COLLEGEVILLE PA – The third time was the charm for the Johns Hopkins football team on Saturday.
Twice during the Blue Jays' two-decade run at or near the top of the Centennial Conference – in 2005 and 2017 - the Blue Jays suffered their first loss of the season as the hands of Ursinus.
On Saturday, it was the once-beaten Blue Jays who returned the favor as Johns Hopkins topped the previously unbeaten Bears, 16-7, at Patterson Field. The Blue Jays outscored the Bears 16-0 over the final 57 minutes and used a game-clinching interception from senior PJ Penders near the goal line in the final two minutes to lock up the win.
The victory improves the Blue Jays' record to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Centennial, while the Bears had a 10-game winning streak dating back to last season snapped and slip to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the Centennial.
The Bears grabbed an early 7-0 lead as they won the coin toss, took the ball and went 78 yards in seven plays with Tony Holden covering the final 46 yards after breaking to the outside and racing down the sideline into the end zone. One play earlier, the Bears converted a key third-and-10 on a completion down the middle to set up Holden's touchdown.
The seven-point lead held until midway through the second quarter, when the Blue Jays pieced together their best drive of the first half. Taking over at their own 24 after an Ursinus field goal was off the mark, the Blue Jays went 76 yards in 13 plays to pull even. Senior quarterback James Rinello was under heavy pressure on the touchdown play, but eluded the rush and drifted to his right, where he found tight end Will Leger inside the 10 yard line and Leger caught it in stride and darted into the end zone to pull the Jays even.
The 7-7 tie held until late in the second quarter, when the Blue Jay defense forced a quick three-and-out and Blue Jay senior Andrew Rich returned the ensuing punt 20 yards to the Ursinus 28. Three plays later, freshman Brad Paxton knocked home a 22-yard field goal as the first half ended to give the Jays a 10-7 lead at the break.
The three-point lead didn't last long in the third quartrer - just two plays and 43 seconds to be exact - as junior Geoff Schroeder took a handoff on second-and-five from the Blue Jay 28, got to the outside and raced 72 yards to the end zone to push the lead to 16-7.
While the nine-point lead would hold, it didn't come easily.
Ursinus had the ball inside the Blue Jay 30-yard line four times in the final 29 minutes, but the Johns Hopkins defense turned the Bears away each time:
• A pass breakup by Carson Bourdo on fourth-and-six at the JHU 29 killed the Ursinus drive immediately after Schroeder's touchdown run.
• A forced fumble inside the five-yard line late in third quarter ended an Ursinus drive that had started at the UC 11.
• A drive to the Blue Jay 24-yard line midway through the fourth quarter ended with a Jordan Carr 41-yard field goal hitting off the upright.
• Penders' interception at the goal line came on a third-and-seven from the Blue Jay 15-yard line with just under two minutes remaining to end the Bears' final chance.
Johns Hopkins had a chance early in the fourth quarter to increase the 16-7 lead as the Jays had a first-and-goal from the Ursinus seven-yard line, but the Bear defense stiffened and turned the Jays over on downs to keep it a nine-point game.
From there, the Blue Jays stopped three Ursinus drives that went into Johns Hopkins territory, but the missed field goal and interception and a big sack from Matthew Konkol on a third-and-10 at the Blue Jay 39-yard line ended each of those chances.
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
• Penders posted a career-high 10 tackles and added the game-sealing interception at the end.
• Konkol had a career-high 3.5 sacks, seven tackles and one pass breakup. In all, the Blue Jay defense had six sacks, forced the two turnovers and had five pass breakups on the day.
• Schroeder rushed for 128 yards and the one touchdown to lead a Blue Jay rushing attack that generated 172 yards against a defense that was allowing just 53 yards per game on the year.
• Rinello was 18-of-32 for 174 yards and the one touchdown and added 37 yards on the ground.
Inside the Box Score – Ursinus
• Holden rushed for a game-high 145 yards on 20 carries, but 13 other Ursinus rushing attempts, which includes the sacks, netted minus four yards on the day.
• Ursinus quarterback Jalen Bradford was 19-of-43 for 291 yards and Justin Collier had a game-high seven receptions for 98 yards for the Bears.
• Connor Carter posted a team-high 10 tackles, including one of the Bears' three sacks and two tackles for loss, and also forced a fumble that he recovered on one of his sacks.
Notes of Interest
• Johns Hopkins picked up its 10th consecutive road victory with today's win. The 10-game run is tied for the third-longest road winning streak in program history.
• The Blue Jay defense has allowed just 20 total points in three Centennial Conference games and has held five of its seven opponents to 13 points or less this season.
• Ursinus entered the game averaging 43.2 points per game.
Johns Hopkins will return to action on Saturday, November 2 when the Blue Jays welcome Muhlenberg to Homewood Field (2 pm).
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