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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Mason Sullivan vs. Mount Union
Doug Beigie
Mason Sullivan buoyed the offense with strong runs, but the Purple Raiders outlasted JCU.
28
John Carroll JCU 7-2 , 7-1
34
Winner Mount Union MTU 9-0 , 8-0
John Carroll JCU
7-2 , 7-1
28
Final
34
Mount Union MTU
9-0 , 8-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
JCU John Carroll 0 14 0 14 28
MTU Mount Union 7 7 13 7 34

Game Recap: Football | | Joe Ginley '16, SID

Mount Union's Strong Second Half Delivers First OAC Loss to the Blue Streaks

ALLIANCE, Ohio -- Early November games in Alliance are nothing new for the John Carroll Football program. But while the game had the feel of JCU's magical 2016 victory, the Blue Streaks could not build on a solid first half. 

Mount Union handed John Carroll the team's first Ohio Athletic Conference defeat of the season, 34-28.

John Carroll and Mount Union stood tied at halftime, 14-14, as the teams battled to a draw at the line of scrimmage. But in the third quarter, the Purple Raiders won the war by stacking up short passes and stuffing the JCU run game. 

The Blue Streaks exhausted every ounce of energy in trying to comeback from a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit, but the Purple Raiders survived the scare. 

John Carroll got the ball to start the game. The Blue Streaks offense could not gain traction, with a pair of incomplete passes, including one affected by the wind. So, the opening drive for John Carroll went for naught, and Grant Gonya booted a 50-yard punt that sailed true despite the wind. 

Mount Union's first drive proved more effective. The Purple Raiders used a mix of run and pass to slide down the field. The 13-play, 79-yard drive concluded with a 4-yard DeAndre Parker run. 

The Blue Streaks' second drive was no better than the first. The Purple Raiders stopped a short Evan McVay run and then pressured Joe Collins on back-to-back passes, the second one a sack to force a second straight Gonya punt. This time, John Carroll's defense held firm despite strong starting field position for the hosts. Three straight rushes by Mount Union gained some yards, but not quite enough for a first down, as Jahiem Peake got a tackle for loss on the third rush. 

JCU's offense scuffled again on the following drive, but then the Blue Streaks' defense made a huge stop on 4th and 5. Michael Palmer dashed in on a delayed blitz, sacking the Purple Raider quarterback for a loss of 10 yards, giving JCU the ball at the JCU 44-yard line. 

The Blue Streaks' offense responded to Palmer's play, as Mason Sullivan picked up 16 yards on three carries on the final three plays of the quarter. 

On the second play of the second quarter, the Blue Streaks faced a huge 4th and 3 from the Mount Union 28-yard line. Joe Collins came up in the clutch, finding an open Tyler Mintz for a gain of 20 yards. On the ensuing 3rd and goal, Evan McVay hauled in a 5-yard pass in the flat for a touchdown pass. It was the first touchdown given up in the second quarter by Mount Union all season.

The Purple Raiders marched down the field in response with an 11-play, 75-yard drive. Plunk made some very impressive throws, including a few outside the pocket. Parker finished off the drive with a 1-yard push forward for six. With 6:05 left in the second quarter, Mount Union held a 14-7 lead. 

This time, JCU's offense could not respond, so Gonya trotted out to punt, and did an excellent job with an 82-yard punt that went into the end zone for a touchback. The bomb of a punt was nearly touched down inside the 10-yard line. Mount Union's drive went nowhere, as Peake stepped up for a key sack on third down. 

The Blue Streaks responded by taking the air out of the ball. JCU gave the Purple Raiders a steady dose of Mason Sullivan. That is, until Collins shoveled the ball to Tyler Mintz, and the Kenston native dashed 12 yards to the left side into the end zone. The 14-yard score, officially a passing touchdown, marked Collins' 21st TD of the year. 

The halftime score: JCU - 14, Mount Union - 14. Mount Union outgained JCU, 153-96, but JCU's 69 rushing yards, including 60 by Sullivan, proved to be the reason for the game being tied. 

Today marked the first regular-season game the Purple Raiders were tied or trailing at halftime since November 12, 2016 (the date of JCU's famous road win over Mount Union).

