Nov. 5, 2005

Box Score

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA -- Senior quarterback J.D. Ricca threw for 333 yards and four touchdowns and host Hampden-Sydney jumped out to a 42-7 lead at the half as the Tigers rolled past visiting Johns Hopkins, 49-20 Saturday afternoon. The win improves the Tigers' record to 7-2, while the Blue Jays dropped their second straight and fall to 7-2. Despite the loss the Blue Jays clinched the Centennial Conference's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Playoffs with Franklin & Marshall's 19-17 win at Ursinus Saturday afternoon. The appearance in the NCAA Playoffs will be the first for Johns Hopkins.

The Tigers jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter as Josh Simpson capped Hampden-Sydney's first two drives with scoring runs of six and 10 yards. Ricca then closed the first quarter assault with a one-yard touchdown pass to Brian Rolander.

The Blue Jays temporarily stopped the bleeding when they converted a turnover into their first touchdown of the game. Senior T.J. Lyons finished a quick, two-play, 19-yard drive with a two-yard run just five seconds into the second quarter to make it 21-7.

The Tigers got two more Ricca touchdown passes in the nest six minutes as he found Rolander in the corner of the end zone from 27 yards out to make it 28-7 and a nine-yard pass to Drew Smith four minutes later push the lead to 35-7. Smith's touchdown came one play after the Tiger defense came up with a fumble recovery at the Hopkins 18-yard line. A Charlie Omick one-yard run later capped a 12-play, 62-yard drive to account for the 35-point lead at the half for the Tigers.

Hopkins punched in a pair of touchdowns in the second half as Lyons scored his second touchdown of the game on a 10-yard run late in the third quarter and senior Steve Eno caught a four-yard touchdown pass from junior Shane Kibbe late in the fourth to close the scoring. The Tigers' only score in the second half came on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Ricca to Ben Dull.

Smith had a game-high nine receptions for 161 yards and the one touchdown, while Omick had 130 yards rushing and the one score to lead a ground game that generated 154 yards to go along with the 333 through the air.

Lyons rushed 15 times for 56 yards with the two scores, while senior Zach DiIonno was 12-of-24 for 137 yards. Anthony Triplin had eight receptions for 79 yards and freshman quarterback Adam Waddell came off the bench to direct one scoring drive and rushed seven times for 54 yards.

Johns Hopkins is already assured of no worse than a share for its fourth Centennial Conference Championship and can grab its first-ever outright title with a win next week at McDaniel.