Oct. 7, 2003

BALTIMORE, Md. -- The Johns Hopkins University football team jumped into the top 20 for the first time in school history as the Blue Jays are ranked 19th in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Coaches' Poll, which was released today. The Blue Jays, who are currently 5-0 and have won a school-record nine straight games, were ranked 24th in last week's poll and 23rd the week before. Prior to this three-week run in the top 25, the highest a Johns Hopkins football team was ever ranked was 26th (October 15, 2002).

Johns Hopkins received 292 points in this week's poll - 111 more than last week. Hopkins is the only team from the Centennial Conference in this week's top 25 and is one of two teams from the state of Maryland in the top 25 (Salisbury/22nd).

Johns Hopkins will carry its nine-game winning streak into this Saturday's game against Franklin & Marshall (1-3). The nine-game winning streak is the longest active winning streak in the Centennial Conference and the longest active winning streak by a college football team in the state of Maryland. The Blue Jays posted a 30-0 victory at Dickinson last Saturday for their third straight shutout. The last time a Johns Hopkins football team posted three straight shutouts was in 1959. The Blue Jays also held the Red Devils to 105 yards of total offense - the fewest yards ever allowed under 14th-year head coach Jim Margraff.

Under Margraff, the Blue Jay football program has enjoyed a great deal of success since 1990. Margraff ranks as the all-time winningest football coach in school history with a 80-52-3 (.604) record and the 80 games Johns Hopkins has won under Margraff's guidance in 13-plus seasons are three more than Hopkins won in the previous 20 seasons combined. Since the beginning of the 1995 season, the Blue Jays are 56-28-1 (.665).

AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll

Through Games of 10-4-03

1. Mount Union (OH) (45) 4-0 1,125

2. St. John's (MN) (1) 4-0 1,100

3. Linfield (OR) 3-0 1,002

4. Mary-Hardin-Baylor (TX) 4-0 971

5. Brockport St. (NY) 5-0 915

6T. Wheaton (IL) 4-0 914

Wisconsin-La Crosse 4-0 914

8. Wittenberg (OH) 4-0 818

9. Wartburg (IO) 4-0 729

10. Springfield (MA) 5-0 689

11. Baldwin Wallace (OH) 3-1 618

12. Lycoming (PA) 3-0 578

13. Washington & Jefferson (PA) 4-0 555

14. Rowan (NJ) 3-1 450

15. Bridgewater (VA) 4-1 435

16. Trinity (TX) 4-1 409

17. Wooster (OH) 4-0 388

18. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 3-1 318

19. Johns Hopkins (MD) 5-0 292

20. Hardin-Simmons (TX) 3-1 254

21. Bethel (MN) 5-0 204

22. Salisbury (MD) 3-0 178

23. St. Norbert (MN) 5-0 168

24. Capital (OH) 4-0 121

25. Christopher Newport (VA) 3-1 110

Others Receiving Votes: Millikin-103, New Jersey-99, John Carroll-92, Hampden-Sydney-80, UW-Oshkosh-78, Ithaca-75, Simpson-45, Kalamazoo-18, Loras-17, Trinity-17, Western Connecticut-14, UW-Whitewater-14, RPI-9, Adrian-8, Hanover-7, Pamona-Pitzer-6, Concordia-5, Pacific Lutheran-4, Montclair St.-3, Concordia-Moorhead-3, McDaniel-3, Menlo-1

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