Johns Hopkins University Athletics

BALTIMORE, MD – The easy thing to tell you is that Kaleb Wayt kicked a 39-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to lift the Johns Hopkins football team to a 31-28 victory over Muhlenberg at Homewood Field on Saturday.

If only it were that simple.

Wayt's field goal came after the Blue Jays carried a 15-point lead into the final six minutes of the game, only to have Muhlenberg score a pair of touchdowns and convert on a two-point conversion in a four-minute span to pull even with 88 seconds remaining.

After Muhlenberg (4-4, 2-3 CC) tied it on Amari Dunn's 29-yard touchdown reception and the subsequent two-point conversion, the Blue Jays moved out to their own 42 before being forced to punt.  That's when things went sideways.   Actually, things had already gone sideways – more than once - in the latest edition of the Centennial Conference's best rivalry in this century.

Chase Alley dropped a 56-yard punt to the Muhlenberg two-yard line with 18 seconds remaining, but all the Mules had to do to force the first overtime game in Homewood Field history was lean forward and kneel it out since the Blue Jays had just two timeouts.

If only it were that simple.

When a Muhlenberg helmet came off on one of the plays, the Blue Jays got the third clock stoppage they needed to force a Mule punt from the end zone;  a punt that would travel only to the Muhlenberg 29-yard line, where Alex Orecchio came up for the fair catch.

That set up the new-in-2026 rule of a fair catch free kick without a rush from with five seconds remaining, and Wayt was true from 39 yards to give the Blue Jays a 31-28 lead.  Mike Petses ended things when he tackled Jahmir Brown before he could turn the corner on the ensuing kickoff to seal the Blue Jays' second straight win.

Johns Hopkins (3-5, 2-3 CC) had built a 14-6 second quarter lead on Luke Baker touchdown passes to Orecchio (18 yards) and Josh Moore (2 yards) that erased an early 6-0 deficit, but the Mules had the deficit at a point at the break when Luke Spang hit JR Walley with a 32-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter.

Did we mention some sideways things happened in the game?

The Blue Jays increased the lead to 21-13 on a 50-yard Bake-to-Kai Cooper touchdown pass early in the third quarter, but Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown.  Or did he?

After the Blue Jays challenged the play, it was determined that Brown dropped the ball before crossing the goal line and the subsequent Blue Jay recovery in the end zone resulted in a touchback.

Four plays and 80 yards later, it was Baker finding Moore down the middle from 40 yards out to give the Jays the 28-13 lead.  That lead held until late in the fourth quarter, when Spang hit Logan Nordeck from 23 yards out to make it 28-20.

After Muhlenberg forced the Blue Jays to punt after the Nordeck touchdown, it was junior Kevin Olah seemingly sealing the win for the Blue Jays with a toe-drag interception along the sideline with 1:43 remaining.  One play later, the Mules recovered a fumble to set up Spang's touchdown pass to Dunn and the ensuring two-point conversion that tied things up at 28.

After Alley dropped his punt inside the Muhlenberg five-yard line with just seconds remaining, Homewood Field was ready for its first-ever overtime game.

If only it were that simple.

 Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
• Baker was 21-of-34 for 275 yards and a career-high four touchdown passes and rushed for a team-high 83 yards to account for a personal-best 358 yards of total offense.
• Moore had six receptions for 73 yards and two touchdowns, while Cooper (2-90-1), Orecchio (4-39-1) and Ty Pugliano (5-59-0) helped lead a balanced receiving core.
• Freshman Ryder Register matched his career-best with nine tackles and added an interception that led to a touchdown.
• Clay Lindmark added a career-best eight tackles and Sawyer Olson counted two sacks among his five tackles on the day.
• JHU rolled up 456 yards of total offense, its second-best total of the season.

Inside the Box Score – Muhlenberg
• Spang was 19-of-29 for 170 yards with four touchdowns against two interceptions.
• Dunn rushed for a game-high 114 yards and added two receptions for 40 yards and two scores.
• CJ Newan, Thomas Cerruti and Maximus Nuzzi tied for team-lead with seven tackles apiece.  Cerruti forced the late fumble that led to the game-tying touchdown and Nuzzi had the recovery.
• Brown returned five kickoffs for 168 yards.

Johns Hopkins will return to action on Saturday, November 7 when the Blue Jays travel to McDaniel to take on the Green Terror (12 pm).

- 30 -