Johns Hopkins-Juniata Football Notes

A Look Back: Johns Hopkins improved to 4-0 on the year and ran its regular season winning streak to 15 games with a 42-26 win at 23rd-ranked Muhlenberg last Saturday. Juniata slipped to 2-2 with a 35-33 loss to visiting Franklin & Marshall on the same day.

Poll Position: Johns Hopkins is ranked 10th in this week's AFCA Division III Poll and 10th in this week's D3football.com poll. The number 10 ranking in the D3football.com Poll is tied for the highest in school history, while this is the 11th time Johns Hopkins has been ranked in the top 10 by the AFCA.

Ranking Streaks: Johns Hopkins is ranked in the top 20 of the AFCA Poll for the 31st consecutive week dating back to early in the 2011 season and in the top 25 for the 32nd consecutive week.

Against Ranked Teams: Last week's 42-26 win at 23rd-ranked Muhlenberg was Johns Hopkins' seventh win against a top 25 team since the AFCA Poll orginated in 1999. Amazingly, five of JHU's seven wins vs. nationally-ranked teams have come on the road.
The remaining nine Centennial Conference schools have combined for 17 wins vs. ranked teams in the same time period and none of the nine has more than three wins.

Sweet September: Johns Hopins capped another successful September with four straight wins. The Blue Jays have now won 19 straight and 22 of their last 23 games in the month of September.

Flipping the Calendar: While September has certainly been kind to the Blue Jays of late, October has seen virtually the same level of success for JHU. Johns Hopkins enters this week's game vs. Juniata riding a 12-game October winning streak that began with a 49-24 win at Susquehanna on October 23, 2010.

Can't Get More Even: The success of the Johns Hopkins football team since the start of the 2001 season has been well documented. Amazingly, that success has been nearly identical on the road and at home. Dating back to the start of the 2001 season, Johns Hopkins has played 73 home games and is 55-18 in those games. Remarkably, head coach Jim Margraff's team has been just as successful on the road as the Blue Jays are 56-17 in 73 games away from Homewood Field during that time.

Quick Starts: Johns Hopkins is 4-0 for the fourth straight year and the seventh time since 2002. Prior to 2002, Johns Hopkins hadn't started a season with four straight wins since 1932!

Balanced Ground Game Leading Offense: Playing against a Muhlenberg defense that had allowed an average of just 51.7 yards per game on the ground, Johns Hopkins got 134 yards and two scores via the rush in last week's win vs. the Mules. While still below its season average entering the game, the Blue Jays moved it effectively enough against a good defense to keep the Mules off balance.
Through four games, the Blue Jays are averaging 226.2 yards per game on the ground with 15 of the team's 20 touchdowns on the year coming via the rush. Johns Hopkins currently ranks third in the Centennial in rushing yards per game.
Headlining the rushing attack for the Blue Jays are sophomore Stuart Walters and junior Brandon Cherry, who have already combined for 587 yards on the year (despite Cherry sitting out the game against Moravian). Walters currently ranks fourth in the CC in rushing yards per game (85.8), while Cherry ranks sixth (81.3).
As if having Walters and Cherry isn't enough, Johns Hopkins head coach Jim Margraff has two other capable threats in senior quarterback Braden Anderson and sophomore running back Dionisio Roman, who have combined for 258 yards and 10 touchdowns through four games.
With 45 yards and a touchdown at Muhlenberg, Walters became the 25th player in school history to reach 1,000 career rushing yards as he now has 1,006. Cherry has jumped from 19th to 17th on JHU's career rushing list with his quick start this season as he now has 1,482 career rushing yards to his credit.

Anderson Breaks Out: Senior Braden Anderson enjoyed the finest game of his career last week at Muhlenberg was he was 29-of-38 for 359 yards with four touchdowns against one INT. His 29 competions, 38 attempts, 359 yards and four TDs were all career highs, as were his 372 yards of total offense. For his efforts he was named the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
Through four games he is 74-of-110 (.673) for 843 yards with five TD against four INTs. He has also rushed for 127 yards and five touchdowns in four games. Anderson is the seventh straight Johns Hopkins quarterback to win the first start of his career.

Munday Enjoys Career Day: Sophomore Bradley Munday enjoyed the best day of his career at Muhlenberg as he had 13 receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown. His 13 receptions and 150 yards are both career highs, while his 56-yard TD reception with just over two minutes remaining in regulation sealed the victory. Munday's 13 receptions are the most by a Johns Hopkins player since Dan Wodicka had 13 at McDaniel in 2011, while his 150 receiving yards are the most since Wodicka had 159 in that same game against McDaniel in 2011.

Donaldson Leading Receiving Corps: Sophomore Quinn Donaldson enjoyed another strong outing at Muhlenberg as he had four receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns. His 38-yard touchdown catch on JHU's first possession opened the scoring, while he added a 43-yard scoring reception on Hopkins' first possession of the second half. Through four games, Donaldson leads the team in receptions (18), receiving yards (301) and TD receptions (3).

In Case You Didn't Notice: Johns Hopkins has 75 completed passes through four games. All 75 have been caught by players who will return next season.

Many Happy Returns: While the number of kickoff and punt returns the Blue Jays have amassed through four games has been minimal, the results have been effective. Sophomore Bradley Munday is averaging 16.3 yards per punt return and 25.0 yards per kickoff return. Classmate Stuart Walters is averaging 21.7 yards per kickoff return, while junior Evan Adamo has one punt return for 15 yards.

