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Week 1 captains vs. UWW
Doug Beigie

Week 4 Football Preview: Homecoming Fun Ahead for the Blue Streaks

| By: Dylan Feltovich, Staff Writer
The Blue Streaks will welcome a nice crowd for Homecoming Weekend on a beautiful Saturday for football. 
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS -- The Blue Streaks travel back home for Homecoming Weekend to take on a red-hot Wilmington College football team.

South Belvoir shuts down at 10 am for the opening of the Fan Experience Area. All are welcome to join the celebration of the Blue Streaks! Be sure to stop by the Blue Gold Club's tent to see some legends from JCU's past plus some gear and books. 

Last weekend, John Carroll Football traveled to Heidelberg and won in dominant style, 34-7. Head Coach Jeff Behrman '95 attributed the success to execution of the game plan, and keeping a balanced attack on offense. JCU ended the game with 448 total yards of offense, and 265 of the yards were through the air, while the rest were converted through the ground. The defense followed, adding four sacks and two interceptions after giving up a touchdown on the opening drive.

Gameday Guide

Wilmington enjoyed their homecoming weekend victory last week over Capital, 49-24. The win was fueled off an impressive offensive explosion by the Quakers, in which they accumulated 649 total yards on offense. Veteran quarterback Derek Larimer threw for five touchdowns, three in which wideout Lathan Jones was on the receiving end. 

John Carroll has had Wilmington's number, winning 25 of the past 28 matchups against the Quakers and have won the last twelve contests. Last year, the Blue Streaks ventured to Wilmington and took care of business, winning 59-0. Running backs Evan McVay and Mason Sullivan led the charge on offense, rushing for 148 of the 375 total yards on the ground. The defense also held the Quakers to under 100 yards on offense.

THE OFFENSES

JCU
Offensive coordinator Travis James and the Blue Streaks will look to keep the same mentality as last week, and continue their multi-dimensional attack on offense.

Quarterback Joe Collins has been on an outstanding stretch of consistent play at the helm of the offense. He completed 24 of 30 attempts for 265 yards and three touchdowns last week. The graduate student from Grand Rapids has completed just under 70% of his passes this year. His efforts have been backed up by a strong offensive line, which has only allowed one sack on Collins all season.

Collins has quickly formed chemistry with recent transfer students Lucas D'Orazio. The former defensive back at Duquesne has easily transitioned into his new role as a tight end and had breakout performance last weekend. D'Orazio led the team in receptions and receiving yards against Heidelberg, hauling in six catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. Collins will also integrate wideouts Brennan Fugh and Tyler Mintz. Fugh caught five passes for 75 yards last weekend, while Mintz found the back of the endzone. A Wilmington team that allows 7.19 yards per pass will have their hands full with this trio.

Versatility has been a goal for this offense this year, and this has taken full effect in the running back stable. Last week, running backs Mason Sullivan, Evan McVay, and Matthew Buser virtually saw the field an equal amount of time. The committee rushed for 154 of the 183 yards on the ground against the Student Princes. The other way the halfbacks on this squad are becoming more dynamic is through the passing game. Between the three backs, they tallied nine catches for 79 yards and a touchdown. This group will continue its evolution against a Quaker defense that has allowed 152 rushing yards per game.

WILMINGTON
This is not your average Wilmington football team. Head Coach Corey Fillipovich has turned this squad into statistically one of the most electric offenses in all of D-III. The high power offense averages 49 points per game on an outstanding 541 yards per game. Their 26 touchdowns currently is tied for fifth in all of DIII.

Coming off his five touchdown performance last week, quarterback Derek Larimer is looking to continue his hot start to the season. Larimer has accounted for over half of the Wilmington touchdowns, throwing for 16 in just four games, which currently ranks second in all of DIII. The Columbus native has thrown for 1094 yards this season, which is the 16th most in DIII.

On the other end of Larimer's passes is wide receiver Lathan Jones, who is on pace for setting all-time highs at Wilmington. Jones has already recorded 592 receiving yards, which is the third best in all of D-III. But his calling card is the fact that he always finds the endzone; the senior wideout already has 10 touchdowns on the season, which ranks first in DIII football. Along with being a threat to score at any given moment, Jones has the ability to rip off a big time play with ease. He averages just under 27 yards per reception on the season, which is good for seventh in D-III.

Wilmington is not one-dimensional, as the Quakers have one of the best running backs in the nation in Nehemiah Jenkins. The sophomore rusher currently leads all of NCAA DIII in rushing yards (538) and yards per game (145.8). His success is credited to how efficient he is on the ground. Jenkins averages six yards per carry, and is the perfect back to set up the passing game.

THE DEFENSES

JCU
John Carroll's defense has been a trademark for this squad in 2023. As a unit, the team has only given up one touchdown in each of the past two contests. They will be battle tested this weekend with a high-powered Wilmington offense.

Jake Phillips was a force to be reckoned with last weekend. The junior linebacker tallied two sacks and six total tackles, three in which resulted in a loss of seven yards. His disruption earned him a spot on the D3Football.com Team of the Week. Bricker Thiel was also consistently after the quarterback last week, adding a sack to the mix. This defensive front will need to step up in a big way to stop Jenkins.
Junior linebacker Chris Golson, once again, found himself atop the statline against the Student Princes. The Streetsboro native totaled six tackles and added an interception last week. Jacob Hufnagel also had an interception last week. The freshman defensive back made his first college appearance last week, and will be heavily relied on moving forward throughout the season.

WILMINGTON
The Quakers may have one of the most electric offenses in the country, but they have faced their fair share of woes on defense this season. The defense unit, on average, has allowed 37.3 points per game in 2023.

Even with a struggling defense, their unique style could give the Blue Streaks trouble on offense. Coach Fillipovich runs a multiple defense (3-5-3), which features a three-safety configuration. This style gives Wilmington more flexibility on defense, and makes it challenging to identify coverages. JCU has yet to face a defense this season that features this type of front.

The player highlighted on every game plan is linebacker Jarod Lee. Lee is the key to the three safety configuration, as he plays a linebacker/safety hybrid role for the Quakers. The junior has 22 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception on the season.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Yanni Volas knocked in two more field goals against Heidelberg, both coming from 30+ out. Volas has been the golden boot that coach Behrman has turned to when in a jam.

COACH TO CURE MD
This weekend is also the Coach to Cure MD game for the Blue Streaks. John Carroll Football has paired with Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy to help spread awareness about Muscular Dystrophy. 12-year-old Allan Mulloy will be an honorary captain for the game and will be recognized at midfield during halftime. Coaches will also wear a special "Coach to Cure MD" patch. 
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