John Carroll did enough things right in the first half to think upset. Ohio Northern did enough right in the second half to put those thoughts to rest.

The #11 ranked team in Division III used two lengthy touchdown drives on the opening two possessions of the second half to provide the cushion needed to turn away the upset-minded Blue Streaks, 35-14, before a Parents Weekend crowd at Don Shula Stadium Saturday night

Box Score

JCU outgained the Polar Bears in the opening 30 minutes, 213-193, but one crucial turnover provided the difference between the two Ohio Athletic Conference rivals at the half.

The Blue Streaks took the opening kickoff and reached the ONU 35-yard line, but an offensive pass interference penalty forced a punt. 

John Carroll then forced a quick three-and-out, and again moved the ball into Ohio Northern territory, only to have a dead-ball personal foul penalty short circuit the drive after it reached the Polar Bears' 36-yard line.

The visitors made the Streaks pay for those missed chances with an 81-yard touchdown drive, highlighted by a 56-yard completion from Kyle Simmons to reigning OAC offensive Player of the Week Ryan Fleming. Simmons would score on a third-nad-goal play from the one-yard line, but the extra point was missed, leaving the score at 6-0.

Bobb Mangiarelli would set up the first JCU touchdown thanks to a 45-yard kick return. Two plays later, Devin O'Brien took a quarterback draw and scampered 28 yards for the touchdown. Brad Marchese's extra point was good to give John Carroll its only lead of the night at 7-6 with 1:52 to play in the opening quarter.

It did not take long for Ohio Northern to retake the lead. needing just six plays to cover 78 yards, Simmons cashed in with his second touchdown. A two-point conversion push the lead up to 14-7.

After the two teams traded punts, the game-changing play would occur. On a second down-and-13 play from the JCU 19-yard line, O'Brien attempted a pass to Mark Elsassaer that appeared at first to be incomplete, but no whistle was forthcoming. The ruling was a fumble, and the live ball was recovered by Ohio Northern''s Jesse Richards.

Five plays later, Simmons found Brook Crawford on a six-yard touchdown pass to push ONU's lead to 21-7 with just under seven minutes remaining in the opening half.

John Carroll would keep up the good fight, and put together its best possession of the evening. Using the run almost exclusively, JCU engineered a 15-play, 93-yard touchdown drive that consumed six-and-a-half minutes. The Blue Streaks faced just one third down on the drive, and DaQuan Grobsmith -- who accounted for 30 yards himself -- scored from three yards out with 18 ticks on the clock to pull the home team to within seven points at the half.

Ohio Northern would take over from there. Gaining 108 yards while holding John Carroll to three plays and minus-one yard offense, the Polar Bears possessed the ball for 12 of the 15 minutes in the third quarter and scored two touchdowns to build a 35-14 lead.

Neither team scored in the fourth.

Ohio Northern (6-1, 5-1 OAC) was led by Simmons, who ended the night with 197 yards passing and three touchdowns on 14 completions. He also had 31 yards and two touchdowns on ten carries. Brent Donley, who began the day as the OAC rushing leader, gained 99 yards on 20 carries and had a receiving touchdown.

John Carroll (3-4, 3-3 OAC), which dropped its fifth consecutive game to ONU, was led by O'Brien's 121 yards on the ground and 100 through the air. Grobsmith had 97 yards rushing in the first half, and finished with 96, as he left the game with an injury after his only carry of the second half lost one yard.

C.J. Seitzinger had a career-high 21 tackles and Michael O'Neal added ten and a pass break-up for the Blue Streak defense.