One team primarily rushed its way to 439 yards of total offense, the other primarily passed its way to 468 yards of offensive production.

After 907 yards and 72 points, the see-saw battle that ensued between John Carroll and Marietta ended with the visiting Blue Streaks prevailing by a 37-35 count when a two-point coversion failed in the final 75 seconds.

Box Score

Marietta opened the game by taking the initial kickoff and marching 80 yards in 11 plays. A 44-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Keller to Tannon Roberts gave the Pioneers the early lead.

JCU would rattle off the next 16 points, and it all started with special teams and defense. The only punt of the night for Mike Malisheski ended with the ball being downed at the Marietta one-yard line after travelling 57 yards. On the next play, Michael Green tackled Tevin Dones in the end zone for a safety.

John Carroll would connect on each of its next two drives, with Casey Vogl capping the scoring drives on touchdown runs of two and four yards. The second Vogl touchdown came with 1:14 left in the half.

The Blue Streaks had hoped to take a 16-7 lead into the locker room, but Marietta needed just two plays to traverse 67 yards after a kickoff for a momentum changing score. Roberts hauled in a 14-yard pass from Keller one play after the Pioneers' quarternack found Kirby Harris for a 53-yard pass play.

The two teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter. Anthony D'Aurizio scored his first career touchdown from 14 yards out, but the Pioneers answered on the next drive when Keller plunged in from one yard away to seal a 79-yard 11-play trek.

Ahead 23-21, John Carroll scored on consecutive drives to start the fourth quarter. Vogl scored his third touchdown of the night on a one-yard run to give JCU a 30-21 lead, and then broke off a 74-yard run that gave the Streaks a 37-21 lead with 12:57 to play.

It would be the final points of the night for JCU. Marietta still had points to get.

Two scoring drives, covering 73 yards and that were sandwiched around a missed John Carroll field goal, brought Marietta to within two points at 37-35 with 1:15 to play. Chad Walker hauled in a 26 yard pass from Keller to set up the deciding play of the game. But Marietta failed in its two-point conversion attempt, and John Carroll recovered the onside kick to put the clamps on its first win of 2011.

Vogl, who did not have a touchdown prior to this evening, filled in for an injured DaQuan Grobsmith (who left the game in the first quarter) quite admirably. He carried the ball 17 times for 145 times and four touchdowns, all career-highs.

Devin O'Brien (76 yards), Sean Kuenzig (63) and D'Aurizio (48) also had a hand in pounding out 363 yards on the ground for the Streaks, who evened their league record at 1-1.

Keller had 401 passing yards in a losing effort for Marietta, which slipped to 1-2 and 0-2 in the OAC.