JHU Continues Climb - Blue Jays Up to 11th in AFCA Poll
BALTIMORE, MD –- The Johns Hopkins football team moved up one spot to #11 in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Poll. The Blue Jays earned 617 points to earn their number 11 ranking, which is the highest in-season ranking in school history. The climb to #11 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, 15th, 14th and 12th before this week's number 11 ranking.
In addition to being ranked 12th by the AFCA, Johns Hopkins is also ranked 14th 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 continues to lead the poll as the Warhawks grabbed 39 of 42 first-place votes and totaled 1,047 points to easily outdistance second-ranked Mount Union, which earned the other three first-place votes and checks in with 1,010 points. St. Thomas (MN) (948), Mary Hardin-Baylor (904) and Linfield (OR) (886) round out the top five.
This is the 25th week that JHU has been ranked in the top 25 since the formation of the AFCA poll in 1999. Including this week's #11 ranking, Johns Hopkins has been in the top 25 or listed as receiving votes 63 times since 1999. This is the 17th time Johns Hopkins has been ranked in the top 20 and this week's ranking is the second 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. The #11 ranking is the highest in-season ranking in school history – bettering by one last week's ranking of #12.
The Blue Jays (8-0, 7-0 Centennial) have currently won a school-record 13 straight games dating back to last season. The streak is 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 38-game winning streak is currently the longest in Division III and overall, while Stanford's 16-game streak tops Division I-A (FBS) and ranks second overall. Johns Hopkins' 13-game streak is tied with Colorado State Pueblo (Division II) as the third longest active streak.
Johns Hopkins secured the Centennial Conference's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA playoffs with a 37-9 win over Ursinus on Saturday. The Blue Jays also assured themselves of at least a share of the Centennial title with the victory and can grab the outright championship with a victory this Saturday against Franklin & Marshall (noon).
AFCA Division III Coaches Poll (10-31-2011) Rk. School (Record/Points)
1. Wisconsin-Whitewater (39) (8-0/1,047)
2. Mount Union (3) (8-0/1,011)
3. St. Thomas (MN) (9-0/948)
4. Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) (8-0/904)
5. Linfield (OR) (7-0/886)
6. Thomas More (KY) (8-0/792)
7. North Central (IL) (7-1/780)
8. Wesley (DE) (7-1/737)
9. Delaware Valley (PA) (8-0/707)
10. Wabash (IN) (8-0/626)
11. Johns Hopkins (8-0/617)
12. Wheaton (IL) (7-1/544)
13. Trinity (TX) (8-0/507)
14. Cal Lutheran (6-1/462)
15. Salisbury (MD) (7-1/433)
16. Redlands (CA) (6-1/398)
17. Kean (NJ) (7-1/351)
18. Franklin (IN) (7-1/325)
19. Illinois Wesleyan (7-1/271)
20. Montclair St. (NJ) (7-1/269)
21. Wittenberg (OH) (7-1/185)
22. Louisiana College (7-1/178)
23. Bethel (MN) (6-2/130)
24. St. Olaf (MN) (7-1/126)
25. Dubuque (IA) (8-1/82)
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