NCAAF John Carroll vs. Otterbein football: Kenston's Nikko Georgiou throws 3 TDs as Blue Streaks finish 8-2
Nov. 11—The John Carroll football team on Nov. 11 got a glimpse at what the future could potentially look like at quarterback in 2024.
Coach Jeff Behrman and his staff should be excited after the Blue Streaks' 37-22 win Nov. 11 at Otterbein, a victory that capped the 2023 season at 8-2.
Backup QB Nikko Georgiou filled in for starter Joe Collins — who was out with an injury — against Otterbein and showed off his skills in impressive fashion.
Georgiou finished the day 18 of 25 passing for 252 yards, three touchdown passes and no interceptions.
A year ago, Georgiou was throwing passes as starting QB for the Kenston football team and later in the spring throwing strikes as a pitcher for the Bombers' baseball team that won a state championship.
When he arrived at JCU in the summer, Georgiou battled and won the backup job to Collins, who had an excellent season (2,323 yards, 25 TD passes and four interceptions).
Against Otterbein (0-10), the Blue Streaks did most of their damage through the air as they built a 21-0 first-half lead.
Georgiou directed a 12-play drive on the game's first possession and finished it with a 12-yard TD pass to receiver Dorian Facen Jr.
It stayed 7-0 until the second quarter, when running back Evan McVay scored on a 6-yard run to make the score 14-0 in favor of JCU. Late in the first half, Georgiou threw TD pass No. 2 on a go-route from 32 yards to Jack Cardaman.
Otterbein scored just before half to make it a 21-7 game, then added another TD early in the third quarter to make things interesting at 21-14.
On the next drive, JCU stalled Otterbein's momentum, thanks to a few big passes by Georgiou.
The biggest was a 32-yard completion to fellow Kenston grad Tyler Mintz on third-and-12 from JCU's 23. Two more completions — 16 yards to Facen Jr. and 17 to Joey Torok of Kirtland — put the Blue Streaks in position at the Otterbein 20.
On the next play, Georgiou threw his third TD pass of the game on a 20-yard strike to Javi Quimba for a 27-14 lead. Quimba later added a 30-yard TD run.
For the game, Mintz had three catches for 77 yards. Torok had five catches for 47 yards in his final game at JCU. The Blue Streaks also played the game without its top wide receiver Brennan Fugh (42 catches, 714 yards, nine TDs).
JCU finished the season 8-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference and was the runner-up to undefeated Mount Union. The Blue Streaks' two losses this season were to No. 2 Mount and and No. 5 Wisconsin-Whitewater. The teams are a combined 19-1.
If Georgiou is JCU's starting QB entering 2024, he and his teammates face a daunting start to next season. The Blue Steaks open the season Sept. 7 at Whitewater then after an off week play at Mount Union Sept. 21.
THE SCORE
John Carroll 37, Otterbein 22
