The eighth trip to the NCAA Division III Football Championships for John Carroll football ended prematurely on Saturday at Don Shula Stadium.

The Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets ended the Blue Streaks' season with a 23-20 victory on a cold, windy day in University Heights. JCU ends the 2018 campaign with a 9-2 record.

Entering the game, the Blue Streaks had not exited the playoffs in the first round since 2013. Randolph-Macon's victory marked its first in program history.

"It hits you that it's over. You feel for your seniors, with them being here four years and what they've been able to accomplish," said Head Coach Rick Finotti. "I'm proud of them and their effort. The one thing you can never question about this football team is their heart, effort, desire, and leadership in general. There is a lot for these guys to be proud of."

The Yellow Jackets employed a simple but deadly effective strategy – grind out yards on the ground, pass when necessary, and keep the ball away from the Blue Streaks' offense. Randolph-Macon's approached worked to perfection, as evidenced but its large advantage in time of possession, 44:05-15:55.

Turnovers also played a critical role. The Yellow Jackets picked off the Blue Streaks four times, twice in the first half and twice in the second half. The departure of Michael Canganelli in the second quarter due to injury also played into the defeat.

"Randolph-Macon had a great game plan, and they came out and executed well," said quarterback Anthony Moeglin. "But we've been saying all year, we feel as though the only team that can beat us is us. Today was example of that. You can't turn the ball over four times and win … Looking back, there are a lot of plays I wish I could have back. It sucks because there are a lot of guys downstairs who sacrifice their life for this."

As Finotti said after the game, Moeglin has been a standup leader for the Blue Streaks and a great player on the field throughout his career.

"Anthony didn't let anyone down," said Finotti. "He's done a lot for this team over his time here. He's been a great leader, he's made big plays on the field. He's what you want in a leader, someone who will take responsibility and move forward and provide a great example for our team."

The Blue Streaks scored the first points of the game in the second quarter. Moeglin completed throws of 17 and 13 yards to Evan Nugent and Danny Disbrow, and on the sixth play of the drive, Canganelli worked his magic. On a designed run to the left, the sophomore cut back to the right and used a seal block by Daniel Lentz to find the edge. Canganelli dashed 48 yards untouched to pay dirt for the 6-0 lead at 12:10 of the second stanza. The extra point was no good.

Randolph-Macon responded with a lengthy march, utilizing a few trick plays. The Blue Streaks held strong in the red zone, forcing a field goal. Chris Vidal converted from 33 yards, narrowing the JCU lead to 6-3.

JCU's first costly mistake of the game occurred in the last two minutes of the first half. Randolph-Macon hit Moeglin as he was throwing, and the ball floated into the hands of Matthew Vergara, who ran 14 yards into the end zone for six. The PAT was good, giving Randolph-Macon its first lead of the day, 10-6. The score stood through halftime.

Looking for a spark, the Blue Streaks turned to backup quarterback Riley Larkin at the start of the third quarter. The change did not work, as the JCU offense could not pick up a first down on two drives in the third period.

The Yellow Jackets built the lead to 10 late in the third quarter. Two third-down conversions advanced Randolph-Macon into the red zone. The Yellow Jackets scored its first offensive touchdown of the day on an 11-yard pass from Burke Estes to Owen Ritter. Nate Leopold blocked the point after to keep the deficit at 16-6.

Anthony Moeglin re-entered the game on JCU's first drive of the fourth quarter. On the first play of the drive, the senior connected with Olivera for a critical 36-yard completion. Unfortunately, the drive ended prematurely, as Vergara intercepted his second pass of the day for the Yellow Jackets at the Randolph-Macon 30-yard line.

The Blue Streaks momentarily had new life with 9:30 left. Chad Stalnaker intercepted a tipped pass at the JCU 43-yard line on a wonderful play. But on the next play, Randolph-Macon picked off its fourth JCU pass of the day to steal back the ball and the momentum.

The Yellow Jackets managed to kill 5:34 off the clock before having to punt. Then, the Blue Streaks made a critical, game-changing special teams play. Harrison Richardson burst forward to block the punt, and Mike Connick returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. Matt Danko's extra point rang true, narrowing the deficit to 16-13.

"At that point, you have to go for broke," Finotti said. "We wanted to work on splitting the shield. We were able to get in there and make it happen. Mike Connick is a senior who lays it on the line. He does everything right, works extremely hard. It was great to see a guy like that propel us and get momentum back in our favor."

The Blue Streaks' defense held strong on the Randolph-Macon's ensuing drive, forcing a punt. But the JCU offense could not get any traction, turning the ball over on downs. A few plays later, the Yellow Jackets found the end zone on a two-yard touchdown run, stretching the lead to 23-13.

The Blue Streaks did not surrender in the final moments, as Moeglin marched JCU down the field. The junior found Darrin Davis for a 30-yard touchdown to narrow the deficit to three points. However, an unsuccessful onside kick ended the hopes of a comeback.

The loss marks the end of the career for a host of JCU seniors, including several members of the excellent defensive line, such as defensive end Jimmy Thomas. The Buffalo native topped the Blue Streaks with an exceptional 16 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three tackles for loss.

"You can go through the career wins and the big games they played in, but I look at the other stuff," Finotti said. "The legacy that they leave behind is a hard-working one. I was a new coach after great success in 2016. That group rallied around what we wanted to get done. They helped me out, I owe them a debt of gratitude and thanks. They bought in to what we did in the offseason, spring ball, practice, and games. If it wasn't for these guys buying in, a coach can't do much. These guys are friends of mine for life."