Oct. 7, 2003
The Game: Johns Hopkins (5-0, 1-0 Centennial Conference) returns home after a two-game road trip to host Franklin & Marshall (1-3, 0-1).
The Teams: Johns Hopkins ran its school-record winning streak to nine games with a 30-0 victory at Dickinson last Saturday. F&M dropped its third straight, 41-20 at home against Muhlenberg.
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.
It's Another Record: The current nine-game winning streak is the longest in the history of the Johns Hopkins football program. JHU had four, seven-game winning streaks prior to the current nine-game run. The most recent seven-game winning streak for JHU prior to the current eight-game streak bridged the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
Blue Jays Tie School Record: With a school-record eight-game winning streak already in hand, the Blue Jays tied the school record for longest unbeaten streak when they defeated Dickinson, 30-0 last weekend. The nine-game winning streak ties the JHU record for most consecutive games without a loss. JHU's two previous nine-game unbeaten streaks came nearly 100 years ago and are listed below.
1904-05: Game 3, 1904 through Game 4, 1905 (6-0-3)
1907-08: Game 4, 1907 through Game 5, 1908 (6-0-3)
For Openers: Johns Hopkins won its Centennial Conference-record 13th straight league-opener with the 30-0 victory over Dickinson.
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.
In the Rankings: Johns Hopkins is ranked 19th in this week's AFCA Poll after being ranked 24th last week and 23rd the week before. The #19 national ranking is the highest in school history and this is the first time JHU has ever been ranked in the top 20 in football.
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.
Quick Starts: JHU's 5-0 start this season matches last season's 5-0 start. Prior to last season, JHU hadn't started 5-0 since 1931.
Streaking: JHU's nine-game winning streak is the longest active winning streak in the Centennial Conference and the longest active winning streak in the state of Maryland.
More Streaking: Johns Hopkins is 14-2 since the beginning of the 2002 season, 16-2 in its last 18 games dating back to the end of the 2001 season and 20-5 since the beginning of the 2001 season. The 16-2 record over the last 18 games is the best 18-game run in school history.
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 80-52-3 (.604). 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 .604 winning percentage is second among JHU coaches who have coached 30 or more games and the Blue Jays are 56-28-1 (.665) since the beginning of the 1995 season.
Shawn Halloran is in his first season as the head coach at Franklin & Marshall after a successful tenure as an assistant coach at Yale. Halloran is a 1986 graduate of Boston College, where he served two years as a backup to Doug Flutie before etching his own name in the BC record books with over 5,000 yards passing and 30 touchdown passes.
Margraff's Resurrection: Since taking over as the head coach prior to the 1990 season, Jim Margraff has guided JHU to nine winning seasons and 80 wins. The 80 wins are three more than Hopkins accumulated in the previous 20 years combined (1970-89). During that time, Hopkins posted nine winning seasons and won 77 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.
Home Sweet Home: Since the beginning of the 1996 season, Hopkins is 28-9 (.757) at home and won 10 straight at Homewood from 1996-97. Under head coach Jim Margraff, the Blue Jays are 48-17-2 (.731) at Homewood Field and JHU has won 10 of its last 12 at home.
The Road Most Traveled: Johns Hopkins is 11-3 in its last 14 road games and has won eight of its last nine away from home.
Comeback Kids: The Blue Jays trailed 3-0 at halftime against Rochester in the season-opener. Of Hopkins' last 15 wins (dating back to the 2001 season-finale), six have been of the come-from-behind variety.
Blue Jays Post Third Straight Shutout: The Johns Hopkins defense, which has allowed just 16 points in five games, posted its third straight shutout with the 30-0 victory over Dickinson. 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: The Johns Hopkins defense may have reached new heights with last week's 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.
Holding Them Down: The 16 points the Blue Jays have allowed in the first five games this season are the fewest over a five-game span in one season since the 1924 team posted five straight shutouts.
