Box Score

In a game eerily reminiscent of John Carroll's first road game of 2008, the last road game of the year ended in similar fashion as a two-win Muskingum College team hung around long enough to rally in the fourth quarter for a 15-14 upset Saturday afternoon in New Concord, Ohio.

The winning points came courtesy of a 27-yard field goal by Nick Stevens with 11 seconds left in the contest.

Inexplicably, John Carroll cruised out to a 14-0 lead through the first 15 minutes and ten seconds of the game, then could not muster any more points against a team that came in giving up more than 30 points and 360 yards of offense per game.

Also defying the numbers was the fact that Muskingum, whcih had not intercepted a single pass all season, came up with two in the second half as John Carroll could not finish off the game in which it led for all but the final 11 seconds.

The game resembled in many ways the Blue Streaks' road game at Baldwin-Wallace back on September 20 in which they led 17-7 in the fourth quarter, had several turnovers that prevented the lead from being larger, dominated for 3/12 quarters on defense, and then gave up two late scoring drives to fall by a 21-17 count.

John Carroll opened up the game on fire, and potentially could have scored on each of its first three possessions. The first drive covered 61 yards and 15 plays, capped by a two-yard Tyler Gingrich touchdown run. A Josiah Kedzior point after made the score 7-0.

The Blue Streaks then drove 63 yards on their next possession before stalling at the Muskingum ten-yard line. A chip-shot 27-yard field goal was missed, however, and as the game moved on would loom large.

The Muskies second drive was short lived as Carlo Melaragno collected his 13th career pass interception, setting up the Blue Streaks' second touchdown drive. It took just seven plays to move 56 yards, and Mark Elsaesser finished it with a one-yard touchdown plunge.

With 14:50 left to play in the opening half, the Blue Streaks led 14-0.

Muskingum seemed dead to rights for most of the first half, being held to 28 yards of total offens eon its first four drives. In a portend of things to come, however, the Muskies found momentum at the end of the first half. In their final drive, they marched 60 yards in 12 plays, and found the end zone on a pass from Jake Burns to Caleb Burns with just 26 ticks left on the clock.

Stevens missed the extra point, however, leaving JCU ahead 14-6 at the half.

The third quarter was perhaps the most fatal as far as the Blue Streaks were concerned. Twice the JCU defense forced turnovers near midfield, and twice the offense failed to convert fourth down playus inside the Muskingum 40-yard line. The second was most damaging, as a false start turned a fourth-and-two into a less manageable fourth-and-seven.

After the missed opportunities on the first two drives of the second half, JCU began to turn the ball over. On two consecutive drives into Muskingum territory, Mark Petruziello was intercepted -- once on the Muskie seven-yard line and the other on the Muskie 31-yard line.

Despite all the missed opportunities and turnovers, John Carroll still had a chance to seal the game, driving to the Muskingum 20-yard line midway through the fourth quarter. But an 11-yard sack by Derek Anderson and Ryan McClain ended the threat and forced the Blue Streaks to punt with 7:19 to play in the contest.

To the Muskies credit, they earned the victory with two impressive scoring drives. The first was an 80 yard march in eight plays, with the Muskies converting two third downs with plays the covered more than 20 yard each.

Trailing 14-12, the Muskies needed a two-point conversion, and initially had successed. A holding call nullified the first attempt, however, and the Muskies failed on the second.

The Blue Streaks led 14-12, and had the ball with 3:50 left. John Carroll got on first down, but could not get the second, and actually lost yardage on two of the plays. A punt gave the Muskies the ball at their own 43-yard line with no time outs and 1:54 to play.

Solid all day, the John Carroll defense could not respond. The Muskies moved swiftly down field, facing just one third down, but by that time, was in the JCU red zone.

On a fourth-and-one play, Stevens connected on the gamre-winning field goal.

Muskingum (3-5, 2-5 OAC) gained 127 of its 253 yards of total offense on its final two drives. Burns was 17-25 for 187 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Fuller was the top target, catching seven passes for 54 yards and two scores.

The much maligned Muskie defense was paced by McClain's team-high 14 tackles.

John Carroll (5-4, 4-4 OAC), which dropped its third consecutive game, was led in rushing and receiving by Rebere Sparks, who had 71 yards on 11 carries and 48 yards on seven receptions. The JCU offense accounted for 341 yards but just 14 points.

Derek Buell had a career-high 19 tackles for the Blue Streak defense.