Oct. 27, 2007

Final Stats

HUNTINGDON, PA - Sophomore running back Andrew Kase rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns and had also had a touchdown reception as visiting Johns Hopkins cruised to a 42-21 victory at Juniata Saturday afternoon. The 42 points are the most for the Blue Jays this season and Hopkins improves to 3-5 overall and 2-4 in the Centennial Conference with the victory. The Eagles slip to 0-8 overall and 0-7 in the Centennial.

The Blue Jays wasted little time taking control in the first half as Hopkins scored touchdowns on its first three possessions of the game and led 21-0 less than 12 minutes into the game. After winning the coin toss, the Blue Jays took the ball and efficiently moved 60 yards in eight plays with Kase capping the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run with 10:35 remaining in the first quarter. Kase carried five times for 26 yards on the drive and sophomore quarterback Michael Murray hit senior Corey Sattler twice for a total of 25 yards to fuel the drive.

It took just two plays for the Blue Jay defense to make its presence felt on the Juniata's ensuing possession as senior Dan Requena intercepted a Jay Leonard pass at the Hopkins 49-yard line on the Eagles' second play from scrimmage and returned it to the Juniata eight-yard line. Kase went in untouched one play later to make it 14-0.

Murray and the Blue Jays orchestrated their most impressive drive of the first half on their next possession as they milked 4:21 off the clock on an 11-play, 65-yard drive that saw the Blue Jays twice convert on third down. Murray capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown pass to freshman Brian Hopkins on third-and-goal to make it 21-0.

The Juniata defense stiffened in the second quarter and kept the Blue Jays off the board until late in the period, when freshman quarterback Max Islinger hit classmate Tucker Michels on a drag screen and Michels raced 46 yards to the corner of the end zone to push the lead to 28-0 with 5:44 remaining in the half.

The Eagles used all but four seconds of the remaining time in the second quarter after Michels' touchdown and Leonard polished off a seven-play, 43-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to David Nicklaus in the back corner of the end zone. The Eagles, who didn't register a first down for the first 17 minutes of the game and netted just three yards of total offense in the first quarter, got 43 of their 64 first-half yards on the scoring drive, which Leonard kept alive with a six-yard scramble on a fourth-and-four from the Hopkins 37-yard line.

Any hopes for a Juniata comeback were ended quickly in the second half as Hopkins scored on its first two possessions of third quarter to extend the lead to 42-7 at the end of the third quarter.

Kase rushed four times for 35 yards on Hopkins' first drive of the third quarter and Sattler capped the drive with the first touchdown reception of his career to make it 35-7. Kase finished his day a short time later when he took a screen pass from Murray and scored from 11 yards out to give the Blue Jays their biggest lead at 42-7.

The Eagles added an 80-yard touchdown reception by Matt Dunker on a halfback option pass from freshman Ryan McDonald early in the fourth quarter and McDonald hit Leonard on another halfback option pass with 4:02 remaining in the game to close out the scoring.

Kase paced a ground game that generated 240 yards with his 156-yard effort - the second-highest total of his career. Junior Chris Baldwin added 56 yards on 11 carries and the Blue Jay running game helped Hopkins control the ball for over 34 minutes. Murray, who split time with Islinger, was 9-of-14 for 115 yards and three touchdowns and Islinger added 56 yards passing and the one touchdown to Michels. Sattler had a team-high six receptions for 79 yards and the one touchdown, while Michels totaled a career-high 133 all-purpose yards on two receptions for 55 yards and five punt returns for 78 yards.

Juniata struggled to run the ball all day as the Blue Jay defense held the Eagles to -16 yards on 22 carries. Leonard was 19-of-46 for 203 yards and the one touchdown, but he was also sacked five times. Dunker had five receptions for 129 yards and the one score.

Senior Adam Winter led the Blue Jay defensive with nine tackles, including one for a loss, while sophomore Colin Wixted added seven tackles, including four for losses and three sacks.

Johns Hopkins will host Franklin & Marshall next Saturday at Homewood Field, while the Eagles close out the Centennial Conference portion of the their schedule with a game at Dickinson.

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