A Cumulative Look: Johns Hopkins leads the Centennial Conference in scoring defense (3.2 points/game), rushing defense (93.0 yards/game), total defense (186.2 yards/game) and pass efficiency defense (44.54 efficiency rating). The Blue Jays also have a league-high 14 interceptions and have not allowed a touchdown pass in 144 pass attempts by the opposition. JHU currently leads the nation in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense and ranks fifth in total defense.
A Quick Reminder: Johns Hopkins has allowed just 16 points in five games. The defense has actually only allowed nine points, however, as Rochester's lone touchdown in the season-opener was scored on a fumble return by its defense.
The Unknown Streak: With all of the focus on JHU's winning streak and the impressive numbers being put up by the defense, the Blue Jay offense is quietly putting together an impressive season of its own. Of note, the 30-point effort for the Blue Jays last Saturday against Dickinson marked the eighth consecutive game that JHU has scored 20 or more points. This is the first time in school history JHU has scored 20 or more points in eight straight games. The previous record of seven had been set twice previously. The first time came in 1998 (the first seven games) and the other bridged the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
Going the Distance: Last season, JHU had 28 scoring drives that covered 51 yards or more. In five games this season, the Blue Jays have 12 scoring drives that have covered 53 yards or more.
Quick Strike Attack: In five games, the Blue Jays have 14 scoring drives that have taken less than 2:50 off the clock. Against Dickinson, all five scoring drives took 2:47 or less.
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.
Player Notes of Interest (Players Listed Alphabetically)
Noting Mike Aynardi * Sophomore * Defensive Line (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson)
* Mike Aynardi enjoyed a solid outing in his first career start against Rochester. He posted six tackles, including one for a loss, and added a pass breakup in the victory.
* Mike Aynardi posted five tackles, including two for losses and 1.5 sacks, and blocked a punt in the win over Washington & Lee and added five tackles in the win over Carnegie Mellon.
* Mike Aynardi ranks seventh on the team in tackles (20), tied for third in tackles for losses (4.0) and tied for second in sacks (1.5). He also has one pass breakup and one blocked punt to his credit.
Noting Mike Barrasso * Sophomore * Linebacker (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park)
* Mike Barrasso blocked a Rochester punt that was returned by Max Whitacre for a touchdown early in the third quarter of JHU's 27-9 win over the Yellowjackets in the season-opener. The touchdown pushed JHU's lead from 7-3 to 13-3. UR was never closer than 10 the rest of the game. Barrasso added five tackles in the victory as well.
* Mike Barrasso had four tackles against Carnegie Mellon and three against Dickinson to run his season total to 13.
* Mike Barrasso's blocked punt last season against 15th-ranked McDaniel led to JHU's first touchdown that tied the score at 7-7. JHU went on to win 27-7 to secure a share of the Centennial Conference title.
Noting Peter Botsolas * Senior * Linebacker (Nutley, NJ/St. Peter's Prep)
* Peter Botsolas had six tackles against Dickinson and currently ranks first on the team with 31 tackles on the year. He also has a team-high seven tackles for losses after five games. In addition, has one sack and one interception to his credit.
* Peter Botsolas had eight tackles and one interception in the win over Randolph-Macon.
Noting Matt Campbell * Junior * Safety (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough)
* Matt Campbell earned Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after leading the JHU defense against Randolph-Macon. He posted eight tackles and had one interception as JHU held RMC to 153 yards of offense. He was also named the ECAC Southwest Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
* Matt Campbell had eight tackles and an interception in the win over Carnegie Mellon and added his team-high fourth interception in the win over Dickinson. He currently ranks fourth on the team with 27 tackles and also ranks second with five pass breakups to go along with his team-high four interceptions. He has also returned four punts for 48 yards and leads the Centennial Conference in interceptions per game (0.80).
* Matt Campbell moved into a tie for seventh on JHU's career interception list with his 10th career INT in the win over Dickinson. Official statistical records for Johns Hopkins football date back to 1955 and since then Campbell is just the ninth player in school history to amass 10 or more career interceptions.
