Nov. 27, 2002

The 2002 season proved to be the most successful in the history of the Johns Hopkins football program. From the 5-0 start to the 4-0 finish, from the 2,042 yards rushing to the first overtime win in school history, the numbers surrounding the team all lead to the school-record nine wins. Here is a closer look at the 2002 Johns Hopkins Blue Jays by the numbers.

0: Championships the Johns Hopkins football team claimed from 1970-2001.

2: Championships claimed by the 2002 football team in a span of eight days from November 16-23. Hopkins defeated 15th-ranked McDaniel, 27-7 on November 16 to claim a share of its first-ever Centennial Conference title, then knocked off Frostburg State, 24-21 on November 23 to win the ECAC Southwest Championship.

2: Feet used by junior Chris Smolyn to handle punts and place kicks. He punts with his left foot, but uses his right foot on extra points and field goal attempts.

4: Verizon District II Academic All-Americans on the Johns Hopkins football team this year. The remaining six schools in the Centennial Conference combined for three.

5: Johns Hopkins football players named to the 2002 Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll. This was more than any other team in the Centennial Conference.

5: Forced fumbles by freshman Brian Cook, the most of any player on the team.

7: Turnovers the Blue Jays forced in their 27-7 victory over 15th-ranked McDaniel in the regular-season finale.

7: Freshmen who started at least one game this season.

9: School-record number of wins for the Blue Jays this season.

9: Touchdowns George Merrell accounted for in Hopkins' last three games of the season. He rushed for four touchdowns and passed for five over that time.

12: Johns Hopkins football players who earned All-Centennial recognition.

14: Pass breakups by senior Mark Robinson, the most of any player on the team.

15: Wins the Blue Jays have accumulated in the last two years. This is the most in any two-year period in school history.

15: Seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the season-opener when Brian Wolcott caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Rob Fernand to force overtime. JHU's 21-14 overtime victory over the Generals propelled the team to a 5-0 start.

16: Tackles for losses junior Paul Smith registered this year. He now has 30 TFLs in the last two years.

17: Interceptions by the Johns Hopkins defense. This is the most INTs for JHU since 1997.

18.3: Average yards per reception by Brian Wolcott on his team-high 39 receptions.

20: Consecutive games in which Johns Hopkins has scored in double figures - a school record. The previous record was 14 straight games from 1958-60.

21: Rushing touchdowns for the Blue Jays this season. The JHU defense allowed just nine rushing touchdowns all season.

26: National ranking by the Blue Jay football team in mid.-October. This was the highest national ranking in the history of Blue Jay football.

46: Wins the Blue Jays have accumulated under Jim Margraff when scoring 24 or more points. JHU is 46-4 (.920) under Margraff when scoring 24 or more points. The Blue Jays were 8-0 this year when scoring 24 or more points.

75: School-record number of victories Jim Margraff has accumulated in 13 years as the head coach at Johns Hopkins. In the 19 years before Margraff arrived, Johns Hopkins won a total of 72 games.

77: Players who appeared in at least one game during the 2002 season.

86: Tackles by sophomore Matt Campbell. The most on the team and the most for a JHU player since 1994.

97: The length of the pass from freshman Zach DiIonno to Brian Wolcott in Hopkins' game against Muhlenberg. This is the longest pass play in the history of the Centennial Conference.

174: The number of rushing yards T.J. Lyons had against Gettysburg and Adam Cook had against Dickinson. This is tied for the 17th-highest single-game total in school history.

196: Rushing yards Johns Hopkins allowed on 75 attempts in the final three games of the season. This is an average of 2.6 yards per rush.

270: The number of points the Blue Jays scored this season, the third-highest single-season total in school history. Of this total, 222 were scored by players who are due to return next season.

1,052: The number of rushing yards allowed by the Blue Jay defense this season. An average of just 95.6 yards per game.

1,115: Combined rushing yards for Adam Cook and T.J. Lyons this season. Both will return next season.

1931: Year the Blue Jays last started 5-0 before 2002.

2,042: The number of rushing yards the Blue Jay offense generated this season. An average of 185.6 yards per game.