John Carroll and Baldwin Wallace had done battle for the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy 27 times before Saturday night.

The 28th edition will be one to remember for Blue Streaks fans.

John Carroll's defense forced two turnovers in the final five minutes to upend the Yellow Jackets, 17-10, at Don Shula Stadium.

With 4:56 remaining, JCU trailed 10-3. Five minutes later, they hoisted the Gold Bowl Trophy for the fourth consecutive year. It is also the first time in the nine-decade old series that JCU has beaten BW four straight times.

"I don't know if I've ever been more proud of a group of players in my entire coaching career," said head coach Tom Arth. "To see them fight, stay together, the will they displayed. It is a remarkable testament to the character of our team."

Sam Kukura and Ro Golphin combined for 233 rushing yards on 38 carries in the game. Clayton Evans blocked a field goal and recovered a fumble in the win. JCU held BW to 132 yards of total offense.
 
A swirling rain filled Shula Stadium throughout the first half. Both Baldwin Wallace and John Carroll struggled to gain traction in the first quarter, battling to a scoreless tie after fifteen minutes. Anthony Moeglin and Plagens faced pressure on seemingly every drive, with the Yellow Jackets picking off the freshman with 5:16 on the clock.

Moeglin was intercepted by Sam Groff with 12 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The junior linebacker returned the interception 32 yards to the John Carroll 14-yard line. Baldwin Wallace was held to just seven yards on the ensuing drive and were forced to convert a 24-yard field goal.

John Carroll was able to sustain a long drive after the field goal but came away empty. Matt Danko's 25-yard attempt swung wide of the left upright.

The teams traded punts until 2:20 remaining in the half. John Carroll reached midfield off 29 yards rushing from Sam Kukura and Ro Golphin, but a third interception stunted the momentum. Eddie Williamson took a lateral from Moeglin and fired the ball down the right side, where it was picked off by Caray Sparrow at the Baldwin Wallace 15-yard line.

The Blue Streaks had success moving the ball on the ground in the first 30 minutes, gaining 119 on 23 carries. Kukura had 61 yards on 10 carries in the first half, with Golphin adding 49 on eight.

JCU was forced into a three-and-out to start the third quarter. Baldwin Wallace began their drive with 13:24 on the clock and ended it nine plays and 55 yards later with a one-yard Austin Smith touchdown run at 9:00.

The Blue Streaks got on the board with their next possession. JCU ate up 6:28 on the clock with a sustained 13 play drive, but were held short of the end zone. A pass interference play down the sideline gave the Blue Streaks a first down and Sam Kukura rumbled to the five-yard line on a nine-yard run. An incomplete pass and two rushes for a loss brought Danko out, and he converted a 22-yard field goal with 2:32 on the clock. .

Moeglin was intercepted for the third time on the next JCU possession by Howard Dover. Baldwin Wallace looked to have a chance to pull away for good, but the Blue Streaks took back momentum with a blocked field goal from 43 yards out by Clayton Evans.

The field flipped following two punts, and JCU took possession on their own 31 with 7:45 left. Following a 25-yard run by Golphin and a 15-yarder by Kukura, JCU stared down a third-and-six with 5:08 to go. A dropped pass in the end zone and a false start set up a 4th-and-11.
 
Jake Carner met Moeglin's pass across the middle and punched it away from Marshall Howell at the goal line to force a turnover on downs.

JCU faced an uphill battle with no timeouts. Enter the Blue Streaks defense. Tyler Frederick dropped Smith for a loss of one and stripped away the ball. Evans, the senior captain, stepped up to recover the fumble. Kukura broke one tackle on a 13-yard gain to set up the four-yard touchdown pass from Moeglin to Howell.

"There was no stopping and no quitting," Evans said when asked about the turning-point drive. "We're coached up to understand that as long as there are seconds on the board, it isn't over."

"When you see that ball, you fall as quickly as you can. We really believed our offense could do it and they did."

"That [record] means nothing if we don't win the game," reflected Howell, who passed Jeff Lerner (1999-2002) for the most career touchdown receptions in a career with 28. "You just hope the line holds, the QB finds you, and that the pass is complete. It put us in position to win, which is the most important thing."

On the next possession, Ray Brown sacked Plagens for a loss of six yards on second-and-nine; it was the next play that changed the game.
Plagens fumbled a third-and-15 snap from the 10-yard line and Jimmy Thomas fell on the ball to give JCU a 17-10 lead.

One defensive stop later, and John Carroll retained the Gold Bowl Trophy for the fourth consecutive time.

"It's huge," said Howell about becoming the first senior class to go 4-0 against Baldwin Wallace. "You come here and hear coach Arth talk about it, and over years hear alumni talk about what it means. It just makes you glad that this group of seniors was the first one to do it."

John Carroll takes on Heidelberg in a 1:30 p.m. contest at Don Shula Stadium on Sept. 24.