Sept. 28, 2004

BALTIMORE, Md. -- The Johns Hopkins University football team jumped three spots from number 20 to number 17 in this week's AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll. The Blue Jays, who were ranked 22nd in the first poll of the season two weeks ago and 20th last week, are 3-0 on the year and will host Dickinson on Friday (October 1) in the Centennial Conference opener for both teams. The number-17 ranking is tied for the third-highest in school history. JHU spent one week ranked 13th and one week ranked 15th last season. The Blue Jays ended the 2003 regular season ranked 17th.

The Blue Jays improved to 3-0 and ran their winning streak to six games with a 24-14 win over Carnegie in their last outing on September 18. Hopkins, which had a bye last weekend, is now 24-3 in its last 27 games dating back to the final two games of the 2001 season and the Blue Jays have also won 10 straight games at home. Hopkins will also carry a Centennial Conference-record 13-game winning streak in CC-openers into Friday night's game against Dickinson. The Blue Jays are 13-1 all-time in Centennial openers under head coach Jim Margraff.

In addition to being ranked 17th in the AFCA Poll, the Blue Jays are also ranked 20th in this week's d3football.com poll. The panel of voters in the AFCA Poll is comprised entirely of Division III coaches, while the voters in the d3football.com poll consist of coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country.

Under the guidance of 15th-year head coach Jim 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 an 88-53-3 (.622) record and the 88 games Johns Hopkins has won under Margraff's guidance in 14-plus seasons are just one less than Hopkins won in the previous 22 seasons combined (1968-89). Since the beginning of the 1995 season, the Blue Jays are 64-29-1 (.686).

AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll ? Through Games of 9-25-04

1. Mount Union (OH) (38) 3-0 996

2. Linfield (OR) (2) 2-0 945

3. Wheaton (IL) 3-0 863

4. Springfield (MA) 2-0 805

5. Hardin-Simmons (TX) 3-0 785

6. Mary-Hardin Baylor (TX) 3-0 748

7. Baldwin-Wallace (OH) 3-0 721

8. Wisconsin-La Crosse 1-1 677

9. Trinity (TX) 4-0 670

10. St. John's (MN) 3-1 626

11. Capital (OH) 3-0 591

12. Hampden-Sydney (VA) 3-0 545

13. Wisconsin-Whitewater 4-0 495

14. Washington & Jefferson (PA) 4-0 492

15. Montclair State (NJ) 2-0 423

16. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 2-1 325

17. Johns Hopkins (MD) 3-0 322

18. Wabash (IN) 3-0 277

19. Salisbury (MD) 4-0 244

20. Rowan (NJ) 2-1 241

21. Wooster (OH) 3-0 161

22. Wartburg (IO) 3-1 157

23. St. John Fisher (NY) 4-0 131

24. Pacific Lutheran (WA) 2-0 121

25. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 2-1 109

Others Receiving Votes: Christopher-Newport-90, Concordia-Moorhead-78, Ithaca-58, College of New Jersey-56, Hoard Payne-52, Muhlenberg-31, Bethel-24, Brockport-21, Trinity (CT)-16, Wittenberg-16, Waynesburg-16, McDaniel-16, Central-15, Whitworth-14, Albright-6, Wisconsin-Platteville-6, Augustana-6, St. Norbert-4, Bridgewater-2, Delaware Valley-1, Willamette-1, John Carroll-1.

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