NCAA Division III Football Championship | 1st Round | vs. Olivet | Saturday, Nov. 19 at 12:00 pm |  Video  -  Audio  -  Stats

Note: Time Warner Cable SportsChannel will televise the first round NCAA Division III football playoff contest between John Carroll and Olivet on Saturday, November 19, at noon. The live telecast can be seen exclusively on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, channels 1311 & 311.  

It has been over 79 years, but John Carroll University and Olivet College will finally meet again on the gridiron.

The Blue Streaks and Comets last played on November 6, 1937: a lopsided affair that culminated in a 47-6 home victory for the Blue and Gold. The stakes will be much higher when the two square off in the first round of the 2016  NCAA Division III Football Championship.

Since that first meeting, JCU has etched a well-documented history amid the toughest of competition in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).

Traditionally atop the ranks of a long-standing conference that originated in 1903 is the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders, an exceedingly prosperous program that suffered its first regular season loss in 112 games by a score of 31-28 this past Saturday, Nov. 12 from Mount Union Stadium in Alliance, Ohio.

Who was the opponent that scripted this miraculous narrative that garnered the attention of ESPN?

John Carroll University.

Head coach Tom Arth and company earned a win for the ages and paved way to the Blue and Gold's first conference title since 1994 and their first automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament ever.

The Blue Streaks enter post-season play with a 6-5 record from prior appearances in 1989, 1997, 2002, 2013 and 2014. Most recently, Arth advanced to the quarterfinals in 2014 over a decade after the team reached the "Final Four" in 2002.

Aside from the coaching prowess of Arth, the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback and backup to Peyton Manning, there is a versatile dual-threat quarterback by the name of Anthony Moeglin. The redshirt freshman play-caller has handled the multitude of challenges thrown his way with ease by finishing the regular season with nearly 2,000 passing yards (1,969) and 21 touchdowns to boot.

Senior wide-out Marshall Howell was accountable for a third of those touchdown receptions (7) and has established himself as potentially the best receiver in the history of the program with the number one all-time mark in receiving touchdowns (31).
In addition, the three-headed monster of running backs consisting of Ro Golphin, Sam Kukura, and Arin Pruitt compliments the passing attack appropriately.

Golphin led the team in rushing yards (917) and yards per carry (7.8), Kukura served as a workhorse back with a program-leading 11 touchdowns, and Pruitt embraced the role as a third-down back by scoring two touchdowns on 224 rushing yards.
Not only is Moeglin able to mix his looks in order to properly process a traditional three-down package of plays, but he also has an abundance of lethal rushing and receiving options at his disposal within a deep offensive arsenal.

Spearheading the JCU defense is one of the best pass-rushers in the OAC in Ray Brown (9.5 sacks) and an experienced secondary of seniors including Michael Hollins (5 INT, 34 tackles), Reese Armstrong (3 INT, 39 tackles), Scott Eilerman (1 INT, 27 tackles) and Jovon Dawson (43 tackles).

On the opposing sideline is the likes of the Olivet College football program, a squad with a similar path to NCAA fame. Both the Blue Streaks and Comets have a 9-1 record after losing their respective non-conference openers to commence the fall campaign.

Hailing from the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), the oldest collegiate conference in the nation, the Comets were able to shake off an early season loss to St. John Fisher (N.Y.) and win the remaining nine games on their fall slate, en route to a second consecutive conference championship.

Under head coach Dan Pifer, Olivet will lean heavily on the contributions of its senior trio including quarterback Braden Black (2,196 passing yards, 19 TD, 8 INT), running back Damorria Lilly (551 rushing yards, 7 TD), and wide receiver Mitchell Bailey (59 rec, 849 receiving yards, 7 TD).

Kickoff for the Saturday, Nov. 19 bout is scheduled for 12:00 PM ET from Don Shula Stadium in University Heights, Ohio.