2015 NCAA Division III Football Playoff Bracket (PDF) | 2015 NCAA Division III Football Playoff Bracket (Interactive)

BALTIMORE, MD -- The sixth-ranked and undefeated Johns Hopkins (10-0) football team will host Western New England in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Division III Football Playoffs it was announced Sunday evening. The game is scheduled for Saturday, November 21 at Homewood Field and ticket information will be announced on Monday, November 16. Kickoff is set for noon.

The winner of the Johns Hopkins-Western New England game will play the winner of the Wesley-Framingham St. first round game on Saturday, November 28. The location of that game will be announced on Sunday, November 22. The top half of the Johns Hopkins bracket features Mount Union hosting St. Lawrence and Albright hosting Norwich.

Johns Hopkins earned the Centennial Conference's automatic bid to the playoffs, while Western New England earned the automatic bid from the New England Football Conference (NEFC). These were two of the 25 automatic bids awarded in the 32-team field.

Johns Hopkins (10-0) is making its fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Playoffs and the seventh appearance in school history; all seven trips have come since 2005. Highlighting the Blue Jays' six previous appearances was a run to the 2009 NCAA Quarterfinals and second round showings in 2012 and 2014. This will be the fourth consecutive year that the Blue Jays host a first round game.

Western New England (10-0) won the NEFC title with a thrilling 28-21 win over Salve Regina on Saturday. The title is the second in program history and the first since 2011. In addition, the Golden Bears completed the first undefeated regular season in school history with the victory.

This will be the first-ever meeting between Johns Hopkins and Western New England in football. The teams did not share any common opponents during the 2015 season, but there is a strong tie between the two programs as 11th-year Golden Bear head coach Keith Emery served as an assistant coach at Johns Hopkins from 1998-2004. He was the Blue Jays' defensive coordinator from 2001-04 and the team's associate head coach during his final season at Homewood.

Johns Hopkins won its seventh straight and 11th overall Centennial Conference championship this season. The outright title this season is the fifth straight and sixth in seven years for the Blue Jays (JHU shared the 2010 title). Hopkins also won the outright title in 2005, when the Blue Jays made their first appearance in the NCAAs.

The Blue Jays enter the playoffs with a balanced team that has been effective on both sides of the ball. Johns Hopkins is currently averaging 45.9 points and 506.2 yards per game, while the Blue Jay defense has been equally effective, surrendering just 15.5 points and 313.1 yards per game.

Like Johns Hopkins, Western New England features a balanced offense and a stingy defense. The Golden Bears are averaging 39.5 points and 486.9 yards per game while allowing just 11.6 points and 256.9 yards per outing.

- Pride and Poise -