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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
JCU forced fumble vs. Berry
Nico Klementzos
Dylan Crasi
21
Winner John Carroll JCF 12-1 , 8-0
13
Berry BCF 11-2 , 7-0
Winner
John Carroll JCF
12-1 , 8-0
21
Final
13
Berry BCF
11-2 , 7-0
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
JCF John Carroll 0 14 0 7 21
BCF Berry 0 0 0 13 13

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

Through Valhalla, Into the Semifinals: Defense Directs Win for JCU

The Blue Streaks forced 7 turnovers in a fantastic effort to punch the program's third semifinal appearance

MOUNT BERRY, Ga. — While you might think the warmer weather might tamp down turnovers, the reverse was true, as John Carroll Football forced an incredible SEVEN takeaways in a defensive masterclass.

On a sunny 68-degree day in front of a great crowd at Valhalla Stadium at Berry College, the Blue Streaks dispatched of the Vikings, 21-13, holding off a late comeback by the hosts.

With the victory, John Carroll will advance to the NCAA Semifinal for just the third time in program history, previously making the final four in 2002 and 2016. 

"I'm super proud of these guys. They come together and continue to get stronger each and every week. There were a lot of ups and downs in that game," said Head Coach Jeff Behrman '95. "We talked about creating opportunities and the defense did that with five interceptions and two fumbles. It was an amazing job by the defensive staff and the players. And then the offense, they just kept grinding it out. That's a hell of a defense over there." 

Postgame Press Conference 

The Blue Streaks' offense did its job against a stingy Berry defense ranked eighth in the nation in scoring defense (13.3) entering the day. But the John Carroll defense starred throughout the day, limiting Berry to 163 rushing yards and just over 50% passing. 

John Carroll won the toss and elected to receive, but a penalty and a sack ended the opening possession quickly. Thankfully JCU's defense also forced a three-and-out. John Carroll drove down the field later in the first quarter, with Kenneth Rawls and a steady dose of Tyren Montgomery getting JCU into the red zone with Nick Semptimphelter setting the single season record for completions in a season. Three plays into the second quarter, Quincy Newsom punched the ball in for six and Colin Schuler nailed the PAT for a 7-0 lead. 

In response, Berry got into JCU territory for the first time thanks to a clutch 24-yard pass on 3rd and 10. But then Jacob Hufnagel stepped in front of an underthrown deep ball at the JCU 9-yard line. His first interception of the year occurred at the perfect time for JCU. The visitors drove it into Berry territory thanks to a 32-yard Rawls reception, but stalled. Owen Schuckert pinned Berry at its 1-yard line at the midway mark of the second. Adam LaCarte then made a leaping pick at the JCU 43-yard line, his first of the season as well. 

John Carroll's offense clicked on the ensuing drive, especially on the ground. Cohen Klimak bounced off a defender for a 16-yard rush to set the Streaks up with 1st and Goal from the 4-yard line at the two-minute timeout. A couple plays later, Klimak took a quick pass from Semptimphelter into the end zone after a couple nice blocks by Rawls and Shane Lindstrom. 

The momentum nearly flipped early in the second half, as a JCU turnover on a punt return gave Berry the ball at the JCU 40-yard line. On the very next play, Joe Thimons recovered a short fumble after a short Berry completion, immediately grabbing the momentum back. Montgomery flipped the field with a 41-yard catch and run into the red zone. But a Colin Schuler 44-yard attempt clanked off the upright to keep the score at 14-0 at the 9:16 mark. 

But once again, the JCU Defense provided a huge play. Lamar Thomas picked off a pass near midfield, his third of the season and JCU's third of the game. While the offense could not take advantage, Owen Schuckert pinned Berry at its own 6-yard line. 

The teams then traded fumbles on back-to-back plays. Dylan Crasi hopped in front of a Berry pass, marking JCU's fourth pick of the day and fourth turnover of the third quarter. And John Carroll wasn't done yet! Dylan Crasi popped in front of a quick pass to the flat for his second pick of the day on an unbelievable play. 

John Carroll made Berry pay this time, as Semptimphelter scrambled and found Rawls for a 7-yard strike, extending the lead to 21-0 lead with 13:27 left. Berry finally gained traction on offense on the following drive, crossing midfield for the second time of the game. Andrew Hunter finished the drive on a 6-yard pass to Nate Lyons in the back of the end zone. But Berry missed the PAT, keeping the score at 21-6 JCU. 

The Blue Streaks burned some clock, but not enough, as Hunter found Cameron Coleman on a pretty pass in the back of the end zone. This time, the PAT was good, slimming the score to 21-13 JCU with 2:07 left. Thankfully for JCU, the onsides kick went for naught and the visitors bled out the clock.

"We have so much respect for Berry College's football program and for Coach Tony [Kunczewski]," said Behrman. "I met him for the first time last night, but watching his team on film and playing them, I know why they're so successful. They certainly have great players and win football games, and there was no quit in them today."

Crasi played an impressive second half after missing the first half due to a targeting call against Mount Union in the Third Round. The veteran corner picked off two passes and forced a fumble in a remarkable effort, becoming the first JCU player to notch two interceptions in a playoff game. 

"First off, all glory to God," said Crasi. "But in the first half, I got to see a lot, how they run combinations and consistency within their offense. I got to see a lot of film tape, and I was able to jump a few plays, which led to some turnovers."

JCU's front seven did an excellent job in containing Berry's run game, which picked up some gains but didn't bust any big plays. The Vikings didn't have a run over 15 yards. Berry failed to score a rushing touchdown for just the second time this season. 

Mason Rus played a huge part with a team-best 9 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

"We had a good game plan and put a couple more guys in the box as they got in their heavy formations," explained Rus. "We got a lot of good push up front which makes it easier for us backers. Everybody on this defense trusts each other."

One of the unheralded players for John Carroll was punter Owen Schuckert. The punter proved to be a weapon for the Blue Streaks. The senior punted six times, five of which were downed inside the Berry 20-yard line. Schuckert averaged 42.8 yards per punt.

"The longer you go in this tournament, the more field position battle becomes crucial," said Behrman. "Owen without a doubt was an MVP on the special teams side of things today. That's what he's capable of doing."

Semptimphelter, who finished 20-of-28 to break the JCU record for completions in a campaign, enjoyed playing in front of family. Berry College is not far from his native Nashville, and the touchdown to his brother and fellow Tennessean Kenneth Rawls was particularly satisfying. Semptimphelter notched 256 passing yards and 2 TDs.

"It was cool. My family and friends had a big crowd at the game, being only three hours from home," said Semptimphelter. "This is the closest I've played to home in my whole career, so it was really cool to have a lot of people there."

Tyren Montgomery continues his exceptional season, looking like Julio Jones in his prime. The graduate student finished with a team-leading 9 receptions for 126 yards. On the ground, Cohen Klimak powered the way with 56 rushing yards.

Next Up
#9 John Carroll will face #1 North Central in the NCAA Semifinal. The site will be announced on Sunday, but according to NPI, JCU is most likely heading to Naperville, Illinois (about 45 minutes outside of Chicago).
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