Nov. 4, 2006

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Johns Hopkins senior wide receiver Anthony Triplin (Baltimore, MD/Gilman) caught a pair of first-half touchdown passes and the Blue Jay defense came up with several crucial plays to fuel a 24-10 non-conference win against visiting Hampden-Sydney at Homewood Field Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays improve to 4-5 overall and run their home winning streak in the month of November to nine games with the victory. The Tigers dropped their second straight and slip to 3-6.

After forcing a quick punt on Hampden-Sydney's opening possession of the game, the Blue Jays needed just seven plays to move 65 yards to take a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Freshman quarterback Michael Murray (Ijamsville, MD/Urbana) found Triplin across the middle from the Tiger 27-yard line and Triplin out-raced two defenders to the end zone to open the scoring with 7:48 remaining in the first quarter. Murray twice kept the drive alive with third-down completions to senior Evan Earnest (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) before hooking up with Triplin on a first-down play from the HSC 27.

The Tigers, who drew within 7-3 on a 29-yard field goal by Grant Hall (Salem, VA/Salem) early in the second quarter, stiffened on defense after Triplin's touchdown and forced three straight punts and came up with an interception on Hopkins' next four possessions. Still, the Tigers couldn't capitalize and the Blue Jay defense came up with a pivotal play late in the second quarter that set the Blue Jays up deep in Hampden-Sydney territory.

After Jamie Edlow (Williamsburg, VA/Bruton) intercepted a Murray pass that was intended for Triplin, senior defensive end Brian Cook (New Freedom, PA/Susquehannock) forced a fumble on the Tigers' first play and recovered at the HSC 13-yard line. Two plays later Murray hit Triplin on a back-side screen and Triplin did the rest, weaving his way through traffic and out-racing three Tiger defenders to the corner of the end zone to make it 14-3 at the half.

Any momentum the Blue Jays had at the half was quickly grabbed by the Tigers as freshman Colin Wixted (Lafayette Hill, PA/St. Joe's Prep) fumbled the opening kickoff of the third quarter after a nice 31-yard return and Hampden-Sydney recovered at the Blue Jay 45-yard line. The Tigers used 11 plays and nearly five minutes off the clock before Craig Warnement (Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Catholic) hit Michael Brooks (Glen Allen, VA/Hermitage) with a 30-yard touchdown pass on third-and-20 to cut the deficit to 14-10. Hampden-Sydney converted a pair of third downs and a pair of fourth downs on what would be its only touchdown drive of the game.

While the Tiger defense continued to force the issue and hold the Blue Jays, it was the Blue Jay defense that once again came up with the play that led to more points. Tiger senior Charlie Omick (Lawrenceville, VA/Brunswick Academy), who rushed for a game-high 98 yards, was stripped of the ball by junior Dan Requena (Fairlawn, NJ/Fairlawn) and classmate Adam Winter (Berwick, PA/Berwick) recovered at the Hampden-Sydney 24. Three plays later senior Ben Scott (Pittsburgh, PA/Shady Side Academy) booted a 37-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-10.

After forcing a Hampden-Sydney punt on its next possession, the Blue Jays took over at the their 31-yard line with 6:38 remaining and Murray orchestrated a nifty 11-play, 69-yard drive that was capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by senior Mark Nesbitt (Gibsonia, PA/Hampton) with 4:14 remaining. The Tigers got a 76-yard kickoff return to the Blue Jay 18-yard line to answer Nesbitt's touchdown, but the JHU defense forced the Tigers back to their 28 and JHU took over on downs with less than three minutes remaining. The Blue Jays killed all but the last 40 seconds to seal the win.

Triplin ended the day with five receptions for 77 yards and the two touchdowns, while Earnest added three catches for 44 yards. Murray was an efficient 11-of-23 for 150 yards with the two scores and one interception. Cook led the Blue Jay defense with a career-high 11 tackles, including 3.5 for losses and 2.0 sacks.

Omick accounted for 98 of Hampden-Sydney's 102 rushing yards in the game and Warnement was 12-of-24 for 115 yards with the one touchdown and one interception. Drew Smith (Richmond, VA/Mills Godwin) added a game-high eight receptions for 87 yards, but the player of the game for Hampden-Sydney was junior linebacker Kyle Booker (Gloucester, VA/Fork Union). Booker had a team-high nine tackles, including 6.0 for losses (27 yards) and all four of Hampden-Sydney's sacks in the game. He also forced and recovered Wixted's fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half.

Johns Hopkins will close the season next Saturday at home against McDaniel, a 22-19 winner against Muhlenberg earlier today. Game time at Homewood Field is set for 1:00 pm.

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