Johns Hopkins Game Notes (PDF)

The Game
«  Johns Hopkins (7-1, 4-0 Centennial) wraps up the home portion of its 2024 regular season schedule as the Blue Jays welcome Dickinson (5-3, 2-2 CC) to Homewood Field.

A Look Back
«  Johns Hopkins pushed its winning streak to five with a 26-13 win against Muhlenberg last Saturday.
« Dickinson topped Gettysburg, 34-14, to win its rivalry game against the Bullets and retain possession of the "Bucket".

Honoring Our Seniors
«  Johns Hopkins will honor its seniors and graduate students prior to this week's game.  The senior class has helped Johns Hopkins to a 39-5 record with two Centennial titles (2021, 2023), two trips to the NCAA Playoffs (2021, 2023) and one Centennial-MAC Bowl victory (2022) since arriving.

Victory Number 600
«  Johns Hopkins grabbed the 600th victory in program history with a 51-7 win at Gettysburg on October 11.
« With the win last week against Muhlenberg, Johns Hopkins improved its all-time record to 603-491-57 (.549).

The Facts
«  This is the 139th season of Johns Hopkins football.  JHU first fielded a team in 1882.
«  Johns Hopkins enters this week's game with an all-time record of 603-491-57 (.549).
«  Overall, JHU owns 16 Centennial Conference titles (all won since 2002) and has qualified for the NCAA Playoffs 12 times (all since 2005).

Poll Position
«  Johns Hopkins checks in at #19 in this week's AFCA Poll and is 21st in the D3football.com Poll.
« Since the AFCA debuted its poll in 1999, this week's #19 ranking marks the 140th time in 255 polls that the Blue Jays have appeared in the top 25.
« The Blue Jays are in the D3football.com Top-25 for the 162nd time in 269 polls since D3football launched its poll in 2003.

November Reign
«  Entering this week's game against Dickinson, Johns Hopkins is 47-5 in regular season games played in the month of November this century, including 28-2 since 2010.
«  JHU has not lost a regular season home game in the month of November since 2007.  The Blue Jays have won 18 consecutive regular season home games in November since a 19-11 loss to F&M in
2007. 
« In this century, Johns Hopkins is 25-2 in regular season home games in the month of November.
«  The Blue Jays are 16-2 in their last 18 regular season road games in the month of November dating back to 2007.

A Centennial Snapshot
«  There's much more clarity in the race for the Centennial Conference title and the league's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Playoffs this week.
« Here is a quick look at the teams with the most direct path to the title (shared or outright) and the NCAA bid to the playoffs.  Note that there may be other scenarios in play - these are the most direct paths for each of the five teams still alive entering play this week.

• Johns Hopkins wins the title outright with two wins. A win this week secures the automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs for the Blue Jays.
• Ursinus wins the title outright with two wins and two losses by Johns Hopkins.
• Dickinson grabs a share of the title and grabs the automatic bid with two wins and two losses by Johns Hopkins.
• There is a path for the winner of this week's Franklin & Marshall-Muhlenberg game to grab a share of the title, but it does not appear that there is a way for either team to grab the bid to the playoffs.  The loser of the F&M-Muhlenberg game is eliminated from the race.

Strength in Numbers
« The 10 opponents on Johns Hopkins' 2024 schedule are currently a combined 46-26 (.639).  By opponent winning percentage, this ranks as the ninth most difficult schedule in the nation.
« The eight opponents Johns Hopkins has already played this season currently have a combined record of 40-16 (.714).  By opponent winning percentage, this ranks as the second most difficult schedule played to-date.
« Entering this week's game against Dickinson, Johns Hopkins is the only team in the nation whose opponents to-date have combined for 40 wins this season.

Different Week, Same Story
«  The Johns Hopkins defense turned in yet another exceptional performance in last week's win against Muhlenberg.
« The Blue Jays held the Mules to just 13 points, which was 32 below their season average entering the game.  In addition, the 321 yards allowed against the Mules were nearly 190 less than Muhlenberg was averaging entering the game.
« JHU has allowed a total of 33 points in its last four games.  That's the fewest the Blue Jays have allowed over a four-game span since they held Juniata (5), Dickinson (7), Gettysburg (7) and Urisnus (13) to 32 in 2015.
« The Blue Jays have held six of eight opponents to 13 points or less and are allowing just 14.1 points per game.  JHU ranks second in the Centennial and 30th in the nation in scoring defense.

Defense Among Centennial's Best
«  The Johns Hopkins defense continues to rank among the Centennial Conference's best in virtually every statistical category.
« Entering this week's game, Johns Hopkins ranks second in scoring defense (14.1) and third in total defense (306.3) and rushing defense (115.0) and fourth in pass defense (191.3).
« The Blue Jays also lead the league in pass efficiency defense (94.2), have allowed a league-low three touchdown passes and the opposition is completing a league-low 51.1% of its pass attempts.
« The three touchdown passes the Blue Jays have allowed are tied for the second fewest in the nation in Division III.  Marietta has allowed just two TD passes this season, while Maryville (TN) has also allowed just three TD passes on the year.

I'm Honored
«  Johns Hopkins swept the Centennial Conference Offensive (James Rinello) and Defensive Player of the Week (Carson Bourdo) awards after last week's win against Muhlenberg.
« Rinello was 23-of-36 for 249 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a game and career-high 84 yards in the victory.  His marks for attempts, completions and rushing yards are all career highs, while his two touchdown passes matched his personal best.
« Bourdo had seven tackles, two interceptions and one pass breakup in the victory against the Mules.  His two interceptions both came in the fourth quarter and both came in Blue Jay territory.  His second interception came on the final play of the game as the Mules were looking for a game-tying touchdown and he returned it 70 yards for a touchdown as time expired to seal the victory. 

At Home at Homewood
«  Including the recent win against Muhlenberg, the Blue Jays have enjoyed a dominant recent run at Homewood Field.
«  Since the start of the 2014 season, the Blue Jays are 53-6 (.898) at Homewood Field; they are 69-9 (.885) at Homewood since 2010.
«  JHU won a school-record 19 consecutive games at home from midway through the 2019 season until the 2023 NCAA Quarterfinal.

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