* Matt Campbell ended the 2002 season as the team-leader in tackles with 86, including 39 solos and three for losses. He added seven pass breakups, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
* Matt Campbell was the only sophomore to earn First Team All-Centennial honors on defense last season.
* Matt Campbell posted a career-high 19 tackles, including five solos and one for a loss, in the loss to Muhlenberg last season. He also had one pass breakup.
Noting Alan Cody * Sophomore * Defensive Line (North Bergen, NJ/St. Peter's Prep)
* Alan Cody made the first start of his career one to remember as he led the Blue Jays with 10 tackles in the season-opening victory over Rochester. Among the 10 were eight solos and one sack. He added one pass breakup as well. He was named to the Centennial Conference Honor Roll for his efforts against UR.
* Alan Cody had two tackles and a fumble recovery in last week's 30-0 victory over Dickinson. He is tied for fifth on the team with 21 tackles and has three TFLs, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
Noting Adam Cook * Junior * Running Back (New Freedom, PA/Susquehannock)
* Adam Cook rushed for a game-high 141 yards (2nd-highest total of his career) and a pair of touchdowns in the win over Carnegie Mellon and made it back-to-back 100-yard games (first time in his career) with 11 rushes for 107 yards in the win over Dickinson. His 50-yard run in the second quarter against Dickinson was the second-longest run of his career (51 vs. F&M-2001). He has rushed for at least 80 yards in every game this season.
* Adam Cook reaffirmed his place as one of the most versatile players in the Centennial Conference in the season-opening win over Rochester. He rushed 14 times for 80 yards, returned three kickoffs for 94 yards and added four punt returns for 19 yards. His 191 all-purpose yards in the game are the second-highest total of his career. In 2002, he led Johns Hopkins in all-purpose yards (939) and punt return yards (112), tied for the team-lead in rushing touchdowns (5), finished second in rushing yards (547) and finished third in receptions (16) and points scored (32).
* After five games, Adam Cook ranks second in the Centennial Conference in rushing (101.6) and all-purpose yards (154.2) and seventh in punt returns (7.9) and kickoff returns (25.2).
* Adam Cook had 167 all-purpose yards in the 24-21 win over Frostburg State in the 2002 ECAC Southwest Championship Game. He rushed six times for 24 yards, added three receptions for 31 yards, had five punt returns for 51 yards and returned three kickoffs for 61 yards.
* Last season, Adam Cook carried the Blue Jays to their first win over Dickinson since 1996 as he rushed 29 times for a career-high 174 yards and one touchdown in the victory last season. He also returned two punts for 27 yards to account for his career-high 201 all-purpose yards as well.
* Adam Cook became just the third player in school history to reach 1,000 career rushing yards by the end of his sophomore year. In fact, only Brad McLam (1,062 yards) and Hari Lymon (1,045 yards) have rushed for more yards in their freshman and sophomore years combined than Cook's 1,007. He is the 19th player in school history to amass 1,000 career rushing yards and currently ranks 13th on JHU's all-time rushing list with 1,151 yards. He jumped from 15th to 13th in the win over Carnegie Mellon
* Adam Cook topped the 2,000 career all-purpose yards mark in the win over Randolph-Macon. He now has 2,362 all-purpose yards in his career. The breakdown is as follows: Rushing-1,515. Receiving-273. PR-231. KOR-343.
Cook's Top Rushing & All-Purpose Performances
Rushing All-Purpose
174 vs. Dickinson (11-2-02) 201 vs. Dickinson (11-2-02)
141 @ Carnegie Mellon (9-27-03) 191 vs. Rochester (9-6-03)
120 vs. #3 Bridgewater (9-21-01) 180 @ Carnegie Mellon (9-27-03)
107 @ Dickinson (10-4-03) 176 vs. Rochester (9-21-02)
107 vs. Franklin & Marshall (11-3-01) 172 vs. #3 Bridgewater (9-21-01)
* Johns Hopkins is 8-1 when Adam Cook has rushed for 85 yards or more and 7-1 when he has 150 or more all-purpose yards.
