BALTIMORE, MD – The third-ranked Johns Hopkins football team jumped out to a 21-3 lead, held off a mid-game push from #21/#20 John Carroll and added two late field goals to knock off the Blue Streaks, 27-13, at Homewood Field Saturday afternoon. With the victory, the Blue Jays improve to 2-0 on the year, while the Blue Streaks slip to 1-1 with the loss.
After spotting John Carroll an early 3-0 lead, the Blue Jays scored on three of their first four possessions to grab the 18-point lead midway through the second quarter. During that run, the Johns Hopkins defense forced three straight three-and-outs from John Carroll and allowed a total of zero yards on those three Blue Streak drives.
Johns Hopkins grabbed a lead it would never relinquish just over two-minutes after John Carroll's game-opening field goal as the Blue Jays needed just 2:15 and four plays to go 50 yards with quarterback Bay Harvey dropping in a perfect pass to Robby Enright along the sideline in the end zone. The short field was set up by a 50-yard Josh Moore kickoff return after John Carroll's field goal.
After the Blue Jay defense forced the first of those three consecutive three-and-outs, the Blue Jays used eight plays to go 62 yards to extend the lead to 14-3. An 11-yard Harvey-to-Cole Crotty strike on third-and-nine kept the drive alive, as did a six-yard Geoff Schroeder run on third-and-three from the Blue Streak 43-yard line. Two plays later, it was Harvey firing a strike to Crotty that he caught in a tight window at the Blue Streak 17 and then eluded two defenders in a race to the end zone with 3:03 on the first-quarter clock.
The 11-point lead held until midway through the second quarter, when the Blue Jays pieced together an eight-play, 61-yard drive that Schroeder capped with a 21-yard touchdown reception on a perfectly executed screen. The drive was again extended by a pair of conversions on third down for the Blue Jays, including a 28-yard Robby Enright reception on third-and-11 from the Blue Streak 49; two plays later Schroeder found the end zone for the fourth time in two games.
John Carroll jumped back in the back by scoring 10 points in the final two minutes of the first half. A six-yard Nick Semptimphelter touchdown pass to Tyren Montgomery on fourth-and-goal polished off a 10-play, 68-yard drive with 1:41 on the first-half clock, and a 43-yard Colin Shuler field goal on the final play of the first half accounted for a 21-13 halftime score.
The defenses took over in the second half with the only two scoring drives coming in the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter as Johns Hopkins' Brad Paxton connected on 34 and 39-yard field goals to extend the Blue Jay lead to 27-13.
Shuler had a chance to make it a five-point game late in the third quarter, but he misfired from 34 yards and the Johns Hopkins defense would force two punts, force and recover a fumble and turn the Blue Streaks over on downs on John Carroll's final four possessions of the game. Carter Hogg's fumble recovery led to the second of Paxton's two fourth-quarter field goals and the Blue Jay defense capped its day with back-to-back sacks on John Carroll's final two plays of the game to seal the victory.
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
• Harvey was 17-of-31 for 273 yards and three touchdowns against one interception. His first TD pass of the day was the 50th of his career. He is the sixth player in program history to throw 50 or more career touchdown passes.
• Crotty (8-118-1) and Enright (4-81-1) combined for 12 receptions for 199 yards and two TDs.
• Jack Smith again led the way defensively for Johns Hopkins as he posted a game-high 11 tackles, including 2.5 for losses.
• Browning Trainer added nine tackles and Hogg was in on six tackles and added the fumble recovery and one pass breakup on the day.
• The Johns Hopkins defense had 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, forced the one fumble and held the Blue Streaks to four rushing yards on the day.
• Johns Hopkins has held its last nine regular-season opponents to 14 points or less.
Inside the Box Score – John Carroll
• Semptimphelter was 29-of-40 for 303 yards and one touchdown.
• Montgomery was on the receiving end of 12 of Semptimphelter's completions for 152 yards and the one score.
• Kenny Grobolsek paced the Blue Streak defense with eight tackles, including 1.5 for losses, on the day.
Today's Johns Hopkins' win, coupled with Susquehanna's 56-17 win against Bridgewater earlier today, likely sets up the first football game in Blue Jay history with both teams ranked in the top five in the nation at the time of the game. Johns Hopkins entered today's game ranked third in the nation by both the AFCA and D3football.com, while Susquehanna was ranked fifth by the AFCA and fourth by D3football.com entering today's action. Neither team figures to fall from the top five after today's wins.
Johns Hopkins and Susquehanna will meet next Saturday, September 20 in Selinsgrove (1 pm).
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