After a tough ending to its first home game of the season, the John Carroll football team was determined to get back on the right foot in its second.
Right away.
Junior
Marshall Howell opened the game with a 91-yard kickoff return for a quick score, and the Blue Streaks never looked back in a 62-14 victory over Wilmington College at Don Shula Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Blue Streaks got contributions from all phases. After the electric start on special teams, the offense and defense both got to work.
Thanks to a fiery sack from senior
David Porter, Wilmington College was immediately forced to punt on their opening possession. JCU capitalized five plays later on a 29-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback
Jake Schaefer to senior
Jordan D'Orazio. A
Matt Danko point after made the score 14-0 with less than five minutes elapsed.
On the following kickoff, however, momentum would swing the other way as Justin Lee ran 86 yards for a Wilmington touchdown. The momentum would be short lived, as that would be the only time the Quakers would score in the first half.
JCU would come up empty on its next three drives (downs, punt, fumble) before erupting for 20 points in the second period. The onslaught began when sophomore
Ro Golphin scampered 50 yards for a second JCU touchdown.
After a failed fourth down conversion by the Quakers, the Blue Streaks would get the ball back deep in their own territory. Schaefer connected with Howell in the back of the end zone for another touchdown. In the waning minutes of the half, Schaefer found Howell once again from a yard out. The extra point was no good, however, and at the end of the first half, John Carroll was on top, 34-7.
The Blue Streaks kept the pedal to the floor, scoring 14 points in both the third and fourth quarter. Continuing his strong play into the second half, Golphin ran eight yards for his second touchdown of the day on John Carroll's first possession after halftime.
Later in the quarter, Schaefer completed a 3-yard pass to freshman
Danny Disbrow for his first career touchdown.
The defensive effort remained strong as well as
Tyler Moran's first career interception in the end zone kept the Quakers from scoring at the end of the period to keep JCU ahead, 48-7.
Sophomore
Brandon DiMarco entered the game as quarterback in the fourth quarter, and promptly collected his first career touchdown pass when a simple swing pass to Jonathan brick turned into a 39-yard scoring play.
The Quakers would find the endzone for the second and last time during the middle of the fourth quarter when sophomore quarterback Luke Creditt completed an 8-yard pass to sophomore Brandon Mitchell.
The Blue Streaks capped the game with a touchdown from senior
Patrick Kramer to junior
Brian Kornowski. This would also be Kramer's first career touchdown as a Blue Streak. His touchdown put the finishing touches on the Blue Streaks win.
John Carroll rushed for a total of 209 yards and ended up with a season-high 567 yards of total offense.
Golphin rushed for a career high 107 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries. Schaefer finished with 283 passing yards, with D'Orazio accounting for 114 yards on seven catches.
Moran,
Scott Eilerman and
Kelly Culbertson all had interceptions as JCU held Wilmington to 210 total yards, of which 117 was gained in the fourth quarter.
Wilmington's Justin Lee had a strong day, finishing the game with 303 all-purpose yards, 211 of which came on kick returns.
Next Saturday, the Blue Streaks will travel to Marietta, Ohio to take on the Pioneers.