Noting Marc DeGennaro * Sophomore * Offensive Line (Secaucus, NJ/St. Peter's Prep)
* Sophomore Marc DeGennaro played four games and started once at center last season and was a key contributor to JHU's success in 2002. He has picked up right where he left off as he has started all five games this season. He is the latest in a long line of standouts for the Blue Jays at center. He is just the third player to start at center for JHU since 1997.
* Despite no seniors currently on the two-deep on the offensive line, Johns Hopkins ranks first in the Centennial Conference in total offense (397.0), second in scoring offense (27.6) and rushing offense (218.6) and fourth in passing offense (178.4). JHU is the only team in the Centennial Conference averaging more than 175 yards rushing and passing.
Noting Joe Deluzio * Senior * Cornerback (Jeannette, PA/Jeannette)
* Joe Deluzio has started all five games at cornerback for the Blue Jays. Through five games he has 18 tackles and one interception to his credit.
* Joe Deluzio had seven tackles in the win over Carnegie Mellon, five tackles in the win over Washington & Lee and two tackles and an interception that led to a touchdown in the win over Randolph-Macon.
Noting Zach DiIonno * Sophomore * Quarterback (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell)
* Zach DiIonno led the Blue Jays to the 21-0 win at Carnegie Mellon as he was 18-of-25 for 192 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions. The 192 yards passing was one shy of his career high (193 vs. Randolph-Macon in 2002) and he enters this week's game needing just 47 passing yards to reach 1,000 in his career. He ranks fourth among active Centennial Conference QBs in career passing yards (953).
* Zach DiIonno is 35-of-61 (.574) for 327 yards with one touchdown and five interceptions on the year.
* Zach DiIonno played in six games with four starts as a freshman. He led the team with 626 passing yards and a 103.93 efficiency rating. He threw five touchdowns against just two interceptions. His 626 yards were the most by a Johns Hopkins freshman since 1996, when Wayne Roccia led the Blue Jays with 711 passing yards.
* Zach DiIonno's 97-yard touchdown pass to Brian Wolcott against Muhlenberg is the longest pass play in the history of the Centennial Conference and the second-longest in JHU football history.
Noting Phil Dixon * Freshman * Offensive Line (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North)
* Freshman Phil Dixon has emerged as a solid starter at left tackle after senior Zack Kail was lost for the year to an injury. He has started the last two games and played in the last four.
* Despite no seniors currently on the two-deep on the offensive line, Johns Hopkins ranks first in the Centennial Conference in total offense (397.0), second in scoring offense (27.6) and rushing offense (218.6) and fourth in passing offense (178.4). JHU is the only team in the Centennial Conference averaging more than 175 yards rushing and passing.
Noting Steve Eno * Sophomore * Wide Receiver (El Segundo, CA/El Segundo)
* Sophomore wide receiver Steve Eno made an immediate impact as a freshman as he finished fourth on the team in receptions (15) and third in receiving yards (208). He added a pair of touchdown receptions as well and his 13.9 yards per reception ranked second on the team among players with five or more receptions. After missing the first game this season with an injury, he has two receptions for 18 yards and one touchdown.
* Against Frostburg State in the ECAC Southwest Championship Game, Steve Eno had four receptions for 43 yards.
Noting Lee Everett * Sophomore * Defensive Line (Canfield, OH/South Range)
* Lee Everett has started all five games for the Blue Jays at defensive tackle.
* Lee Everett has 16 tackles, including four for losses and a team-high two sacks on the year. He had a career-high five tackles in the win over Dickinson.
Noting Pat Healey * Freshman * Offensive Line (Milltown, NJ/Bishop Ahr)
* Freshman Pat Healey has emerged as a solid contributor along the offensive line for the Blue Jays. He played in each of the first four games and started vs. CMU.
