Ryan DeGeorge rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown and Tom Arth threw for 183 yards and two scores as the John Carroll football team defeated Muhlenberg, 21-10, in the second round of the Division III playoffs.
The Blue Streaks (11-1) advance to the quarterfinals to face Brockport State, a 15-12 upset winner against top-seeded Rowan. The Mules had their six-game winning streak snapped and ended their season with a 10-2 record.
John Carroll took control of the game early, scoring twice in the first five minutes. On Muhlenberg's third play from scrimmage, Johnny Savage intercepted a Justin Jones pass and returned it to the Mule 23. After a 21-yard run by DeGeorge, Arth connected with Adam Therrien on a fade pass in the end zone.
The Mules had to punt after three plays on their next possession, and the Blue Streaks needed only four plays to travel 49 yards for a second touchdown. DeGeorge's carry of 30 yards to the 3 set up his touchdown run up the middle of the next play.
Muhlenberg had a golden opportunity to get back in the game early in the second quarter, when Tyler Cathey intercepted a tipped pass at the John Carroll 20. But the Mules lost yardage on their next three plays and had to punt from near midfield.
Muhlenberg finally got on the board on a 40-yard field goal by Chris Reed with 3:45 left in the half, capping a 10-play, 35-yard drive.
On their next series, the Mules took over at their own 20 with 1:54 on the clock and executed the two-minute offense, scoring when Jones hit Kodi Shay for a 3-yard touchdown pass as time expired to make the score 14-10. The drive was kept alive by a successful fake punt on fourth-and-5 from the Mules' 42.
John Carroll silenced Muhlenberg's momentum by taking the opening kickoff of the second half and driving 80 yards in six plays for its third touchdown, scored when Arth hit a streaking Antoine Dunklin on the left sideline for a 48-yard scoring play.
The Mules had a chance to score midway through the fourth after recovering a fumble at the John Carroll 42, but a field-goal attempt was blocked. Angelo Cua intercepted a pass on Muhlenberg's final offensive play, with 3:58 left, and the Blue Streaks ran out the clock.
Therrien finished with six catches for 76 yards. The Blue Streaks held Matt Bernardo, the Mules' leading rusher, to a season-low 54 yards on 14 carries.