Oct. 26, 2005
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The Game: Johns Hopkins (7-0, 4-0 CC) closes the home portion of the 2005 season as the Blue Jays host Ursinus (3-4, 1-2 CC). The Blue Jays knocked off Muhlenberg, 13-10, last week to take firm control of the race for the Centennial Conference title, while the Bears erased a 13-3 third-quarter deficit and knocked off Gettysburg, 16-13.
The Teams: Johns Hopkins posted a 9-2 record, claimed a share of a third straight Centennial Conference Championship and won the ECAC Southeast title in 2004. Ursinus dropped its last eight games last season after a 1-1 start to finish 1-9. The last three losses were all by seven points or less.
Centennial Title Chase: Johns Hopkins, which has already secured no worse than a share for the Centennial Conference title, enters this week's game needing just one win to secure the Centennial title outright. There are numerous scenarios where the Blue Jays claim the title (either shared or outright), but one win in either of its final two league games is the most direct path to the championship. The winner of the Centennial Conference title receives a bid to the upcoming NCAA Playoffs.
Poll Position: Johns Hopkins is ranked 16th in this week's AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, down one spot from last week's number 15 ranking. The Blue Jays have now been ranked in the top 25 in each of the last five weeks. Prior to the 2003 season Johns Hopkins had never been ranked in the top 25 in the nation in football. Since then the Blue Jays have been ranked in the top 25 in the nation 17 times in 26 weeks and have received votes in every poll since the final two polls of the 2002 season. This week's number 16 ranking marks the ninth time JHU has appeared in the top 20 and is the fourth-highest ranking in school history. The Blue Jays peaked at number 13 in the poll of October 21, 2003.
Series History: Johns Hopkins and Ursinus are meeting for the 48th time in a series that dates back to 1958. The Blue Jays and Bears have met every year since 1958. This 48-year run is actually the longest active run of JHU playing an opponent (the 1963 JHU-McDaniel game was cancelled after the assassination of President Kennedy).
Johns Hopkins leads the all-time series against Ursinus, 28-15-4 and has won four straight and 10 of the last 13. Hopkins has won six of the last seven in the series at Homewood Field, including a 49-10 win in the last meeting here (2003).
Title Time: From 1969-2001 the Johns Hopkins football team did not win a title of any kind. In the last four years the Blue Jays have grabbed a share of four straight Centennial Conference titles (including this year) and won three ECAC Championships (ECAC Southwest-2002, ECAC South Atlantic-2003, ECAC Southeast-2004).
Streaking: The win over Muhlenberg improved the Blue Jays' record to 26-3 in their last 29 games, 35-5 in their last 40 and 41-8 in their last 49. These represent the best records ever over those numbers of games in school history.
More Streaking: The 7-0 start for the Blue Jays ties the school record for best start to a season (2003). In fact, there is only one other instance where JHU has started 6-0 (1931).
Seniors Playing Final Regular Season Home Game: Today's game is the final regular season home game in the careers of the 18 seniors on the 2005 Johns Hopkins football team. The group has been instrumental in taking the program from an annual contender for the Centennial Conference Championship to a perennial top 25 team. Prior to the arrival of this group Johns Hopkins had never won a Centennial Conference Championship, had never played a post-season game and had never been ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Since they arrived the Blue Jays have posted a 35-5 record (most wins ever for a single class in school history), claimed a least a share of four straight Centennial Conference titles, advanced to the post-season every year and have been ranked in the top 25 for a total of 17 weeks (26 possible).
Non-Conference Roll: The 9-6 win over CMU extended JHU's winning streak in non-conference games to 13 games. The Blue Jays last dropped a non-conference game on October 26, 2002 at Randolph-Macon (17-12).
Home Sweet Home: Since the beginning of the 1996 season Johns Hopkins is 39-10 (.796) at home and has twice enjoyed 10-game winning streaks at Homewood Field during that time. Currently the Blue Jays have won 16 of their last 18 and 22 of their last 26 at home.
Road Warriors: The win over Muhlenberg was JHU's ninth straight victory away from Homewood Field and 17th win in its last 19 road games. The nine-game road winning streak is the longest in school history. Johns Hopkins previously had a seven-game road winning streak from 1967-69.
Comeback Kids: The Blue Jays erased a 10-3 fourth-quarter deficit to knock off Muhlenberg, 13-10 last Saturday. Johns Hopkins has now come from behind to win twice this season (Ben Scott's 37-yard field goal with just one second remaining in the fourth quarter beat Rochester in the season-opener) and eight times since the start of the 2004 season.