* Despite no seniors currently on the two-deep on the offensive line, Johns Hopkins ranks first in the Centennial Conference in total offense (397.0), second in scoring offense (27.6) and rushing offense (218.6) and fourth in passing offense (178.4). JHU is the only team in the Centennial Conference averaging more than 175 yards rushing and passing.
Noting Rich Lamour * Senior * Cornerback (Spring Valley, NY/Don Bosco)
* Senior Rich Lamour posted 37 tackles and nine pass breakups last season as he started all 11 games at CB.
* Rich Lamour posted two tackles, two pass breakups and one interception in the win over Washington & Lee. His INT was one of three on the day for JHU. He has eight tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions on the year after adding his second INT of the season in the win over Carnegie Mellon.
* Rich Lamour finished second in the Centennial Conference with four interceptions last season.
* Rich Lamour had a career-high two interceptions and a personal-best seven tackles against Muhlenberg last season.
Noting Jason Lehman * Senior * Tight End (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central)
* Jason Lehman had two receptions for 71 yards and one touchdown in the win over Dickinson. His 45-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter gave JHU a 10-0 lead and he added a one-handed, 26-yard catch over the middle.
* Jason Lehman had two receptions for 70 yards in the win over Washington & Lee. His career-best 61-yard reception in the final two minutes of the first half set up a Hopkins touchdown that made it 16-0 at the half.
* Jason Lehman had a career-high 23 receptions for 294 yards and four touchdowns last season. All three totals ranked second on the team. He has career totals of 47 receptions for 692 yards and six touchdowns. He ranks third on the team this season with eight receptions for 181 yards.
* Jason Lehman caught touchdown passes in Hopkins' last two games of the 2002 season; a 27-7 win over 15th-ranked McDaniel and a 24-21 win over Frostburg State in the ECAC Southwest Championship Game.
Noting Paul Longo * Senior * Linebacker (Kensington, MD/Bethesda-Chevy Chase)
* Paul Longo helped lead JHU's defensive effort against Dickinson as he was in on five tackles in the 30-0 victory. He has 19 tackles, including two for losses, two interceptions and one forced fumble on the year. He now has 123 tackles in his career.
* Paul Longo had four tackles, including one for a loss, and forced a fumble in the win over W&L. He added three tackles and one interception in the win over RMC and two tackles in the win over CMU.
* Paul Longo posted five tackles, including one for a loss, in the win over Rochester. He also had one interception that set up Hopkins' final touchdown of the game.
* Paul Longo enjoyed the finest season of his career in 2002 as he finished third on the team with 68 tackles, including 37 solos, nine for losses and 1.5 sacks. He added eight pass breakups, two interceptions and one fumble recovery as well.
* Paul Longo earned Second Team All-Centennial honors and was also a Verizon District II Academic All-American in 2002. In addition, he was named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Noting Adam Luke * Sophomore * Linebacker (Teague, TX/Teague)
* Adam Luke has played in all five games with two starts at linebacker. He has 21 tackles (tied for fifth on the team), including one for a loss, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery to his credit after a three-tackle performance against Dickinson.
* Adam Luke had five tackles and one pass breakup in the win over Randolph-Macon.
Noting T.J. Lyons * Sophomore * Running Back (Paramus, NJ/Paramus)
* T.J. Lyons led the Blue Jays in rushing with 568 yards on 101 attempts last season. He added three rushing touchdowns.
* T.J. Lyons rushed 15 times for 48 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Washington & Lee and rushed 12 times for 58 yards and another TD in the win over Randolph-Macon. He now has season totals of 56 carries for 161 yards and is tied for the team-lead with three rushing touchdowns on the year.
* T.J. Lyons was the only freshman in the Centennial Conference to earn All-CC recognition last season as he earned Honorable Mention All-Centennial honors.
* T.J. Lyons became the first freshman to lead Johns Hopkins in rushing since Don Zajick rushed for a team-high 425 yards in 1994. Zajick was actually the third straight freshman to lead the team in rushing as Hari Lymon (1992) and Chuck Wotkowicz (1993) led the team the previous two years.
