Pioneers to battle Blue Streaks under the lights Saturday
Marietta (1-4, 1-3 OAC) at John Carroll (3-2, 2-2 OAC)
7 p.m. ĦE Saturday, Oct. 13 ĦEDon Shula Stadium

Game Notes (.pdf)
Oct. 10, 2007
MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College football team will play its fourth road game of the year Saturday (Oct. 13) when it makes a trip to University Heights to take on John Carroll University under the lights at Don Shula Stadium. The Pioneers will look to carry the momentum from a big win at rival Muskingum, while the Blue Streaks are trying to rebound from a loss to Capital. Marietta has never beaten John Carroll. The Blue Streaks lead the all-time series 18-0-1.

Here is a look at both teams:

John Carroll University: The Blue Streaks are coming off a 37-13 road loss to Capital in a week six battle between Top 25 teams. After five games, John Carroll ranks eighth in the OAC in scoring, averaging 18.2 points. The Blue Streaks rank seventh in total offense (306.0). They are sixth in both passing (207.8) and rushing (98.2). John Carroll is the fourth-most penalized team in the OAC, giving up an average of 63.2 penalty yards. The Blue Streaks have converted 12-of-17 red-zone chances and 27-of-73 third down opportunities this season.

Junior quarterback Mark Petruziello runs the team's offense again in 2007. He has completed 79-of-129 passes and thrown for 945 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions. Junior tailback Rai Stover paces the ground game for the Blue Streaks. He has rushed 85 times and netted 334 yards with one touchdown. Five receivers have caught at least 10 passes thus far. Sophomore Frank Ross leads the way with 19 receptions for 217 yards and one score, while senior Vince Doorhy has added 18 grabs for 92 yards and three touchdowns.

The Blue Streak's defense is allowing an 16.6 points per game, which ranks fifth in the league. John Carroll has surrendered an average of 99.0 yards on the ground and 179.0 yards through the air. The Blue Streaks, who have a +2 turnover margin, have compiled 13 sacks this season.

Junior Ken Bevington leads the team with 52 total tackles, which leads the OAC. He has also added seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss and forced three fumbles. Junior Michael Nettling is second on the team in tackles with 42 and leads the defense with three interceptions.

Senior Josiah Kedzior is 3-of-6 in field goal attempts with a long of 37. Sophomore punter Jeff Javorek is averaging 36.1 yards on 27 punts, which ranks seventh in the OAC. John Carroll, led by Ross, is averaging 18.7 yards in kick returns. The Blue Streaks have collected 97 first downs, while its defense has allowed 81. John Carroll is controlling the clock for 33:01 while on defense for 26:59.

Marietta College: The Pioneers are looking to use the momentum from a 27-21 victory over their rival the Muskies in week six to tackle a tough obstacle in the Blue Streaks. Marietta's offense has averaged 14.0 points and 275.6 yards this season, which rank tenth and eighth, respectively in the OAC. Of those yards, 94.0 come on the ground, while 181.6 are through the air. The Pioneers are ranked ninth in passing offense and seventh in rushing offense. Marietta has converted 26-of-80 third down and 10-of-18 red-zone chances in 2007.

The Pioneers have a -12 turnover margin. Individually, sophomore quarterback Dexter Hughes is 65-of-136 passing, throwing for 676 yards. He has thrown four touchdowns and eight interceptions. Senior Chad McDaniel leads the team with 24 catches for 286 yards, while freshman Ryan Dawson has added 23 catches for 291 yards and three scores. Senior Joe Webb leads the ground attack with 44 rushes for 187 yards (37.4 yards per game). Junior Garrett Banks has added 26.2 yards per game, while sophomore George Davis has contributed 24.0 yards per game and scored two touchdowns.

Junior Pat Lane is 1-for-5 in field goals and 7-for-8 in PATs. Senior John Bensie is averaging 33.4 yards on 32 punts. Marietta is averaging 15.1 yards on kick returns and 7.2 yards on punt returns this year. The Pioneers have committed 27 penalties for 239 yards.

Marietta's defense enters the week ranked seventh in total defense. It is allowing 425.4 yards per game. The Pioneers rank sixth against the run (125.2 yards per game) and ninth against the pass (300.2 yards per game). Marietta has recorded nine sacks and 33 tackles for loss this season. The Pioneers have allowed their opponents to convert 19-of-26 red zone chances, including 15 touchdowns. Opponents are converting 40.5% (34-of-84) of their third-down opportunities against Marietta.

Senior linebacker Brian Hahn leads the team and is second in the OAC with 51 total tackles, including 8 1/2 for loss. Junior linebacker Grant Cowell and senior linebacker Carter Shaver have added 42 and 40 tackles, respectively. Marietta is trailing in time of possession, holding onto the ball for an average of 28:50, while on defense for 31:10.

Week 7 Game Notes

THE RECORDS: Saturday is week seven of the 2007 season. Marietta enters 1-4 overall and 1-3 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). John Carroll is 3-2, 2-2 in the OAC.

GAME TIME: 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13, Don Shula Stadium in University Heights, Ohio.

THE COACHES: Marietta's Curt Wiese is in his second season as the leader of the Pioneers. Wiese, the offensive coordinator of the Pioneers for three years before becoming the head coach, earned his bachelor's degree from Minnesota State-Mankato in 1999. Regis Scafe is in his eighth season as John Carroll's head coach. The 1971 graduate of Case Western Reserve went 60-26 in his first seven years leading the Blue Streaks.

ALL-TIME SERIES: The Blue Streaks have completely dominated the series, leading 18-0-1. John Carroll has won 11 straight. The only time Marietta has not lost was in 1995 when the teams tied 21-21. The series initially began in 1929, but the teams did not meet again until 1989 and have battled every year since.

LAST MEETING: The Blue Streaks disappointed a Marietta Homecoming crowd with a 20-7 victory at Don Drumm Stadium. Marietta had just 184 yards of offense, including 15 yards on the ground. John Carroll amassed 138 yards rushing and 256 yards passing in the victory.

RADIO COVERAGE: WMRT-FM 88.3, Marietta's student radio station, will be traveling to JCU to carry the game.

LISTEN ONLINE: Marietta College is proud to once again offer its fans on the World Wide Web the opportunity to listen to all 10 Pioneer football games through a partnership with Stretch Internet. All you need is QuickTime. For more information visit the athletic web site: http://pioneers.marietta.edu.

QUICK START: Marietta will look to get off to a fast start out of the locker room after struggling in the first half in 2006. The Pioneers were outscored 65-34 in the first quarter and 67-49 in the second quarter last year. On the other hand, Marietta outscored its opponents 51-38 and 88-72 in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. This year, the Pioneers have been outscored 34-3 in the first quarter, 51-7 in the second quarter and 55-21 in the third quarter, while outscoring opponents 39-28 in the final frame.

RED-ZONE STAND: Marietta has scored in 10 of its 18 trips to the red-zone this season; nine of the scores have been touchdowns. The Pioneers' defense, however, has allowed scores in 19-of-26 red-zone possessions, including 15 touchdowns.

THIS WEEK IN THE OAC: A full slate of OAC games are slated for Oct. 13. Ohio Northern and Capital battle in Columbus and Wilmington visits Mount Union at 1:30 p.m. In addition, Baldwin-Wallace plays host to Muskingum and Heidelberg is at Otterbein at 2 p.m.

NEXT GAME: On Saturday (Oct. 20), Marietta will return home to take on Ohio Northern for Homecoming. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m. John Carroll remains at home to take on Muskingum at 1:30 p.m.