yards. He was 22-36 with four touchdowns and one interceptions. Two of his receivers had career-best days, as Spachner (7-126) and DiCillo (7-107) both topped the century mark.
On the flip side, the JCU rushing attack was held to under 60 yards for the third time in the last four games.
Defensively, JCU gave up its highest total of points (42), first downs (22), rushing yards (154) and total offense (414) of the season. Derrick Bendau had 11 tackles and a team-high two sacks.
