BALTIMORE, MD – The third-ranked Johns Hopkins football team rushed for a season-high 356 yards and five touchdowns, paced by senior Geoff Schroeder's career-best 232-yard, two-touchdown effort, as the Blue Jays topped #25/#24 Muhlenberg, 47-26, at Scotty Wood Stadium Saturday afternoon. The win bumps the Blue Jays' record to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Centennial Conference, while the Mules slip to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Centennial.
The Blue Jays led just 34-26 entering the fourth quarter after Muhlenberg quarterback Luke Spang hit John Runfolo with a 14-yard touchdown pass on a fourth down play late in the third.
After Johns Hopkins was forced to punt on its first possession of the final period, the Blue Jay defense turned the Mules over on downs at the Johns Hopkins 39. Two Bay Harvey runs later, the first of which covered 59 yards, and the Blue Jays had their two-score lead back at 41-26.
The Blue Jay defense would force a quick punt on Muhlenberg's next possession and put the game away with an 11-play, 87-yard drive with all 87 yards coming on the ground, including the final 22 on a Schroeder run that capped the scoring with 3:01 remaining.
Early on, it was a tale of two halves in one playing out in the opening 30 minutes as the Blue Jays jumped to leads of 20-0 and 27-7, only to have the Mules score a pair of touchdowns in the final two minutes of the second quarter to account for a 27-19 halftime score.
After a three-and-out on their opening possession, the Blue Jays scored touchdowns on three consecutive first-quarter drives to quickly grab the 20-lead.
Spencer Kramer's interception set the Blue Jays up at the Muhlenberg 35-yard line and a Harvey-to-Cole Crotty 18-yard touchdown pass capped the three-play, 35-yard drive a short time later.
After Kramer's interception ended the first Muhlenberg drive of the game, the Blue Jay defense would get back-to-back three-and-outs and the offense would convert both into touchdowns to help craft the 20-point lead.
Schroeder, who rushed for 126 yards before halftime, polished off the second Blue Jay touchdown drive of the opening quarter as he weaved 34 yards through traffic to push the lead to 13-0 and Harvey and Crotty would connect again – this time from eight yards out – to close out the first-quarter scoring.
The Mules answered Schroeder's touchdown early in the second quarter with a solid seven-play, 70-yard drive that Sprang finished off by scampering 17 yards around the edge to get the Mules on the board.
Still, the Blue Jays pushed the lead back to 20 as they ate more than half of the second quarter away – 8:28 to be exact – with a 13-play, 68-yard drive. Harvey converted on fourth-and-one inside the Muhlenberg five-yard line to keep the drive alive and then went in one play later.
The Mules would get a pair of touchdowns – one on a Logan Nordeck completion to Sprang on a trick play and another on a two-yard Isaac Schaffer run after the Mules forced a Blue Jay turnover – in the final 50 seconds of the half to make it a one-score game heading into the break.
The teams would trade touchdowns in the third quarter to account for the 34-26 score entering the final period. From there, Harvey and Schroeder went to work behind the Blue Jay offensive line to put the game away.
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
• Schroeder's 232 rushing yards are a career high and the most for Johns Hopkins player since Jonathan Rigaud rushed for 238 against Ursinus in 2012.
• Harvey added 109 yards and the two scores on the ground and was 8-for-12 for 120 yards with the two touchdown passes to Crotty.
• In all, Johns Hopkins rushed for 356 yards and five touchdowns in the victory, The 356 yards are the 14th-highest single-game total in program history.
• Defensive lineman Will Seibert paced the Blue Jays with a career-high nine tackles, while Carter Hogg added seven tackles. Senior Isaac Urquidi posted four tackles and had a big pass breakup on fourth down that set the stage for 59-yard run that led to the touchdown that pushed the Blue Jay lead to 41-26.
Inside the Box Score – Muhlenberg
• Spang was 17-of-34 for 237 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for a team-high 37 yards.
• Nine different players caught at least one pass for the Mules with Runfolo hauling in a team-high six receptions for 53 yards and the one score.
• Marcus McClaine led the Mule defense with eight tackles and one pass breakup.
Notes of Interest
• The Blue Jays are now 50-5 in the their last 55 regular season games in the month of November.
• The Blue Jays improved to 30-5 in their last 35 road games with today's win.
Johns Hopkins will return to action on Saturday, November 8 when the Blue Jays welcome McDaniel to Homewood Field (12 pm). Johns Hopkins will honor its seniors prior the start of the game against the Green Terror.
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