Dec. 20, 2011

BALTIMORE, MD -- The 2011 Johns Hopkins football team posted a 10-1 record, won a third straight Centennial Conference Championship and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the third time in school history. With those accomplishments in hand, the Blue Jays secured a pair of top 20 national rankings in the final Division III Football Polls of the year as JHU checks in at number 19 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Poll and 18th in the d3football.com Poll. The Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications Office uses the AFCA Poll to reflect JHU's official national ranking.

This is the second time in the last three years that Johns Hopkins has closed the season ranked in the top 20 of both major Division III Polls. The Blue Jays finished the 2009 season ranked eighth in the AFCA Poll and 11th in the d3football.com Poll.

Under the guidance of head coach Jim Margraff, the Blue Jays spent the entire 2011 season ranked in the top 25 of the AFCA Poll. After debuting at number 23 in the inaugural poll of the season on September 18, the Blue Jays steadily moved up and peaked with a national ranking of 10th on November 7 and November 14. JHU spent the last nine weeks of the season ranked in the top 20, the longest such streak in school history.

Johns Hopkins tied the school record for wins in a season with its 10 this season and closed the regular season at a perfect 10-0 for the first time in school history as well. The Blue Jays' winning streak reached a program-record 15 games with the 10-0 start, which included a perfect 9-0 record in the Centennial Conference. JHU's Centennial title was the seventh in program history, all of which have come under Margraff's direction.

Final 2011 AFCA Division III Coaches Poll (12-19-2011)

Rk. School (Record/Points)
1. Wisconsin-Whitewater (42) (15-0/1,050)
2. Mount Union (OH) (14-1/1,008)
3. Wesley (DE) (12-2/940)
4. St. Thomas (MN) (13-1/927)
5. Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) (12-1/878)
6. Wabash (IN) (12-1/796)
7. Linfield (OR) (10-1/790)
8. North Central (IL) (10-2/725)
9. Salisbury (MD) (11-2/715)
10. St. John Fisher (NY) (10-3/582)
11. Delaware Valley (PA) (11-1/581)
12. Kean (NJ) (10-2/573)
13. Franklin (IN) (10-2 488)
14. Cal Lutheran (8-2/430)
15. McMurry (TX) (9-3/430)
16. Trinity (TX) (10-1/386)
17. Redlands (CA) (8-2/318
18. Centre (KY) (9-2/316)
19. Johns Hopkins (10-1/312)
20. Monmouth (IL) (10-2/288)
21. Illinois Wesleyan (9-2/233)
22. Thomas More (KY) (9-2/201)
23. Bethel (MN) (8-2/140)
24. Dubuque (IA) (9-2/110)
25. Wheaton (IL) (8-2/93)

- 30 -