The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Mount Union holds off John Carroll rally
The Blue Streaks’ bid to upset Mount Union in two consecutive years falls short as the Raiders defense smothers any hope of a late rally in a 31-27 OAC victory.
It might have seemed like deja vu for John Carroll and Mount Union fans Nov. 10 at Don Shula Stadium, but not for Purple Raiders coach Vince Kehres.
A year after watching JCU quarterback Anthony Moeglin drive his team to the game-winning touchdown and upset win at Mount Union, Kehres was again watching Moeglin with the ball in his hands and the Blue Streaks in position to score another game-winning touchdown drive.
“No,” said Kehres, when asked if it was deja vu watching Moeglin on JCU’s final drive. “I like our defense, and we were going to get after him. I actually felt pretty confident there.”
Kehres’ instincts were correct.
The Mount defense registered two sacks, including one on fourth down, on JCU’s final drive to prevent another upset bid by the Blue Streaks in a wild, back-and-forth 31-27 win for the Purple Raiders.
The win gave Mount another 10-0 regular season, while the Blue Streaks finished 6-4 but played like a team fighting for a conference title or playoff bid.
That should bode well for the future of the program
under first-year JCU coach Rick Finotti.
The game also featured a breakout performance for freshman Michael Canganelli. The reserve running back made two huge special teams plays that turned the game in JCU’s favor.
Trailing, 17-0, late in the second quarter, Canganelli returned a kickoff 64 yards to the Mount 30. Eight plays later, Moeglin and receiver William Woods (nine catches, 93 yards, two TDs) connected for a 7-yard pass and catch with 28 seconds left before halftime to make it a 17-7 game.
Then, on the second half’s opening kickoff, Canganelli zigged to his left, then zagged to his right and outran two Mount defenders for a 95-yard touchdown. From down, 17-0, to a 17-14 game set up a wild finish.
“Huge, huge,” said Finotti about Canganelli’s two kickoff returns. “How about the true freshman?”
Canganelli finished with 209 return yards on four attempts.
“I was just following the holes, and on the touchdown I got a seam and went,” said Canganelli.
The Purple Raiders kicked away from the freshman the rest of the game and answered back.
Mount’s D’Angelo Fulford (187 yards passing, four touchdown passes) threw a 41-yard Luke Herrington and it was 24-14.
JCU wasn’t done. Moeglin found Woods again — this time from 16 yards — to cap an 11-play, 67-yard drive to pull it within 24-21.
A Matt Denko 23-yard field goal late in the third quarter tied the game at 24. In the fourth quarter, Mount linebacker Danny Robinson made a critical play when he intercepted a Moeglin pass in JCU territory.
“We challenged the defense to make a play, for sure,” said Kehres.
That play set up a Fulford-to-Braeden Friss 25yard touchdown to put the Purple Raiders up, 31-24.
A Danko 32-yard field goal pulled JCU within three with five minutes remaining. The defense, led by Mason McKenrick, got the ball back for Moeglin and the offense with less than two minutes remaining.
“It was all about one-onone battles,” said McKenrick. “We kept preaching, our one-on-ones are better than theirs, and we made big stops.”
Even with that opportunity for the offense, the magic of the 31-28 win at Mount in 2016 wasn’t there.
“That’s the No. 2 team in the country. We were supposed to lose by 30 points,” said Moeglin, who threw for 192 yards on 21 of 37 passing.
“The guys just battled. The defense was absolutely amazing.”
Mount entered the game averaging 59 points and was held to about half that. It entered averaging almost 600 yards, but was held to 334.
McKenrick’s final game at JCU was memorable. He made nine stops, two for loss, and had a sack.
“Mason’s been doing it all year for us,” said Finotti.
Defensive lineman Conner Bogard had six tackles and a sack. Cornerback Conner Robinson made five tackles and broke up five passes.