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Demerius vs. W&J
Tim Phillis, News Herald

Week 2 Football Preview: Blue Streaks Head to Otterbein Looking for Win #1

| By: Logan Potosky, Staff Writer
The Blue Streaks will look to run the ball effectively at Otterbein. 
WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- This Saturday, the John Carroll Blue Streaks travel to Westerville for their first conference game of the season, as they are set to take on the Otterbein Cardinals in a Week 2 OAC matchup.

The Blue and Gold have vengeance in mind, as they opened their season with a tough 21-14 defeat at the hands of Washington & Jefferson on Saturday, September 4. This loss, along with their bye week this past Saturday, has moved John Carroll from #11 to #20 in the latest D3football.com poll.

Despite this setback, the Blue Streaks are moving forward, one week at a time.

"We're in the OAC, we play one of the toughest schedules in the nation. There is going to be some adversity. We want to see how we can handle that," said Head Coach Rick Finotti. "We have to truly embrace this process of going 1-0, and what that means to us."

Otterbein also has yet to earn a victory this season, falling to Ohio Wesleyan, 32-28, in Week 1, and Baldwin Wallace, 41-10, last Saturday. Here's a look at what to expect on each side of the ball this week.

JOHN CARROLL OFFENSE vs. OTTERBEIN DEFENSE
In Week 1, the John Carroll offense found its rhythm in the second half, as they scored all 14 of their points in the third and fourth quarters.

While the Blue Streaks finished with 323 yards of total offense, only 66 of them were on the ground. They're looking to change that this week against the Cardinals.

Fifth-year senior QB Jake Floriea leads the troops for the third straight season. He finished 24-of-35 passing for 257 yards and a touchdown. He'll be protected by a hard-working offensive line, led by a pair of fifth-year seniors in Preseason All-American Blake Herideen and Anthony Amata.

John Carroll also has a two-headed ground attack in senior running back Demerius Goodwin (9 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD; 2 receptions, 31 yards) and junior back Matthew Buser (12 carries, 31 yards; 2 receptions, 4 yards). JCU's receiving core is currently led by junior Brennan Fugh (4 receptions, 84 yards), Devin Limerick (5 receptions, 42 yards), and JJ Olivera (3 receptions, 34 yards).

The Otterbein defense is one that prides itself on stopping the run. With a 3-4 scheme and high-motor front seven, led by junior LB Colton Doup (16 total tackles, 3 TFLs), senior DE Nick Cipriano (14 total tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1 sack), and senior LB Greg Nolder (18 total tackles, 0.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks), this defense looks to give JCU a good test in the running game.

The Otterbein secondary is anchored by freshman CB Orlando Jones, who leads the team with five pass break-ups, including four last week against Baldwin Wallace. The corner on the other side, junior CB Carlos Alamo, is next in line with a pair of pass break-ups, and senior SS Caleb Rice has a pass break-up and a fumble recovery for the Cardinals.

JOHN CARROLL DEFENSE vs. OTTERBEIN OFFENSE
John Carroll's defense will try to avoid allowing big plays this week, as in Week 1, they allowed touchdown passes of 65 and 56 yards.

The Blue Streaks' defense starts with their defensive line. Leading the way is junior end Ross Valenti, who recorded two sacks against Washington & Jefferson, and senior end Jack Burton, who has seven total tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and 0.5 sacks. 

Senior linebackers Hunter Orlando (7 total tackles, 0.5 sacks) and Luke Brown (5 total tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FR) lead an experienced linebacking group, and the Blue and Gold's dynamic secondary includes senior safety Nate Leopold (7 total tackles, 1 TFL) and cornerback Alec Wallace, who had his first career interception, a forced fumble, and three total tackles against Washington & Jefferson.

Otterbein's offense is steered by fifth-year senior QB Bryce Hall, who, like Jake Floriea for JCU, is starting for the third consecutive season. So far, he has completed 42 of his 75 passes for 431 yards, with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. On the ground, versatile senior back Siraj Muhammad is a player to watch for. Through two games, he has 36 carries for 193 yards, as well as two receptions for 36 yards.

The three starting receivers for the Cardinals have good size, as sophomore Jalan Minney (10 receptions, 126 yards, 2 TDs), sophomore Armani Burton (3 receptions, 54 yards), and freshman Robert Jordan IV (7 receptions, 59 yards) are all at least six feet tall. However, senior tight end Jeb Jones is the most experienced starting receiver, and he has 14 receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. He's a key to the Otterbein offense. 

SPECIAL TEAMS
Finally, in terms of special teams, John Carroll senior punter Andy Han (9 punts, 283 yards, 2 inside 20) and graduate student kicker Grant Gonya (0-1 FG, 2-2 XP, 3 kickoffs, 142 yards, 2 TB) lead the kicking units. Returnmen Devin Limerick (1 kick return, 34 yards) and Nate Leopold (2 punt returns, 21 yards) provide versatility in the return game as well.

For Otterbein, junior Caleb Meade is both kicker and punter. Punting, he has 14 punts for 514 yards and 5 punts inside the 20. Kicking, he is 2-for-2 on field goals, with a long of 34 yards. Freshman Tanner Pope (8 kickoffs, 409 yards, 2 TB) performs kickoffs for the Cardinals, and their return game is composed of punt returner Orlando Jones (1 return, 5 yards) and kick returner Carlos Alamo (5 returns, 78 yards).

All in all, Saturday's game in Westerville should be a competitive matchup between two OAC teams seeking their first victory of the Fall 2021 season.

"This is an important game for both teams," said Finotti. "And every year, it's been a battle."
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