Oct. 30, 2003
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The Game: Johns Hopkins (7-1, 3-1 Centennial Conference) plays its final regular-season home game of the 2003 season as the Blue Jays host Ursinus (3-4, 0-3 CC).
The Teams: Johns Hopkins had its school-record 11-game winning streak snapped with a 14-6 loss at Muhlenberg last Saturday. Ursinus dropped its third straight game with a 14-3 loss at home against Gettysburg.
Centennial Race: The race for the Centennial Conference championship has come down to the final three weeks of the regular season and four teams (JHU/Muhlenberg/Gettysburg/McDaniel) can grab at least a share of the title and the league's automatic bid to the 2003 NCAA Division III Football playoffs. Amazingly, none of the four teams controls its own destiny to the automatic bid (although winning out gets at least a share of the title for any of the four).
It's a Record: The nine wins for the Blue Jays last season are a school record. Johns Hopkins broke the school record for wins in a season with its eighth of the year with the win over McDaniel. The previous school record of seven victories had been set eight times previously (1998, 1997, 1996, 1981, 1968, 1959, 1948, 1891). Jim Margraff coached the Blue Jays to three of the seven-win seasons before breaking the record in 2002.
Streaks Come to an End: Last week's 14-6 loss at Muhlenberg brought an end to the greatest run in school history. The Blue Jays had their 11-game overall, five-game road and five-game Centennial Conference winning streaks snapped with the loss. JHU also missed a chance to go 8-0 for the first time in school history.
Still Streaking: Despite last week's loss, Johns Hopkins is 16-3 since the beginning of the 2002 season, 18-3 in its last 21 games dating back to the end of the 2001 season and 22-6 since the beginning of the 2001 season. These are all, by far, the best records over that number of games in school history.
It's a First: Johns Hopkins shared the 2002 Centennial Conference title with Muhlenberg and McDaniel. This was the first Centennial championship for Johns Hopkins.
More Firsts: The ECAC Southwest Championship Game victory over Frostburg last season marked several program firsts. This was the first post-season game in the history of Johns Hopkins football and, obviously, it was also the first post-season victory in the history of Johns Hopkins football.
November Reign: Johns Hopkins is 6-0 in the month of November in the last two years and 7-1 in the last three.
In the Rankings: Johns Hopkins fell out of the top 25 in this week's AFCA Division III Coaches Poll. The Blue Jays had been ranked in the top 25 for five consecutive weeks - the first five weeks JHU has even been ranked in the top 25.
Prior to this season, the highest Johns Hopkins had ever been ranked was 26th on October 15, 2002. JHU was ranked 32nd in the final 2002 poll This week's complete poll can be found on page 5 and JHU's week-by-week ranking is listed below:
Poll Date JHU Rank
9-16-03 RV (27th)
9-23-03 23rd
9-30-03 24th
10-7-03 19th
10-14-03 15th
10-21-03 13th
10-28-03 RV (27th)
Multi-Season Victory Records: The 16 wins in the last two years and the 22 wins in the last three are school records. The previous records were 15 (2001 & 2002) and 21 (1996-98).
Seniors Tie Victory Record: The seniors on the 2003 team have tied the school record for most wins by one class. Since arriving, the football class of 2003 has compiled a record of 27-10 (.730). The group is now tied with the class of 1998 for most wins in a career. The class of 1998 compiled a four-year record of 27-12-1 (.688).
The Coaches: Johns Hopkins is coached by Jim Margraff (JHU `82), who is in his 14th season as the head coach at Homewood. With the season-opening win over Washington & Lee in 2001, Margraff became the all-time winningest coach in school history and he now sports an overall record of 82-53-3 (.605). The previous record for wins by a Johns Hopkins football coach was 60 by Ray Van Orman (1920-35).
Margraff guided the Blue Jays to a then-school-record-tying seven wins in 1996, 1997 and 1998 before leading the Blue Jays to their first-ever playoff appearance (and victory), first-ever Centennial Conference title and a school-record nine wins in 2002. Margraff's .605 winning percentage is second among JHU coaches who have coached 30 or more games and the Blue Jays are 58-29-1 (.665) since the beginning of the 1995 season.
Peter Gallagher is in his third season as the head coach at Ursinus and sports an 11-16 overall record since arriving in Collegeville. He guided the Bears to a 6-4 record in 2001 to become the first UC coach since 1931 to post a winning record in his first season.
