By Tim Glon
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — Ohio Northern overcame four turnovers and a 17-point third quarter deficit to post a 30-27 victory at No. 11-ranked John Carroll on a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon at Don Shula Stadium.
The Polar Bears improve to 3-1 overall and are 2-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while the Blue Streaks fall to 3-1, 2-1.
Freshman Will Freed hit senior Justin McCray on a 35-yard TD pass on a 4th-and-20 play with 4:22 left in the game to give the Polar Bears their only lead of the day at 30-27.
This marks the fourth time in as many games this year that ONU had faced a double-digit second half deficit and each time head coach Dean Paul's group has battled back to at least tie the game.
"I am so proud of the way our guys kept battling," Paul said. "We won't go away. No matter how bad we are playing, how many points we are behind, we won't go away. Our guys believe that and just keep playing. McCray just went up and took the ball away. We kept making plays and we came away with a great road victory."
Freed completed 17-of-36 passes for 321 yards and 2 TDs and senior Justin Magazine ran 25 times for 84 yards and 2 TDsand caught four passes for 78 yards and a score to lead ONU offensively.
Senior Will Bodden and junior Dan Eller each had a career-high 11 tackles to lead the Polar Bear defense.
Senior Devon Price caught seven passes for 85 yards and had 206 yards of total offense for ONU.
After the McCray touchdown, the ONU defense forced JCU into a 3-and-out and Magazine did the rest, running out the clock with 26 yards on the ground on four carries, including two third down conversions.
Ohio Northern found itself down 24-7 after a pick-6 just one minute into the second half.
But it was all ONU after that as the guests out-scored JCU 23-3 over the final 29 minutes.
Northern responded to the pick-6 and marched 76 yards in 12 plays and scored on a 1-yard run by Magazine with 10:35 left in the third. The extra point hit the upright and bounded away, leaving ONU down 24-13.
JCU made it a 27-13 game with a 39-yard field goal with 1:21 left in the third.
Freed hit junior Reed Allen on a 42-yard pass that set up a 3-yard Magazine run to pull Ohio Northern within 27-20 with five seconds left in the third period.
Senior Matt Chaney drilled a 36-yard field goal to pull the Polar Bears within 27-23 with 7:15 left in the game to cap an 11-play, 61-yard drive.
Ohio Northern out-gained JCU 431-326 in total offense.
John Carroll got on the board first when Jake Schaefer hit Marshall Howell on a 25-yard TD pass with 6:15 left in the opening period.
Jake Vivonetto kicked a 31-yard field goal to make it 10-0 with 35 seconds left in the first period.
Schaefer then hit Nico James on a 5-yard TD pass and JCU led 17-0 with 7:40 left in the half.
Freed hit Magazine on a 69-yard screen pass to pull the Polar Bears within 17-7 with 1:40 left in the half.
ONU had a chance to score again before the half after Freed hit senior Bert Marks on a 31-yard pass to put the ball on the JCU 3 with 10 seconds left. But Freed's pass on the next play was batted into the air and intercepted in the end zone to thwart the drive.
JCU extended its lead on the third play of the third period when Mason McKendrick returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown and a 24-7 lead.
Schaefer completed 21-of-47 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Blue Streaks.
The Polar Bears will return to action next Saturday with a 1:30 pm game at No. 2 Mount Union.
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