JHU Up to 14th in AFCA Poll
BALTIMORE, MD -- The Johns Hopkins football team jumped one spot to #14 in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Poll. The Blue Jays earned 465 points to earn their number 14 ranking and move up one spot from last week's ranking of 15th. The climb to #14 has been a steady one for the Blue Jays, who were ranked 23rd in the inaugural AFCA Poll on September 19 and moved to 20th, 16th and 15th before this week's number 14 ranking.
In addition to being ranked 14th by the AFCA, Johns Hopkins is also ranked 18th in this week's d3football.com poll. The Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications Office uses the AFCA Poll to reflect JHU's official national ranking.
Two-time defending national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater, which grabbed 39 of 42 first-place votes and totaled 1,047 points, continues to sit atop the poll. Mount Union earned the other three first-place votes and checks in at number two with 1,010 points. St. Thomas (MN) (947), Mary Hardin-Baylor (931) and Linfield (OR) (881) round out the top five.
This is the 23rd week that JHU has been ranked in the top 25 since the formation of the AFCA poll in 1999. Including this week's #14 ranking, JHU has been in the top 25 or listed as receiving votes 61 times since 1999. This is the 15th time Johns Hopkins has been ranked in the top 20 and this week's ranking is the third highest in school history. JHU's highest-ever ranking - eighth (8th) - came in the final poll of the 2009 season after the Blue Jays advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals. Hopkins was ranked 13th for one week during the 2003 season.
The Blue Jays (6-0, 5-0 Centennial) have currently won 11 straight games dating back to last season, a streak that is tied for the longest in school history and currently ranks as the second-longest active Division III winning streak in the nation. In addition, the streak is tied for the third-longest active winning streak in all divisions of NCAA college football. Wisconsin-Whitewater's 36-game winning streak is currently the longest in Division III and overall, while Stanford's 14-game streak tops Division I-A (FBS) and ranks second overall. Johns Hopkins' 11-game streak is tied with Oklahoma (FBS), Washburn (Division II) and Colorado State Pueblo (Division II) as the third longest active streak in the nation.
Johns Hopkins will put its 11-game streak on the line on Saturday, October 22 when the Blue Jays travel to Gettysburg for a key Centennial Conference game against the Bullets (4-2, 4-1 CC). A win against the Bullets would also tie the school record for most consecutive wins to start a season. The Blue Jays previously started 7-0 in 1892, 2003 and 2005.
AFCA Division III Coaches Poll (10-17-2011)
Rk. School (Record/Points)
1. Wisconsin-Whitewater (39) (6-0/1,047)
2. Mount Union (3) (6-0/1,010)
3. St. Thomas (MN) (7-0/947)
4. Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) (6-0/931)
5. Linfield (OR) (5-0/881)
6. Thomas More (KY) (6-0/775)
7. Montclair St. (NJ) (6-0/745)
8. North Central (IL) (5-1/729)
9. Delaware Valley (PA) (7-0/703)
10. Wesley (DE) (5-1/645)
11. Salisbury (MD) (6-0/641)
12. Wabash (IN) (6-0/541)
13. Illinois Wesleyan (6-0/527)
14. Johns Hopkins (6-0/465)
15. Bethel (MN) (5-1/444)
16. Wheaton (IL) (5-1/395)
17. Trinity (TX)(6-0/355)
18. Cal Lutheran (4-1/304)
19. Adrian (MI) (6-0/288)
20. Redlands (CA) (4-1/213)
21. Kean (NJ) (5-1/202)
22. Franklin (IN) (6-1/161)
23. Wittenberg (OH) (6-1/160)
24. Wisconsin-Oshkosh (5-1/136)
25. Louisiana College (5-1/85)
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