Seven's Heaven: For all the different numbers and statistics that can be applied to the Johns Hopkins football team, there has been one simple way to measure the success of the Blue Jays recently. Since the beginning of the 2003 season the Blue Jays are 26-0 when scoring more than seven points and 0-3 when they have been held to seven points or less.
Keys to Success: Johns Hopkins is an impressive 60-4 (.938) under head coach Jim Margraff when scoring 24 or more points...currently, the Blue Jays have won 47 of their last 49 when scoring 24 or more...at the same time, Hopkins is 70-10-2 (.866) when holding the opposition to 14 points or less since Margraff arrived for the 1990 season...the Blue Jays have won 34 of their last 36 games when holding the opposition to 14 points or less.
Defense Leads The Pack: A trademark of the Johns Hopkins football team is a solid defense. Despite several key injuries the Blue Jays have continued that trend as they rank first in the Centennial Conference in scoring defense (6.3 ppg), total defense (207.7 ypg), rushing defense (91.1 ypg), pass defense (116.6 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (75.7 rating). The Blue Jays have held five of seven opponents to seven points or less, limited Muhlenberg to just 158 yards of total offense in last week's win, have held two of their last three opponents to less than 190 yards of total offense and have allowed more than 250 yards just once on the year. The Blue Jays rank third in the nation in scoring defense and fifth in total defense and pass efficiency defense.
Shutouts: The 14-0 shutout of Gettysburg was JHU's second of the season. Johns Hopkins has posted 14 shutouts in 15+ seasons under head coach Jim Margraff and the two this season mark the fourth time in the Margraff era that JHU has posted two or more shutouts in one year (1992 (2), 1996 (2), 2003 (3), 2005 (2)). The Blue Jays posted 11 shutouts in the 20 seasons prior to Margraff's arrival in 1990.
Scoring Defense: Johns Hopkins got a 31-yard fumble return for a touchdown (Adam Luke) and a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown (Adam Colicchio) in the win over Dickinson. This marked the first time since September 29, 2000 (54-13 win over Gettysburg) that Johns Hopkins has scored two defensive touchdowns in the same game.
"Odd" Defense: Perhaps the most unusual defensive note about Johns Hopkins has to do with odd-numbered years and the JHU pass defense. In the last three odd numbered years (2001, 2003, 2005) the Blue Jays have come up with 51 interceptions and allowed just five touchdown passes. The Blue Jays led the nation in pass efficiency defense in 2001 and 2003 and rank fifth in the nation this season. JHU did not allow a touchdown pass in 2001 and had 28 interceptions while allowing just two TD passes in 2003.
Star Quality: Johns Hopkins placed a school-record 15 players on the 2004 All-Centennial Football Team and nine of those players are back for the 2005 season. The 15 All-CC selections broke the previous record of 14 set in 2003.
Success on the Field and in the Classroom: The recent on-field success of the Johns Hopkins football team has been well documented, but the Blue Jays have been equally successful in the classroom. Johns Hopkins placed six players on the 2004 CoSIDA District II Academic All-America team after earning a school-record seven selections in 2003. Senior LB Max Whitacre earned First Team District II Academic All-America status last season, while senior rover Mike Aynardi, senior DB Jim Sanders and junior DL Brian Nickel all garnered second team honors (two graduated players also earned second team honors). No other school in the district had more than four players named to the District II team in 2004 and JHU's selections represented six of the eight for the Centennial Conference.
More Success in the Classroom: In addition to placing six players on the 2004 CoSIDA District II Academic All-America team, the Blue Jays also had a league-best eight players named to the 2004 Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll. All-Centennial selections Max Whitacre (LB) and Evan Earnest (RS) led the eight-man contingent for the Blue Jays, who also placed Mike Aynardi (LB), Mike Barrasso (LB), Brian Nickel (DL), Nate Readal (FB), Jim Sanders (DB) and Ryan Sheare (OL) on the CC's Academic Honor Roll. No other team in the league placed more than four players on the team.
And They Shall Lead Us: The Blue Jays selected three players to serve as captains for the 2005 season. Senior quarterback Zach DiIonno and senior linebackers Adam Luke and Max Whitacre will lead the team as captains this season.
Player Notes of Interest (Included in PDF Version)
