The Game: Johns Hopkins (5-1, 4-1 Centennial) hits the road for the fourth time this season as the Blue Jays head north to Pennsylvania to take on Gettysburg (1-5, 1-4 CC).

A Look Back:  Johns Hopkins made it four straight in the win column as the Blue Jays topped Franklin & Marshall, 42-12, on the road on October 6.

Poll Position:  Johns Hopkins is tied for 23rd in this week's AFCA Division III Poll.  The Blue Jays had been listed as receiving votes in the first two AFCA Polls of the 2018 season.  Dating back to the start of the 2012 season, Johns Hopkins has now appeared in the top 25 of the AFCA Poll 72 times in 74 weeks.

In addition to the #23 ranking from the AFCA, Johns Hopkins is also ranked 25th in this week's D3football.com Poll.  The Blue Jays debuted at #19 in the D3football.com Preseason Poll and were ranked 18th in the first regular season poll before the narrow loss at Susquehanna on September 8; the Blue Jays were ranked 25th last week and now 25th again this week.

Before the Bye:  Johns Hopkins hit its bye week after the win at Franklin & Marshall on October 6.  Since 2011, and including the game against F&M, Johns Hopkins is 40-2 in the 42 combined games played before its week bye.  Included were perfect 5-0 marks each year from 2011-2016.

After the Bye:  This week's game at Gettysburg is the first for the Blue Jays after the bye week.  Since 2011, Johns Hopkins is 33-1 in regular season games played after its bye week.

October Has Been Good of Late:  The calendar flipped to October for the Blue Jays' game at F&M and the second month of the season has been kind to the Blue Jays of late.  Including the win against the Diplomats, Johns Hopkins has won 27 consecutive games in the month of October dating back to a 26-17 loss at Ursinus on October 16, 2010.

Ironically, the Blue Jays were just 10-8 in their previous 18 games in the month of October before jump-starting the current 27-game run with a 49-24 win at Susquehanna on October 23, 2010.

301 in First Six:  Johns Hopkins has scored 301 points through six games - that marks the most points the Blue Jays have ever scored in a six-game span in school history.

In fact, the 301 points the Blue Jays have scored this season are already the 11th-highest single-season total in school history.

35+ in Six Straight:  Johns Hopkins has scored at least 35 points in each of the first six games this season.  That is one game shy of the longest such run in school history.  The Blue Jays scored 35+ in seven straight games late in the 2016 season.

Chart Toppers:  Johns Hopkins leads the Centennial Conference in scoring offense (50.2 ppg), total offense (564.7 ypg.), passing yards per game (356.7 ypg.) and rushing offense (216.2).  The Blue Jays are also first in third-down percentage (.553) and first downs per game (27.8).

Among the National Leaders:  Entering this week's game against Gettysburg, Johns Hopkins ranks second in the nation in total offense (564.7), sixth in passing offense (356.7) and fourth in scoring offense (50.2).  The Blue Jays also rank fourth in third-down percentage (.553) and the 167 first downs JHU has accumulated are the seventh most of any team in the nation.

Six in 132, Six in 17:  In the first 132 seasons of Johns Hopkins football, the Blue Jays had six games of 600+ yards of total offense.  In the last 17 games, the Blue Jays have topped the 600-yard mark six times.

Big Plays: Through six games, the Johns Hopkins offense has 46 plays of 20 yards or longer (an average of 7.6 such plays per game) and 133 plays of 10 yards or longer (22.2 such plays per game).  Note that this includes offensive plays only (rushing and passing plays).

Defense Steps Up:  The Johns Hopkins defense enjoyed its strongest outing of the season in the 47-3 win at Moravian.  The Blue Jays held the Greyhounds to just 216 yards of total offense, including just 70 in the first half, limited MC to a 2-of-14 showing on third-down chances, recorded two takeaways, two sacks and nine tackles for losses.

It's Been a While:  The three points the Blue Jays allowed at Moravian are the fewest points Johns Hopkins has allowed in a road game since October 13, 2012, when JHU topped Dickinson, 49-0.

Seven or Less Under Rehring:  Since Mickey Rehring took over as the Blue Jay defensive coordinator in 2013, Johns Hopkins has held the opposition to seven points or less 14 times - including the three-point performance by Moravian on September 15 and the six-point effort by Ursinus a week later.

35 in 4:  After allowing an average of 34 points per game in the first two games, the Blue Jay defense has worked its way into form and has allowed a total of just 35 points in the last four games - all Blue Jay victories.

The 35 points Johns Hopkins has allowed over the last four games are the fewest in a four-game span since the Blue Jays allowed just 32 in a four-game span midway through the 2016 season.

Block Party:  Freshman Robert Fletcher needed exactly three minutes to impact the first game of his career as he blocked a Randolph-Macon punt that was returned 32 yards for a touchdown by senior Tyler Messinger.  The blocked punt return for a touchdown was the first for Johns Hopkins since Adam Schweyer took one back 36 yards for a score against Juniata on October 30, 2010.

Fletcher was back at it against Dickinson as he partially blocked a first-quarter Red Devil punt that led to a Johns Hopkins touchdown and also got a piece of Franklin & Marshall's first punt to give him three blocks on the year; he is tied for fourth in the nation with his three blocked kicks.

Number Four:  Johns Hopkins boasts a 57-7 record since the start of the 2013 season.  The Blue Jays' .890 winning percentage over that time ranks fourth among Division III teams.  In order, the top five teams in the nation in winning percentage since the start of the 2013 season (with records included):

1. Mount Union (76-4) .950
2. Mary Hardin-Baylor (70-5) .933
3. Wisconsin-Whitewater (66-6) .917
4. Johns Hopkins (57-7) .890
5. St. Thomas (MN) (58-10) .853

61 Under to 61 Over:  Johns Hopkins head coach Jim Margraff inherited a program with an all-time record that was 61 games UNDER .500 when he arrived (334-395-56).  With the win against Juniata on November 4, 2017, Johns Hopkins moved its all-time record to 61 games OVER .500. Entering this week's game against Gettysburg, Johns Hopkins has an all-time record of 548-483-59 (+65).

On a Roll:  Johns Hopkins is 77-3 in its last 80 regular season games dating back to late in the 2010 season and 81-10 in its last 91 games overall since late in the 2010 season.

Sustained Success:  Since the start of the 2002 season, the Blue Jays sport a 148-38 (.796) record.  Taking it back farther, the Blue Jays are 154-41 (.790) since the start of the 2001 season and 159-46 (.776) since the beginning of the 2000 season.

Additional Information Available in PDF Version.