BALTIMORE, MD – There's something about a Johns Hopkins-Muhlenberg football game.
One year after the Blue Jays topped the Mules with an improbable offensive (or was it special teams?) touchdown on the final play of the game, the Hopkins defense took its turn as junior Carson Bourdo returned an interception 70 yards on the final play to seal a 26-13 victory.
No, the Blue Jays couldn't technically lose on that final play, but does that really matter?
Bourdo's touchdown capped another remarkable performance by the Blue Jay defense, which forced three, second-half turnovers and held the Mules 32 points and nearly 200 yards under their season averages entering the game. All three turnovers were forced inside Blue Jay territory, including a fumble inside the Blue Jay five-yard line on the Mules' first drive of the second half.
Johns Hopkins (7-1, 4-0 Centennial) opened the scoring with a 27-yard Brad Paxton field goal late in the first quarter and held that lead until late in the the second period, when the Mules went 80 yards in 10 plays and ate just over five minutes off the clock before Chris Ardito caught a 10-yard pass from Joe Repetti with 3:18 remaining before the break.
Down 7-3, the Blue Jays answered the Ardito touchdown with a five-play, 80-yard drive that senior James Rinello polished off with a 49-yard touchdown pass to classmate EJ Talarico with 1:52 left in the second quarter.
The Mules (5-3, 3-2 Centennial) moved into Johns Hopins terriroty and threatened to pull even or grab the lead before halftime after Talarico's touchdown, but a Carter Hogg interception at the Johns Hopkins 23 halted the drive with 26 seconds remaining.
Who knows if the Blue Jays planned to run out the clock – they didn't. An unnecessary roughness penalty on a Rinello rush moved the ball to the 39 before back-to-back completions to Geoff Schroeder (10 yards) and Talarico (39) set the Blue Jays up deep in Muhlenberg territory. After moving to the Mule 12, Paxton added a 29-yard field goal as the first half ended to give the Jays a 13-7 lead.
Muhlenberg had a golden chance to pull even on its first drive of the second half. After forcing a quick Blue Jay punt to open the half, the Mules moved from their own 33 to the Johns Hopkins four-yard line, but the Blue Jays forced a fumble one fourth-and-one from the four to kill the drive and maintain the six-point lead.
Muhlenberg would pull even on its next possession as Repetti scampered into the end zone from 13 yards out two plays after an Oliver Craddock interception was nullified when the Blue Jays were called for roughing the passer. Johns Hopkins senior PJ Penders blocked the ensuing extra point to keep the game tied with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Johns Hopkins pieced together its best drive of the second half as the Blue Jays answered Repetti's touchdown with a 12-play, 83-yard drive that saw Hopkins convert a pair of third-down chances, including a third-and-four form the Muhlenberg 19 that saw Rinello scramble for 10 yards. Two plays later, Rinello dropped one into the corner of the end zone to Talarico for the score that gave the Blue Jays the lead for good at 20-13.
While the Talarico's touchdown would hold over te final 13:45, it wasn't easy. Muhlenberg had four possessions down the stretch, but the Blue Jay defense allowed just 50 yards on those four drives, forced two punts and Bourdo had interceptions at the JHU 35-yard line to kill one threat and the 70-yard game-sealing pick on the final play.
Hopkins-Muhlenberg coming down to the final play. Who would have guessed?
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
• Bourdo posted seven tackles, the two interceptions and one pass breakup, while Cole Peters and Oliver Craddock tied for the team-lead with nine tackles apiece.
• Penders added five tackles to go along with the blocked extra point.
• Rinello was 23-of-36 for 249 yards and the two touchdowns and also rushed for a career-high 79 yards.
• Talarico had seven receptions for a career-high 134 yards and the first two-touchdown game of his career.
Inside the Box Score – Muhlenberg
• Repetti was 25-of-39 for 213 yards and one touchdown against the three interceptions. He also rushed for a team-high 63 yards on the day.
• Tim Buda had a team-high seven receptions for 72 yards.
• Peyton Elliott posted a team-high 11 tackles and led a defense that posted three sacks and had seven tackles for loss.
Notes of Interest
• Johns Hopkins can clinch no worse than a share of the Centennial Conference title and the league's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Playoffs with a win in either of its last two games.
• The Blue Jay defense has held six of eight opponents to 13 points or less and has allowed a total of 33 points in four Centennial Conference games this season.
• JHU extended its home regular season winning streak in the month of November to 18 games. The Blue Jays have not lost a regular season home game in November since 2007.
Johns Hopkins will return to action on Saturday, November 9 when the Blue Jays welcome Dickinson to Homewood Field (1 pm).
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