Margraff's Resurrection: Since taking over as the head coach prior to the 1990 season, Jim Margraff has guided JHU to 10 winning seasons and 82 wins. The 82 wins are as many as Hopkins accumulated in the previous 21 years combined (1969-89). During that time, Hopkins posted 10 winning seasons and won 82 games.
And They Shall Lead Us: The Blue Jays selected two players to serve as team captains for the 2003 season: senior DL Paul Smith (Lafayette, NJ/Sparta) and senior LB Paul Longo (Kensington, MD/Bethesda-Chevy Chase). Smith and Longo were two of JHU's four Verizon District II Academic All-Americans last season.
It's All Academic: Johns Hopkins had four players earn Verizon District II Academic All-America honors (current senior captains Paul Smith and Paul Longo and the now-graduated Brian Williams and John Tiberi). The four selections were one more than the rest of the Centennial Conference teams had combined and no other school in the district had more than two players named to the team.
Eight Named to CC Academic Honor Roll: The Centennial Conference recently announced the 2003 Centennial Conference Football Academic Honor Roll, and Johns Hopkins accounted for eight of the 26 players named. Mike Aynardi, Mike Barrasso, Paul Longo, Jonas Nelson, Nate Readal, Ryan Sheare, Jim Sanders and Max Whitacre were all named to the honor roll. To be named to the CC Academic Honor Roll, athletes must be at least a sophomore, be a starter or significant reserve and have a 3.40 cumulative GPA or better.
Home Sweet Home: Since the beginning of the 1996 season, Hopkins is 30-9 (.769) at home and won 10 straight at Homewood from 1996-97. Under head coach Jim Margraff, the Blue Jays are 50-17-2 (.739) at Homewood Field and JHU has won 12 of its last 14 at home.
The Road Most Traveled: Johns Hopkins is 11-4 in its last 15 road games and has won eight of its last 10 away from home.
Comeback Kids: The Blue Jays trailed 7-0 after the first series against F&M two weeks ago. Of Hopkins' last 17 wins (dating back to the 2001 season-finale), seven have been of the come-from-behind variety.
Blue Jays Post Three Straight Shutouts: The Johns Hopkins defense posted its third straight shutout with the 30-0 victory over Dickinson earlier this season. This is the first time Johns Hopkins has posted three straight shutouts since the final three games of the 1959 season. The three straight shutouts also ties the Centennial Conference record for most consecutive shutouts (Dickinson / 1998).
Top This: Johns Hopkins reached new heights with the effort against Dickinson. The Devils rushed 45 times for 91 yards and completed two passes for 14 yards for a total of just 105 yards of offense. JHU also forced five turnovers in the victory. The 105 yards the Blue Jays allowed against DC are the fewest Johns Hopkins has allowed since head coach Jim Margraff arrived prior to the 1990 season.
A Cumulative Look: Johns Hopkins leads the Centennial Conference in scoring defense (6.4 points/game), total defense (234.5 yards/game) and pass efficiency defense (62.0 efficiency rating). The Blue Jays also have a league-high 21 interceptions on the year. JHU currently ranks second in the nation in pass efficiency defense and scoring defense and 13th in total defense.
Going the Distance: Last season, JHU had 28 scoring drives that covered 51 yards or more. In eight games this season, the Blue Jays have 21 scoring drives that have covered 51 yards or more.
Quick Strike Attack: In eight games, the Blue Jays have 21 scoring drives that have taken less than 2:50 off the clock. Against F&M, the Blue Jays had three touchdown drives that were longer than 50 yards that took less than two minutes.
Plus-Minus: In the first two games of the season Johns Hopkins was minus two in turnover ratio. In the last six games, the Blue Jays are plus 10 and the defense has forced 22 turnovers in those six games.
Offense Reaches the Half-Century Mark: Johns Hopkins out-gained Washington & Lee, 508-174 in the 36-7 win earlier this season. This marked the first time the Blue Jays have amassed 500 or more yards of total offense since November 3, 2001, when JHU had 511 in a 41-0 win over F&M.
Cook, Nesbitt Top 100: Adam Cook and freshman Mark Nesbitt both rushed for over 100 yards in the win over F&M as Cook had 149 and Nesbitt added a career-high 101. This marks the first time two JHU players have rushed for over 100 yards in the same game since October 24, 1997, when Adam Gentile (138) and Don Zajick (100) both topped the 100-yard mark against Bridgewater. Amazingly, Gentile and Zajick turned the trick three times in 1997.
Player Notes of Interest Included in PDF Version