Defense Starts Strong: The Johns Hopkins defense has gotten the season off to a good start as the Blue Jays are allowing just 15.8 points and 330.0 yards per game thus far. The opposition is averaging just 3.3 yards per rushing attempt and has converted just 21-of-66 (.318) third down opportunities.

More Defense: In addition to allowing just 15.8 points per game, the Blue Jay defense has forced nine turnovers and generated nine sacks in four games. Hopkins' nine caused turnovers rank fourth in the Centennial, while the nine sacks are tied for third.

Good Hands Team: The Johns Hopkins defense came up with just eight interceptions in 11 games during the 2013 season. Through four games this season, the Blue Jays already have seven to their credit with three against Randolph-Macon and Moravian and one against Susquehanna.
Sophomores Jack Toner and Garrett Spek both have a pair of intercpetions on the year, while Brady Watts, Ryan Rice and Sebastian Edwards all have one thus far.

Watts Earns CC Defensive Player of the Week: Junior Brady Watts earned Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts in last week's win at Muhlenberg. Watts posted a career-high nine tackles, including one sack, and forced a fumble to fuel a defense that limited the Mule offense to 348 yards (more than 100 under their average entering the game) and four field goals (MC's two touchdowns came on defense and special teams).

Hitting the Century Mark: Johns Hopkins had two players reach the 100-tackle mark for their career vs. Moravian. Senior defensive end Michael Longo recorded seven tackles, including one sack, and now has 109 tackles, 24.5 tackles for losses and 15.5 sacks in his career. Junior Keith Corliss also recorded seven tackles against Moravian and now counts 109 career tackles to his credit as well. In addition to Longo and Corliss, senior defensive back Ryan Rice is within striking distance of the 100-tackle mark as he has 99 tackles, including 7.5 for losses, to his credit entering this week's game vs. Juniata.

Margraff 10th on Division III Victories List: Johns Hopkins head coach Jim Margraff picked up career victory number 171 with last week's win at Muhlenberg. In addition to ranking as the winningest coach in school history, Margraff also ranks 10th among active NCAA Division III coaches in career victories; below is a look at the top 10:

Rk. - Name - School - Career Victories
1. - Rick Giancola - Montclair St. - 220
2. - Michael DeLong - Springfield - 195
3. - Mike Drass - Wesley - 190
4. - Steve Johnson - Bethel - 187
5T. - Larry Kindbom - Washington U. - 185
5T. - Rich Lackner - Carnegie Mellon - 185
7. - Barry Streeter - Gettysburg - 180
8. - Vic Wallace - Rockford - 179
9. - Norm Eash - Illinois Wesleyan - 175
10. - Jim Margraff - Johns Hopkins - 171

Margraff Ranks Second on State Victory Chart: Johns Hopkins head coach Jim Margraff sports a career record of 171-82-3 (.674) entering this week's game against Juniata. He is just the second college football coach in Maryland state history to win 150 career games. Only Morgan State's Eddie Hurt, who won 174 games from 1929-59, has won more games as the head football coach at a college or university in the state of Maryland than Margraff.

JHU Ties Victory Record: Johns Hopkins posted a 10-1 record in 2013 and tied the school record for victories in a season. Only four times previously - 2003, 2009, 2011 and 2012 - had Hopkins won 10 games in a season. Johns Hopkins had never won more than seven games in a season prior to 2002, but the Blue Jays have posted eight or more wins 10 times in the last 12 years.

Centennial Conference Champions: Johns Hopkins claimed its ninth Centennial Conference title last season with all nine championships coming since 2002. JHU's nine CC titles are tied for the most in league history with Dickinson and Muhlenberg.

Centennial Favorites: For the sixth consecutive year and the ninth time in the last 11 years Johns Hopkins was selected as the favorite in the league's preseason poll of coaches and SIDs.
The Blue Jays received 14 of 20 first-place votes and totaled 158 points to out-distance Muhlenberg, which checked in at number two in the poll with six first-place votes and 147 points.

A Return to the NCAAs: Johns Hopkins made its third straight and fifth overall appearance in the NCAA Playoffs last season. The Blue Jays are 3-5 all-time in NCAA action with a trip to the 2009 NCAA Quarterfinals and an appearance in the second round in 2012 highlighting their playoff history.

On a Roll: Johns Hopkins is 38-1 in its last 39 regular season games dating back to late in the 2010 season. The only team to top the Blue Jays duirng that run? Franklin & Marshall, which topped the Blue Jays, 14-12, in 2012. JHU's 37-game regular season run began with a 49-24 win at Susquehanna on October 23, 2010.

On A Roll, Part II: Johns Hopkins is 39-4 in its last 43 games overall since late in the 2010 season. Three of the Blue Jays' four losses during that time have come in the NCAA Playoffs.

At Home at Homewood: Johns Hopkins has parlayed its home field advantage into victories in recent years. In fact, the Blue Jays are 22-3 in the home blacks since the start of the 2010 season.

Sustained Success: Since the start of the 2002 season the Blue Jays sport a 105-32 (.766) record. Taking it back farther the Blue Jays are 111-35 (.760) since the start of the 2001 season and 116-40 (.744) since the beginning of the 2000 season.

Seven's Heaven: Since the beginning of the 2003 season the Blue Jays are 96-22 (.814) when scoring more than seven points and 0-7 when they have been held to seven points or less.

- Pride and Poise -