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home of the Blue Streaks
Jahiem Peake and Joe Collins
Doug Beigie

Week 3 Football Preview: Road Test at Heidelberg Awaits Blue Streaks

| By: Dylan Feltovich, Staff Writer
Jahiem Peake and Joe Collins will lead JCU into battle in Tiffin.
TIFFIN, Ohio -- A trip to Tiffin is on the docket for John Carroll Football this weekend, another challenging matchup for the Blue Streaks.

John Carroll got back on track last weekend with a victory over Baldwin Wallace, 30-7, to open up Ohio Athletic Conference play. This Saturday's game at Tiffin will bring another challenge, as JCU has lost two of its last three games at Heidelberg. 

John Carroll's defense was the main story of the game last week. After conceding a touchdown early in the first quarter, the Blue Streaks did not allow BW to put any points on the board for the rest of the contest. Along with only seven points, JCU limited the Yellow Jackets to 212 yards of total offense.

On the other hand, the offense struggled at times in the first half and was often backed up on their own end. With BW loading the box to stop the run, Head Coach Jeff Behrman '95 turned to the pass game in the second half, which quickly deflated any momentum from Baldwin Wallace. The playstyle change led to 20 points in the final two quarters of play, thanks to quarterback Joe Collins rekindling his connection with wide receiver Brennan Fugh. 

The Student Princes also moved to 2-0 after a huge OAC victory last weekend against Ohio Northern, 35-14. ONU's gameplan to stop Heidelberg's star running back, Montavious Yearby worked – the graduate student only averaged 2.6 yards per carry. However, Heidelberg's stout defense and efficient quarterback play led to them winning the Bendo Bowl.

All time, John Carroll has had the Student Princes' number, leading the series 28-8, and three of the last five wins came within the past five years. However, six of JCU's eight losses in the series have occurred in Tiffin. The most recent victory came last year, when the Blue Streaks hosted Heidelberg and walked away with a 24-7 win. The JCU defense led the charge that day, allowing only 109 total yards in the contest.

THE OFFENSES

JCU
One of the main focuses the Blue Streaks are looking to target against Heidelberg is creating more explosive plays on offense. The passing game last week demonstrated these ideas, so offensive coordinator Travis James will find ways to incorporate the rushing attack into big-play philosophy. Even with an aggressive style of play, however, JCU will make sure to take care of the ball and win the field position battle.

Quarterback Joe Collins will be the key to the offense this week. The graduate student from Grand Rapids completed 22 of his 33 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns against Baldwin Wallace. He couldn't have done it without the help of his offensive line, which only allowed for two quarterback hurries and one sack. The dominance in the trench game granted Collins time to create shot plays.

To complement the quarterback play for John Carroll, wide receiver Brennan Fugh will be once again called upon. The veteran wideout stepped up in a huge way, hauling in nine catches for 110 yards and a touchdown against the Yellow Jackets. Tyler Mintz and Joe Torok will also see an expanded role against the Student Princes. The two pass catchers combined for 112 receiving yards and a touchdown last week.

The passing attack can be fueled by a stellar run game. Last week, Mason Sullivan was added to the committee of backs and led the team in rushing yards. The two-headed monster quickly shifted to three, as Evan McVay, Matthew Buser, and Sullivan will all be featured throughout the match. While McVay and Buser are known for their abilities to make defenders miss, Sullivan adds a downhill runner into the mix, which gives JCU different play styles in the run game. The three rushers will look to penetrate Heidelberg's defense, which has only given up 70 rushing yards in their first two games.

HEIDELBERG
Veterans are frequent across the starting 22 for the Student Princes. The slew of upperclassmen on Heidelberg is their main tagline, along with being a balanced offense. Head Coach Scott Donaldson's balance attack features big-time plays in both the air and on the ground, which showed in their opening-day win against Hiram when they totaled 68 points.

The name circled on everyone's gameplan – running back Montavious Yearby. The highly-decorated graduate student is the heart and soul of Heidelberg, and is a game changer when on the field. Known for his ability to make defenders miss, Yearby has already rushed for 205 yards in two games, with 126 yards coming against Hiram. With six touchdowns on the season, Yearby will be a handful for the Blue Streak defense.

All the attention will not be on Yearby, as senior quarterback Drew Sims will challenge the opposing secondary at any given time. The four-year starter has thrown for 543 yards and four touchdowns in two games. Sims is known as a talented QB that can effectively run the offense, and he will make JCU second-guess committing to only stopping the run.

Heidelberg also bolsters a big, strong offensive line that includes multiple upperclassmen and a well-rounded wide receiving core. Oliver Kelleher will be one of the main pass catchers for the Student Princes. In the first two games of the season, Kelleher has caught 11 passes for 110 yards.

THE DEFENSES

JCU
Bricker Thiel and Thomas Faron are the first in line to contain Yearby and Sims. Both defensive lineman tallied a sack in last week's contest. In addition, Ian Thomas will be a factor, as the Brentwood native pressured the quarterback three times against BW. Behind the front four, junior Chris Golson and senior Jaheim Peake will be two players that take on major roles in defending both the run and pass game. The duo racked up a combined 14 tackles versus BW.

While the trench battle will be fought with the front seven, JCU's secondary will shift their focus in limiting any efforts from Sims. The group did a great job limiting the explosive plays/pass game last week — they only allowed 100 passing yards, and two passes reached the 20+ yard mark. As the season has progressed, juniors Dohntay Williams and Kevin Doyle have slowly blossomed into a leadership role on the back end of the defense. Sophomore Lamar Thomas has followed suit, developing into a ballhawk for the Blue Streaks early in the season. Thomas finished with 6 total tackles in the previous contest.

Generating takeaways and limiting explosive plays will be keys on defense for a strong JCU squad. 

HEIDELBERG 
Like on offense, the Student Princes are loaded with experienced players on defense. Berg has strong, athletic players who know the system, which makes the Heidelberg defense so dangerous, and is a key reason why they are undefeated.

John Carroll's offense line will have their work cut out for them going up against Berg's D-Line. While the front four does not light up the stat sheet, this group is big, and likes to switch up their fronts throughout the game. These types of schematic changes cause issues for the opposition. The defense is held together by a linebacker core of Andrew DeHart and Isaiah Krammer, who have been putting on a show as of recently. Against ONU, DeHart tallied a sack, six total tackles, and forced a fumble, while Krammer forced a fumble as well and added seven total tackles.

The defensive back unit for the Student Princes is filled with ballhawks who can easily get across the field at any given moment. Graduate student Griffin Pendry broke up two passes and received a sack during the Bendo Bowl, while senior Joseph Norris III racked up two interceptions and two pass break ups.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Junior Yanni Volas has been doing the grunt work for the Blue Streaks, and it flies under the radar. The North Canton native knocked in 21-yard field goal to put the Blue Streaks up going into half. Volas has also been getting it done with his punts, as he ranks first in average punt yards in all of D-III football.
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