Sept. 22, 2012
ALLENTOWN, PA - Visiting Johns Hopkins got a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown runs from junior JD Abbottand the 16th-ranked Blue Jays ran their regular season winning streak to 18 games with a 33-21 win over host Muhlenberg Saturday afternoon. In spoiling the Mules' Homecoming, the Blue Jays improve to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the Centennial Conference. Muhlenberg slips to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the Centennial. Johns Hopkins also extended its Centennial Conference winning streak to 16 games.
The Blue Jays led just 20-14 after Terrence Dandridge's 13-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, but the Blue Jays put together impressive scoring drives on their ensuing two possessions to take control.
Taking over at their own 25 after the Dandridge touchdown, the Blue Jays moved 75 yards in 15 plays with Abbott capping the drive with a nine-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to give the Blue Jays a 26-14 lead.
Muhlenberg worked its way to the Johns Hopkins 45 on its next possession, but the drive stalled there and the Mules were forced to punt. Hopkins took over at its own 16 and needed just six plays to work the ball to the Mule 41. There, junior Robbie Matey went deep and found classmate Bob D'Orazioa step behind the defense inside the Muhlenberg 10 where he made a great diving catch along he sideline. Two plays later, Abbott went in from three yards out to make it 33-14 with just under seven minutes remaining.
Muhlenberg made it interesting down the stretch as Joe Hogh's 25-yard return of a blocked punt with 2:32 remaining made it 33-21, but Johns Hopkins' Brady Wattscovered the ensuing onsides kick and the Blue Jays got the one first down they needed to run out the clock and secure their third win over the Mules in the last four years.
Muhlenberg entered the game with the nation's top scoring defense as the Mules had allowed a total of just seven points in their first three games combined. It took the Blue Jays less than two minutes and just five plays and 1:56 to match that total as senior Jonathan Rigaudcapped Hopkins' game-opening drive with a 56-yard touchdown run right up the middle to give Hopkins an early 7-0.
Johns Hopkins had a golden opportunity to extend the early lead when a punt return and two personal fouls on the Mules gave the Blue Jays possession at the Muhlenberg 20-yard line. However, a tipped pass on JHU's first play resulted in an interception and the Mules took over at the 16.
From there, the Mules methodically moved 84 yards on 13 plays and capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown pass from senior Dan Deighan to classmate John Gruver, who got free in the back of the end zone and grabbed Deighan's rollout pass to knot the game.
The Blue Jays carried a 13-7 lead into the half on the strength of two Richie Carbonefield goals. The first, from 23-yards, capped a 16-play, 63-yard drive, while his career-best strike from 42 yards polished off a 14-play, 54-yard drive late in the quarter.
Matey and D'Orazio teamed to give the Blue Jays a 20-7 lead early in the third quarter as Matey fired a strike down the middle that D'Orazio grabbed right in front of a defender. He side-stepped two would-be tacklers and raced to the corner of the end zone to extend the six-point halftime lead to 13.
That lead held for just over five minutes as the 13-yard run by Dandridge came with 4:58 remaining in the third quarter. The first of Abbott's two touchdowns came on JHU's ensuing possession and extended a lead that Hopkins would never relinquish.
Rigaud and Abbott powered a ground game that accounted for 273 yards and three touchdowns. Rigaud had a game-high 131 yards and the one touchdown, while Abbott added 98 yards and the two scores.
Matey was 21-of-30 for 207 with the one touchdown and one interception. D'Orazio had seven receptions for 95 yards and the one score and the Blue Jay offense converted 11-of-18 third-down opportunities to build a 13-minute advantage in time of possession.
Deighan threw for 177 yards and the one touchdown and rushed for 42 yards. Isaiah Vaughn had three receptions for 104 yards and added 95 yard on four kickoff returns and Dandridge added 70 yards rushing and the one touchdown.
The Johns Hopkins defense held the Mules 100 yards below their season average and Muhlenberg converted just 4-of-13 third-down chances. Junior John Arena had a team-high eight tackles for the Blue Jays, who also got five tackles, including three for losses, from Matthew Connery.
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