* T.J. Lyons' 174-yard effort against Gettysburg ranks as the sixth-best total by a Johns Hopkins freshman and is tied for the 17th-highest single-game total in school history.
* T.J. Lyons rushed for 112 yards on 19 carries and added two receptions for 17 yards in the ECAC Southwest Championship Game against Frostburg.
Noting George Merrell * Senior * Quarterback (Bloomsburg, PA/Central Columbia)
* George Merrell returned to action against Dickinson after missing two games and promptly led JHU to its first win at Dickinson since 1985. He was 8-of-21 for 117 yards and tied his career-high with three TD passes and also rushed for a 10-yard touchdown as well. The four overall TDs is a career-high.
* George Merrell followed a solid season-opener with another strong showing in the win over Washington & Lee. He was 16-of-29 for a career-high 228 yards and three TDs and rushed for a career-high 78 yards to account for his personal-best 306 yards of total offense. He was named the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
* George Merrell led the Blue Jays to the season-opening victory over Rochester. He was 17-of-28 for 220 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 52 yards to account for 272 yards of total offense.
* Although he no longer qualifies for the league statistical leaders based on games played (must play in 75% of team's games to be listed), George Merrell would rank first in the league in passing yards per game (188.3), pass efficiency (151.49) and total offense (240.0). Despite missing two games, he is still tied for the league-lead with nine TD passes and his 51.7 yards rushing per game would rank seventh.
* George Merrell was named the ECAC Southwest Championship Game MVP last season as he threw a pair of touchdowns and rushed for another in the 24-21 win over Frostburg State. He threw for 190 yards and rushed for 21 in Hopkins' first-ever post-season game.
* George Merrell has accounted for 19 touchdowns in the last six games he has played in dating back to last season (14 passing / five rushing). He has accounted for at least three in each of the six games.
* Johns Hopkins is 7-0 in the seven games George Merrell has started since the beginning of the 2002 season. JHU has averaged 30.3 points in those seven games.
Noting Jonas Nelson * Senior * Defensive Back (East Berlin, PA/Spring Grove)
* Jonas Nelson has seen time in all five games as a reserve defensive back for the Blue Jays.
* Jonas Nelson had a season-high six tackles and two pass breakups in the win over Dickinson. For his efforts, he was named to the Centennial Conference Honor Roll.
* Jonas Nelson has 13 tackles, including one for a loss, two interceptions and a team-high eight pass breakups to his credit thus far. He has nine tackles, four pass breakups and one interception in the last two games.
Noting Mark Nesbitt * Freshman * Running Back (Gibsonia, PA/Hampton)
* Mark Nesbitt has worked his way into the regular rotation at tailback. He rushed 12 times for a career-high 67 yards against Dickinson. He had a career-best 41-yard run in the victory.
* Mark Nesbitt has rushed 18 times for 110 yards (6.1 yards per carry) in five games.
Noting Nate Readal * Junior * Fullback (Allison Park, PA/Hampton)
* Nate Readal finished fourth on the team in rushing last season with 268 yards on 57 carries and added six receptions for 75 yards. He has rushed 23 times for 104 yards in five games this season. With his blocking leading the way, the Blue Jays are averaging 218.6 yards per game on the ground.
* Nate Readal rushed for a career-high 85 yards on 13 carries in last season's 41-28 victory over Rochester.
Noting Paul Smith * Senior * Nose Guard (Lafayette, NJ/Sparta)
* Paul Smith registered four tackles, including one for a loss, in the win over Dickinson. He was in on five tackles, including two for losses, in the win over W&L and had a hand in three tackles, including one TFL, against RMC.
* Paul Smith has 18 tackles, including six TFLs and one sack, on the year.
* 36 of Paul Smith's last 105 tackles have been for losses.
* Paul Smith had a career-high 47 tackles last season, including a team-high 16 for losses. Smith finished fourth on the team and first among defensive linemen in tackles, while his three sacks ranked second on the squad.