The Purple Raiders began the second half with the ball. The hosts utilized short passes to skate down the field. A Plunk pass to Edwin Reed for a 10-yard strike finished off an 11-play, 78-yard drive that took over five minutes. With the short TD pass, Plunk's first of the day, Mount Union snuck ahead, 21-14. 

In response, the Blue Streaks kept the ball on the ground, giving the ball to Sullivan and McVay. But on third down near midfield, Mount Union held strong, forcing a Gonya punt. Despite the fierce wind, Gonya pinned the hosts within their own 20-yard line, his ninth such punt this year. 

Mount Union targeted Wayne Ruby time and time again on the following drive, and smartly, as Ruby is one of the top wideouts in the country. Ruby hauled in a 15-yard touchdown score to end the 11-play, 85-yard jaunt. The PAT was no good, the first miss for the Purple Raiders on the team's 61st TD of the year. So, the score stayed at 27-14 Mount Union with 3:09 left in the third quarter. 

Collins completed a pair of passes, but then Mount Union held firm to force a Gonya punt, which again was downed inside the 20-yard line on a 43-yard punt. So, the Blue Streaks trailed by 13 entering the fourth quarter.

Mount Union outgained John Carroll in the third stanza, 165-36, and outscored JCU, 13-0. 

JCU's defense held deep inside Mount Union territory early in the fourth, allowing the Blue Streaks to get the ball in solid field position, just inside their own territory. But the Purple Raiders got a third-down sack, so Gonya yet again booted a deep punt, this time 46 yards, and inside the 20 once more. 

But this time, the Blue Streaks' defense did not get a stand. A perfect screen pass playcall to the flat to Jaden Manley against a JCU blitz resulted in an 80-yard touchdown, dealing a killer blow to any comeback efforts. Mount Union held a 34-14 lead after the team's longest offensive play of the season. 

Sullivan breathed life into the JCU offense with a 25-yard run play. A Mount Union pass interference call helped, then Tadas Tatarunas hauled in a 24-yard TD pass down the seam, concluding a 74-yard drive that took just 1:40 of clock. With Tatarunas' sixth score of the season, JCU trimmed the deficit to 34-21 with 9:43 left to play.

The Blue Streaks stood strong on defense, so the offense got the ball with seven minutes remaining. On 4th and short, McVay hauled in a pass to keep the drive alive. An intentional grounding call backed up JCU, but Tatarunas hauled in a huge catch across the middle for a first down on 2nd and 18. A Brennan Fugh got JCU on the edge of the red zone, but Mount Union didn't bend on 4th and 10, and the ballgame was essentially decided.

Still, the Blue Streaks showed no quit, fighting to the last second. Collins guided JCU down the field on a 9-play, 74-yard drive in 1:06, ending in a 6-yard TD pass to Brennan Fugh with 19 seconds left to play. Trailing 34-28, the Blue Streaks needed an onside kick to keep the hopes alive. Mount Union recovered, officially ending things. 

The Purple Raiders' advantage in the air was crucial, as the hosts outgained JCU in that category, 367-215. Overall, Mount Union held a 440-314 advantage in yards. However, JCU bested Mount Union on the ground, 99-73. 

Offensively, Mason Sullivan's 103 rushing yards steered the Blue Streaks. It was the first time surpassing the century mark for the Kirtland native. Collins finished with 215 passing yards and 4 touchdowns. Tatarunas enjoyed a huge day, tallying a career-high 108 receiving yards on six catches. Fugh also looked extraordinary with five great receptions for 46 yards.

Grant Gonya's leg was outstanding, as he averaged 47.0 yards per punt despite a strong wind blowing towards the scoreboard end zone, with a long of 82 and three inside the 20-yard line.

The Blue Streaks became the first team to score over 14 points on the Purple Raiders this season. This was Mount Union's closest regular season win since November 11, 2017 when the Purple Raiders eked by JCU in University Heights, 31-27. 

Defensively, Jahiem Peake balled out with a team-high 11 tackles, including two tackles for loss. Nick Costanzo did well at the line of scrimmage with 7 tackles, and Tyler Thimons followed closely with 6 stops.

The Blue Streaks will wrap up the regular season next Saturday against Otterbein at home. Kickoff for that contest is scheduled for noon. 
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