Dec. 18, 2003
Complete Review in PDF Format - Additional Information Available in This Format
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The Team: Johns Hopkins finished the 2003 season with a 10-1 overall record and a 5-1 mark in the Centennial Conference. The Blue Jays shared the Centennial Conference title with Muhlenberg and defeated King's, 41-13 for the ECAC South Atlantic Championship.
Centennial Champions: Johns Hopkins grabbed a share of the Centennial Conference title for the second consecutive season. Prior to last season the Blue Jays hadn't won a title of any kind in football since 1969.
It's a Record: The 10 wins for the Blue Jays this season are a school record. The previous record of nine wins in a season was set last season. Prior to last season, Johns Hopkins had never won more than seven games in a season, Hopkins won seven games in a season eight times (1998, 1997, 1996, 1981, 1968, 1959, 1948, 1891).
Six out of 10: Johns Hopkins has won seven or more games in a season 10 times in its history and Jim Margraff has been a part of six of those 10 seasons. As a senior QB at JHU he led the 1981 Blue Jays to a 7-2 record. He then coached the 1996, 1997 and 1998 teams to 7-3 records before guiding the 2002 (9-2) and 2003 (10-1) teams to the two best seasons in school history.
Putting it in Perspective: Johns Hopkins has won a total of 19 games in the last two seasons. Prior to this run, Johns Hopkins had won 19 or more games in three consecutive seasons just twice in its history (20 wins from 1995-97 and 21 wins from 1996-98)..
Streaking: Johns Hopkins is 19-3 since the beginning of the 2002 season, 21-3 in its last 24 games dating back to the end of the 2001 season and 25-6 since the beginning of the 2001 season. These are all, by far, the best records over that number of games in school history.
November Reign: Johns Hopkins is 9-0 in the month of November in the last three years and 10-1 in the month of November in the last four years. The last team to beat JHU in November was Western Maryland in the 2000 season finale.
In the Rankings: Johns Hopkins was ranked 17th in the final AFCA Division III Coaches Poll (at the end of the regular season). The Blue Jays have been ranked in the top 25 in eight of the 10 polls this season and were 27th in the other two.
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)
11-4-03 22nd
11-11-03 19th
11-18-03 17th
Multi-Season Victory Records: The 19 wins in the last two years, the 25 wins in the last three years and the 30 in the last four years are all school records. The previous records were 15 (2001 & 2002), 21 (1996-98) and 27 (1995-98).
Seniors Are Winningest JHU Class: The seniors on the 2003 Blue Jay football team concluded their careers as the winningest class in school history. The Blue Jays compiled a 30-11 (.732) record from 2000-03 to easily make this year's seniors the all-time winningest class in school history. The football class of 1998 had been JHU's all-time winningest class as that group posted a 27-12-1 (.688) record during their career.
The Coach: Johns Hopkins is coached by Jim Margraff (JHU `82), who recently completed 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 85-53-3 (.613). 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 then school-record nine wins in 2002. He topped that total with this season's 10-win campaign, while repeating as Centennial Co-Champions and winning the ECAC South Atlantic Championship. Margraff's .613 winning percentage is second among JHU coaches who have coached 30 or more games and the Blue Jays are 61-29-1 (.676) since the beginning of the 1995 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 85 wins. The 85 wins are three more than Hopkins accumulated in the previous 21 years combined (1969-89). During that time, Hopkins posted 10 winning seasons and won 82 games. To take Margraff's record to another level, consider this. The 85 wins the Blue Jays have accumulated in his 14 seasons are more than Johns Hopkins accumulated in any 20-year period prior to his arrival.
And They Were Our Leaders: 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).
Blue Jays Boast Eight CoSIDA Academic All-Americans: The recent on-field success of the Johns Hopkins football team has been well documented, but the Blue Jays have been equally as successful in the classroom.
A school-record five Johns Hopkins football players (Paul Longo, Paul Smith, Jonas Nelson, Nate Readal and Ryan Sheare) were named First Team CoSIDA District II Academic All-Americans, while Jason Lehman and Mike Aynardi were named to the second team
No other school in the district had more than two players earn first team honors and only one other school had even four overall selections (Bethany). Hopkins accounted for seven of the Centennial Conference's 10 overall selections to the team and only three conferences had more than the Blue Jays' seven overall honorees in District II.
On the National Level: Senior LB Paul Longo (Kensington, MD/Bethesda-Chevy Chase) earned Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors to become the eighth Johns Hopkins football player to earn national AAA status.
Eight Named to CC Academic Honor Roll: The Centennial Conference's 2003 Football Academic Honor Roll featured 26 players, 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 32-9 (.780) at home and won 10 straight at Homewood from 1996-97. Under head coach Jim Margraff, the Blue Jays are 52-17-2 (.746) at Homewood Field and JHU has won 14 of its last 16 at home.
More Home Sweet Home: The Blue Jays were dominant at home this season in winning all six of their games in the black home jerseys. Hopkins outscored its six opponents at Homewood Field this season, 214-51 for an average winning margin of just over 27 points. The undefeated record at home was the first for the Blue Jays since 1996 & 1997, when JHU posted identical 5-0 marks at Homewood.
The Road Most Traveled: Johns Hopkins is 12-5 in its last 17 road games and has won nine of its last 12 away from home.
Comeback Kids: Seven of JHU's last 20 wins 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 was the first time Johns Hopkins posted three straight shutouts since the final three games of the 1959 season. The three straight shutouts also tied 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: The Johns Hopkins defense was among the nation's stingiest throughout the 2003 season. The Blue Jays ended the season as the top-ranked unit in the Centennial Conference in scoring defense (7.0), total defense (242.4), pass efficiency defense (61.40 rating), passing yards allowed (129.5), interceptions (28) and opponent third-down percentage (44-of-172/.256). In addition, the Blue Jays led the league in turnover margin (+1.36).
The 64 points the Blue Jays allowed during the regular season are the second-fewest by a Centennial Conference team since the league was formed in 1983 (regular season games only - Gettysburg allowed just 50 in 1985).
Going the Distance: Last season, JHU had 28 scoring drives that covered 51 yards or more. In 11 games this season, the Blue Jays had 29 scoring drives that covered 51 yards or more.
Quick Strike Attack: In 11 games, the Blue Jays had 31 scoring drives that took 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 nine games, the Blue Jays were plus 18 and the defense forced 34 turnovers in those nine 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 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 marked 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.
Team Notes of Interest: Johns Hopkins is an impressive 52-4 (.929) under Margraff when scoring 24 or more points...currently, the Blue Jays have won 39 of their last 41 when scoring 24 or more...at the same time, Hopkins is 59-9-2 (.857) when holding the opposition to 14 points or less since Margraff arrived for the 1990 season...the Blue Jays have won 24 of their last 25 games when holding the opposition to 14 points or less.
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Player Notes of Interest Included in PDF Version