* Paul Smith has earned Verizon District II Academic All-America honors in each of the last two years.
Noting Chris Smolyn * Senior * Punter/Place Kicker (Randolph, NJ/Lenape Valley)
* Senior Chris Smolyn is in his fourth season as Hopkins' punter. He has had 31 of his punts downed inside the opposition's 20-yard line during his career and is averaging 37.2 yards per punt this season on 25 punts. He averaged a career-high 35.3 yards per punt last season.
* Chris Smolyn took over as Johns Hopkins' place-kicker last season and connected on 26-of-32 extra points and 8-of-10 field goals. He led the team in scoring with 50 points.
* Chris Smolyn earned Second Team All-Centennial honors as a place-kicker last season, his first as JHU's place-kicker.
* Chris Smolyn punts with his left foot and does his place-kicking with his right foot. He takes his place-kicks straight-on.
Noting Ryan Sheare * Junior * Offensive Line (Bethesda, MD/Walter Johnson)
* Junior Ryan Sheare is in his first season as a starter at right guard. He has started all four games he has played in this season.
* Despite no seniors currently on the two-deep on the offensive line, Johns Hopkins ranks first in the Centennial Conference in total offense (397.0), second in scoring offense (27.6) and rushing offense (218.6) and fourth in passing offense (178.4). JHU is the only team in the Centennial Conference averaging more than 175 yards rushing and passing.
Noting Mike Speer * Junior * Offensive Line (Finleyville, PA/Ringgold)
* Junior Mike Speer is in his first season as a starter at left guard. He has started all five games this season.
* Despite no seniors currently on the two-deep on the offensive line, Johns Hopkins ranks first in the Centennial Conference in total offense (397.0), second in scoring offense (27.6) and rushing offense (218.6) and fourth in passing offense (178.4). JHU is the only team in the Centennial Conference averaging more than 175 yards rushing and passing.
Noting Ben Stopper * Senior * RB/Return Specialist (Reinholds, PA/Conrad Weiser)
* Ben Stopper averaged 18.4 yards on 12 kickoff returns, 12.5 yards on two punt returns and had 11 tackles on special teams last season.
* Ben Stopper ranks eighth on Hopkins' career kickoff return yards list with 657. He is also eighth on JHU's career punt return list with 227 career punt return yards.
Noting Anthony Triplin * Freshman * Wide Receiver (Baltimore, MD/Gilman)
* Anthony Triplin enjoyed the best game of his young career in the win over Carnegie Mellon. He had a career-high eight receptions for a personal-best 102 yards and one touchdown in the victory. He added a team-high three receptions for 20 yards against Dickinson.
* Anthony Triplin had a solid outing in his first career game as he had five receptions for 59 yards in the win over Rochester. He added a team-high five receptions for 47 yards and his first career touchdown in the win over Washington & Lee.
* Anthony Triplin is tied for first on the team with 22 receptions for 247 yards and two touchdowns. He is tied for fourth in the Centennial in receptions per game (4.40) and ranks sixth in receiving yards per game (49.4).
Noting Matt Weeks * Junior * Offensive Line (Landisville, PA/Hempfield)
* Junior Matt Weeks is the most experienced active offensive lineman on the team after he played in five games with four starts last season. He has started all five games at right tackle this season.
* Despite no seniors currently on the two-deep on the offensive line, Johns Hopkins ranks first in the Centennial Conference in total offense (397.0), second in scoring offense (27.6) and rushing offense (218.6) and fourth in passing offense (178.4). JHU is the only team in the Centennial Conference averaging more than 175 yards rushing and passing.
Noting Chris Wegman * Junior * Linebacker (Franklin, NJ/Wallkill Valley)
* Chris Wegman started at linebacker in the season-opener against Rochester and finished third on the team with seven tackles. Two of his seven stops were solo.
* Chris Wegman had six tackles in the win over Carnegie Mellon and added a team-high seven in the win over Dickinson. He ranks third on the team with 28 tackles on the year.
