Sept. 29, 2001

GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- The Johns Hopkins defense limited host Gettysburg to just 136 yards of total offense and senior quarterback Rob Heleniak's (Philadelphia, PA/Germantown Academy) two first-half touchdown passes stood up as the Blue Jays knocked off the Bullets, 14-7 at Musselman Stadium Saturday afternoon. The win is the seventh straight for Johns Hopkins over Gettysburg and helps the Blue Jays improve to 3-1, 1-0 in the Centennial Conference. This is the seventh straight season that Johns Hopkins has started the season 3-1, while Gettysburg falls to 2-3, 0-2 in the Centennial.

The Blue Jays opened the scoring late in the first quarter when Heleniak hooked up with senior wide receiver Zach Baylin (Wilmington, DE/Tatnall) on a five-yard touchdown pass to cap a quick six-play, 20-yard drive. The Blue Jays nursed that lead until the last play of the first half when Heleniak connected with freshman wide receiver Brian Wolcott (Harding, PA/Wyoming Area) on a 19-yard touchdown pass with no time remaining on the clock. The touchdown reception was the first of Wolcott's career and came on a leaping grab over a defender in the corner of the end zone. On what proved to be the game-winning drive, Hopkins actually took possession on its one-yard line and Heleniak was intercepted at his own 45-yard line, but Gettysburg's Ryan Moore fumbled the ball away after coming up with the interception and Hopkins' Nate Readal (Allison Park, PA/Hampton) recovered to keep the drive alive.

Gettysburg trimmed the lead to 14-7 with 5:13 remaining in the third quarter when freshman Mike Lublanecki capped a 15-play, 59-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run on fourth down. The drive accounted for nearly one-half of Gettysburg's total offensive output for the day as the Hopkins defense limited the Bullets to just 96 yards rushing on 41 attempts and 40 yards passing on seven completions. Gettysburg's longest offensive play of the game was a 13-yard run.

The Blue Jays led 14-7 with just under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when Gettysburg's defense came up with a stop to force a Blue Jay punt. Moore blocked the punt and Gettysburg recovered at the Hopkins' 28-yard line with 2:28 remaining, giving the Bullets one final chance to tie the game. A rush play and a sack put the Bullets in a third-and-15 situation and two completed passes netted just eight yards to turn the ball over on downs. Johns Hopkins downed the ball three times to kill the remaining 1:30.

The Blue Jays had several opportunities to put the game away, but were victimized by several costly turnovers. Heleniak was 17-of-31 for 208 yards and the two touchdowns, but he was also intercepted four times, including three times inside the Gettysburg 35-yard line. In addition, with the Blue Jays leading 14-7 early in the fourth quarter, the Hopkins defense forced a punt that Baylin returned to the Gettysburg 27-yard line, where he fumbled and Gettysburg recovered.

Sophomore nose guard Paul Smith (Lafayette, NJ/Sparta) led the way for the Johns Hopkins defense as he posted a career-high 11 tackles, including three sacks and two more for losses. Senior Marc Della Pia (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) added nine stops for the Blue Jays, who have now held three of their first four opponents to seven points or less.

Baylin had six receptions for 83 yards and the one touchdown and added six punt returns for 76 yards and, in the process, became Hopkins' all-time leader in career punt return yards. He now has 491 career punt return yards, breaking the record of 479, which had been set by Harrison Bernstein (1996-99).

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