ALLENTOWN, PA - There was a time not long ago when a Johns Hopkins-Muhlenberg football game might see 30 points - combined. Only twice from 2001 through 2006 did the teams combine for more than 30 points and three times the total was under 20 in that span.
Those days are long gone, and Saturday's matchup between the 12th-ranked Blue Jays and 23rd Mules lived up to the advance hype as Johns Hopkins scored a 42-26 victory that saw the Jays race to a 22-point lead, but not really put the game away until a stunning 56-yard touchdown pass with just over two minutes remaining.
Where to begin? Muhlenberg had allowed a total of just 17 points in its first three games; Johns Hopkins had 21 before the game was 21 minutes old. The Blue Jays pushed the lead to 28-6 less than two minutes into the third quarter. The Mules were within 28-20 before the period was over - without scoring an offensive touchdown.
Yes, it's safe to say your father's Hopkins-Muhlenberg games were not like this. In fact, one thing alone made it all the more different as it was the first game in Centennial Conference football history featuring two teams ranked in the top 25.
Johns Hopkins (4-0, 3-0 Centennial) senior quarterback Braden Anderson was the point-man for the Blue Jays on Saturday as he opened with a 38-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Quinn Donaldson less than six minutes into the game and added a 17-yard scoring strike to junior Brandon Cherry early in the second quarter to give the Blue Jays that 21-0 lead. In between his TD passes, Johns Hopkins got a six-yard scoring run from sophomore Stuart Walters to account for their game-opening 21-point run.
The Mules grabbed a bit of momentum in the final three minutes of the first half as Connor Winter connected on 28 and 37yard field goals to trim the deficit to 21-6 at the half; the second of those two field goals came at the buzzer.
Still, the Muhlenberg momentum appeared to be gone early in the third quarter as Johns Hopkins took the opening kickoff of the second half and needed just six plays to go 73 yards to make it 28-6. A 43-yard Anderson-to-Donaldson strike accounted for the points, but it was a series of quick outs to sophomore Bradley Munday that opened up the sideline for Donaldson, who got behind the defense and was all alone when Anderson found him for the score.
Muhlenberg (3-1, 2-1) hopped back in the game on the strength touchdowns by its special teams and defense midway through the third quarter. The momentum the Blue Jays had gained on Donaldson's second score was gone in a span of 125 seconds.
Josh Messina blocked a Matt Auran punt and race 41 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-13 and Jeremy Thomas snagged a deflected Anderson pass out of the air and race home from 66 yards out to make it 28-20.
The Mules made it 17 straight points when Winter's 47-yard field goal in the first minute of the fourth quarter hit the cross bar and popped over to make it 28-23. Muhlenberg had taken over at the JHU 33 after a Blue Jay fumble, but Winter's field goal was all they could manage on the drive.
The stand to hold the Mules to the field goal was the first of two key stops by the Johns Hopkins defense in the fourth quarter; the second would turn out to be a game-changer.
After Hopkins punted the ball away following Winter's third field goal, the Mules took over at their 46 and had a fourth-and-four from the JHU 48. Sophomore Jack Campbell and freshman Lance Hammond stopped Muhlenberg's Max Cepeda just inches shy of the first down to give the Blue Jay offense good field position - and the offense took full advantage of yet another swing in momentum.
Anderson went 3-for-3 on the drive following the defensive stand, including an 11-yard completion to sophomore Boone Lewis, Jr. on a third-and-five and a laser to Lewis for 13 yards on a fourth-and-three form the Muhlenberg 15. Cherry went in one play later to extend the lead to 35-23.
Winter added his fourth field goal of the game to slice that deficit to 35-26 with 4:55 remaining and the Mules had a chance to get off the field on Hopkins' ensuing possession as they forced the Blue Jays into a third-and-seven from their own 44. That's when Anderson and Munday connected for the 13th time on the day, this time with Anderson zipping it to Munday coming towards the middle of the field from the outside - 56 yards later he was in the end zone and Hopkins had pushed it season-opening winning streak to four games, its regular-season winning streak to 15 games and its September winning streak to 19 games.
That's the Johns Hopkins-Muhlenberg rivalry of today: 68 points, 160 plays, 91 pass attempts and 841 yards.
Anderson, who had never thrown for more than 218 yards in a game, finished 29-of-38 for 359 yards with the four touchdowns, while Munday had career highs in receptions (13) and yards (150) with his 56-yard sprint to the end zone the final dagger in the victory. Two of Donaldson's four receptions went for touchdowns and he totaled 93 yards receiving on the day.
For its part, the Johns Hopkins defense allowed four field goals and held the Mules to 348 yards, 59 of which came on their final drive of the game after Munday's touchdown. The Mules had entered the game averaging 45 points and 452 yards per game.
Junior Brady Watts led the way for Hopkins with nine tackles, while Ryan Rice, Jack Toner and Campbell all added six stops. Rice and junior Curtis Antrum both had two pass breakups with the Blue Jays recording a total of seven PBUs on the day. Muhlenberg managed to convert just 5-of-18 third-down chances and 32 rushing attempts netted just 93 yards (2.9 ypc.).
With the early deficit, Muhlenberg quarterback Nick Palladino was forced to throw the ball 51 times. He completed 28 of those 51 attempts for 235 yards with Cody Geyer (7 receptions for 92 yards) and Michael Long (6 for 43) his top targets. Long's six receptions boosted his career total to 93 catches, which moves him into first place on the Centennial Conference's career receptions list for tight ends.
John Feaster led the Muhlenberg defense with 12 tackles, but Anderson and the Blue Jays kept the chains moving (10-of-18 on third down) and averaged 6.6 yards per play against an Mule defense that entered the game allowing just 188 yards per outing.
Johns Hopkins will return to action on Saturday, October 4 when the Blue Jays host Juniata at noon. Muhlenberg will play at Susquehanna at 1 pm that day.
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