Noting Max Whitacre * Sophomore * Linebacker (Sugarloaf, PA/Bishop Hafey)
* Max Whitacre was named to the Centennial Honor Roll after posting a career-high 12 tackles, including one for a loss, in the win over Carnegie Mellon. He is now second on the team with 29 tackles and is tied for third with four tackles for losses.
* Max Whitacre registered eight tackles, including one for a loss, in the win over Rochester. He also returned a blocked punt 21 yards for a touchdown that extended JHU's lead to 13-3 early in the third quarter.
* Max Whitacre made three tackles, including one for a loss, had two pass breakups and one interception in the win over W&L. He added five tackles, including one for a loss, in the win over Randolph-Macon.
* Max Whitacre played in nine games with seven starts as a freshman. He finished eighth on the team with 39 tackles (most among all JHU freshmen).
* Max Whitacre had four tackles and an interception in the 27-7 win over 15th-ranked McDaniel last season that clinched a share of JHU's first-ever Centennial Conference Championship.
Noting Brian Wolcott * Junior * Wide Receiver (Harding, PA/Wyoming Area)
* Brian Wolcott earned Centennial Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors after his seven-reception, 149-yard, three-touchdown effort against Rochester. The three touchdowns are a career-high and he is the first JHU wide receiver to have three TD receptions in a game since Zach Baylin in the 2001 season-finale.
* Brian Wolcott had six receptions for 48 yards against Randolph-Macon, six more receptions for 66 yards against Carnegie Mellon and one (a 21-yard TD) against Dickinson. He enters this week's game with career totals of 71 receptions for 1,153 yards (16.2) and 13 touchdowns. He is tied for seventh on JHU's career touchdown reception list, ranks 11th on the all-time receiving yards list and is 13th on the all-time receptions list.
* After five games, Brian Wolcott is third in the Centennial Conference in receiving yards per game (62.0) and tied for fourth in receptions (4.40).
* Brian Wolcott earned Honorable Mention All-Centennial honors last season as he led the Blue Jays in receptions (39), receiving yards (715), touchdown receptions (7) and yards per reception (18.3). He ranked fifth in the Centennial Conference in receptions per game (3.55) and fourth in receiving yards per game (65.0). His average of 18.3 yards per reception was the highest among all Centennial Conference receivers with 20 or more receptions on the year.
* Brian Wolcott caught five passes for 193 yards and one touchdown against Muhlenberg last season. His 97-yard touchdown reception against the Mules is the longest touchdown reception in the history of the Centennial Conference and is the second-longest in JHU history. In addition, his 193 receiving yards rank as the sixth-highest total in school history.
* A week after the Muhlenberg game, Brian Wolcott had a career-high eight receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns against Randolph-Macon. His 187 receiving yards rank as the eighth-highest single-game total in school history.
* Brian Wolcott's 380 receiving yards against Muhlenberg and Randolph-Macon are the most ever in back-to-back games by a Johns Hopkins player. The previous record of 344 was set by Joe Richards in 1991. Ironically, Richards set the record on October 19 and October 26, the same dates Wolcott used to break his mark.
* Brian Wolcott is the first receiver in school history to have back-to-back games with 185 or more receiving yards.
* Brian Wolcott is just the second receiver in school history to have more than one career game with 185 or more receiving yards. Bill Stromberg had three games in his career with 185 or more receiving yards.
Team Notes of Interest: Johns Hopkins is an impressive 50-4 (.926) under Margraff when scoring 24 or more points...currently, the Blue Jays have won 37 of their last 39 when scoring 24 or more...at the same time, Hopkins is 56-8-2 (.863) when holding the opposition to 14 points or less since Margraff arrived for the 1990 season...the last time JHU lost a game when it held the opposition to 14 points or less was on October 31, 1997, when the Blue Jays dropped a 13-7 triple-overtime decision against Dickinson... currently, the Blue Jays have won 22 straight games when holding the opposition to 14 points or less.
