Seven years ago, Randolph-Macon charged into Don Shula Stadium and upset John Carroll Football in the NCAA Playoffs by possessing the football and winning the battle in the trenches.
The No. 9 Blue Streaks followed that script in a thorough trouncing of the No. 20 Yellow Jackets on a cold Saturday at Don Shula Stadium just two days after a Thanksgiving snowstorm.
In a dominant showing, the Blue Streaks marched to a 35-6 victory, and onto the third round for a showdown at No. 2 Mount Union next Saturday, December 6.
The final stats may come as a bit of a shock, as JCU outgained RMC by a whopping 408-41 margin. A team built on running the ball, the Yellow Jackets couldn't get anything going. The Blue Streaks outpossessed the visitors by a wide margin, holding the ball for 45 minutes.
"We're really proud of our team and our program," said Head Coach Jeff Behrman '95. "The players did a phenomenal job preparing for this game with the bye week and executing the game plan. The coaching staff did a tremendous job getting the guys ready. And with the weather and holidays, a huge heartfelt thank you to our administration. Brian Polian, the athletic director, was out shoveling snow the day after Thanksgiving along with Kasey Konte and Shawn Cronin, plus his student assistant Sam Falbo, and head wrestling coach Mark Hawald and head men's soccer coach Deki Mladenovic. I'm grateful for them for helping our athletes have this great environment to play."
Nick Semptimphelter showed off his incredible efficiency, completing 31-of-33 passes for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns as JCU took the short gains all day long. JCU finished with 151 rushing yards to RMC's 33, by far the lowest output of the season for the Yellow Jackets.
"You don't expect it to be that lopsided," said Behrman. "It was dominant when you look at the statistics but I credit the players. They play the game the way that John Carroll wants to play: Fast and physical. We only had two penalties and we didn't miss tackles. To hold a team to 41 total yards of offense is a credit to the staff and to the players who executed.
"Offensively, we chipped away at it. We didn't have any explosive plays, and that's what we saw on film," continued Behrman. "We knew they weren't going to give up the big play, that's their style as a bend but don't break defense. We talked all week about not being bored taking the access throws and checkdowns. Nick did a great job doing that, the protection was good, and the guys catching the ball did well. It was a plan that was executed flawlessly by our players."
The hosts fired out of the gates with a hot start with a 12-play, 76-yard drive. The methodical drive ended with a Nick Semptimphelter scramble for a touchdown. Colin Schuler knocked home the extra point. Randolph-Macon provided a quick reply, as an 86-yard return gave the visitors a prime opportunity. A few plays later, Dante Casciola dashed in from 6 yards out. But RMC missed the PAT, leaving the score at 7-6.
There the score stood at the end of the quarter as the teams exchanged punts. JCU started to threaten on the first drive of the quarter. After Shane Lindstrom caught a key fourth-down pass, JCU bobbled a pass in the open field, leading to RMC's NCAA Division III-best 31st turnover of the year. A Chris Golson sack stopped the RMC drive in its tracks, however.
With nice field position at the RMC 40-yard line, JCU took advantage. Semptimphelter and the Blue Streaks took care of business, with Nolan Tanner hauling in a 1-yard touchdown pass to finish the drive. Tanner's first career score upped the advantage to 14-6 at the 5:24 mark.
"We knew it was one of those games where you have to take care of the ball and take what the defense gives you," said Semptimphelter. "We executed that. The long drives were great to give the defense a break. The offensive line played great. We had a guy step in due to injury and he did great. I have all the confidence in the world in the guys in front of me. The tight end and running backs did well in pass protection, too."
While the Yellow Jackets' next drive ended in a punt, the visitors did pin JCU back at the 1-yard line. The Blue Streaks escaped from danger, but the half ran out with JCU still ahead, 14-6.
Statistically speaking, JCU dominated the opening half. The Blue Streaks outgained the Yellow Jackets in the first 30 minutes, 193-30. JCU also held onto the ball for 21 minutes.
An RMC three-and-out yielded strong field position again for the hosts, this time at the 50-yard line. The Blue Streaks' first drive of the half proved to be successful, as Semptimphelter and Tyen Montgomery connected for their 31st career touchdown pairing. Midway through the third, JCU stood ahead, 21-6.
A crushing Mason Rus sack ended RMC's ensuing drive before it got going, giving the ball right back to the Blue Streaks. Shane Lindstrom made the Yellow Jackets pay, spinning off a would-be tackler and firing into the end zone for a 24-yard strike.
Another RMC three-and-out to start the fourth quarter handed the ball back to the Blue Streaks. What followed was a soul-crushing final drive for the visitors, as JCU marched 80 yards on 17 plays, ticking over 12 minutes off the clock. Cohen Klimak concluded things with a 5-yard score on a pitch play.
Tyren Montgomery stood as the top target, finishing with 9 receptions for 84 yards and a score. Both Shane Lindstrom and Kenneth Rawls nabbed 6 catches.
Mason Rus topped the defense with 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack. Chris Golson notched 4 tackles, 2 TFL, and 1 sack.
"A lot of guys had a great game, but we had a good push up front," said Rus. "Everyone filled outside and kept contain. We had a really good plan and scheme coming into the game and it was very successful."
"Our defense is selfless, everyone does their job," Golson added. "We don't wait for the big plays to happen, just do your job and it'll come to you."
In a Commanding Win, No. 9 John Carroll Beats No. 20 Randolph-Macon in Second Round
/seasons/2025/boxscores/20251129_s26k.xml
2025
Randolph-Macon
6
John Carroll
35
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 20 Randolph-Macon (9-2) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| No. 9 John Carroll (10-1) | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
Nov 29, 2025