Sept. 30, 2017
COLLEGEVILLE, PA – Sophomore quarterback Thomas Garlick eluded the rush and scrambled eight yards for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with 20 seconds remaining to lift host Ursinus to 21-17 victory against eighth-ranked Johns Hopkins at Patterson Field Saturday afternoon. Garlick's touchdown run capped a 13-play, 74-yard drive that took 4:54 off the clock.
The loss snaps a 45-game regular season winning streak and a 40-game Centennial Conference winning streak for the Blue Jays, who slip to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the Centennial Conference. The Blue Jays last loss a regular season or Centennial Conference game on November 3, 2012, when F&M topped Johns Hopkins 14-12.
Johns Hopkins had taken a 17-14 lead on a one-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback David Tammaro with 5:20 remaining. Tammaro's touchdown was the final play in a 13-play, 80-yard drive that saw the Blue Jays convert a pair of third downs and move into scoring position on a 26-yard Tammaro-to-Brett Caggiano pass that gave the Blue Jays a first-and-goal at the one-yard line.
Ursinus (5-0, 4-0 CC) took over at their own 26 following Tammaro's touchdown and worked the clock down with a patient, but effective rushing attack. Still, it was a 15-yard completion on a third-and-15, coupled with a 15-yard penalty against the Blue Jays on the same play, that covered 30 of the 74 yards. The Bears went from first-and-10 at the Blue Jay 11 to third-and seven from the eight before Garlick dropped back to pass, found nobody open and scrambled up the middle for the decisive score.
The Blue Jays answered an early Ursinus touchdown with 10 straight points and Tammaro hit Caggiano from nine yards out to tie the game at 7-7 midway through the first quarter and Jamie Sullivan gave JHU a 10-7 lead at the half with a 40-yard field goal early in the second.
The three-point lead held until early in the third quarter when Stacey Gardner went up the middle from two yards to polish off a four-play, 75-yard drive that was fueled by completions of 26 and 34 yards by Garlick. The second of those, a 34-yard completion to Jonathan Gerhartz, gave the Bears the ball at the Blue Jay two-yard line and Gardner went in one play later to give UC a 14-10 lead.
Ursinus had a chance to grab a 17-14 lead late in the third quarter as Garlick moved the Bears from their own 20 to the Blue Jay 12, but after racing around left end, Garlick fumbled and the Blue Jays recovered at their own two-yard line.
Like Ursinus, the Blue Jays also had a golden opportunity to score before the late flurry as the Blue Jays moved from their own two after recovering the Garlick fumble and used 14 plays to move 80 yards before being stopped on fourth down inside the UC 20.
After Ursinus missed a 37-yard field goal on its ensuing possession, the Blue Jays went the 80 yards on those 13 plays with Tammaro's touchdown giving JHU its final lead of the game at 17-14 with 5:20 remaining on the clock. As it turned out, that was 21 seconds too many as Garlick's touchdown came exactly five minutes after Tammaro's and secured the Bears' first win against Johns Hopkins since 2010.
Garlick was 11-of-22 for 247 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for 104 yards and the one score. Carmen Fortino totaled three receptions for 111 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown reception on the second play of the game that gave Ursinus the early 7-0 lead.
Tammaro was 20-of-41 for 258 yards with the one score and rushed for 20 yards and the other score. Ryan Cary rushed for a season-high 97 yards and added five receptions for 51 yards for Johns Hopkins, which also got six receptions for 94 yards from Luke McFadden.
The Ursinus defense was led by Jacob McCain's 13 tackles, while Jamie Casseus totaled six stops and three pass breakups. The Bear defense was on the field for 92 Johns Hopkins offensive plays.
Addison Quinones posted 10 tackles and one forced fumble and Keonte Henson added seven stops for the Blue Jay defense.
Notes: Tammaro had his streak of consecutive passes without an interception snapped at 157 • Cary became the 19th player in school history to top 1,500 career rushing yards; he now has 1,588 • With the loss, Johns Hopkins also had its school-record 12-game road winning streak snapped and suffered its first loss in the month of September since 2010.
- Pride and Poise -