BALTIMORE, MD – The 20th-ranked Johns Hopkins football team jumped out to a 24-0 lead less than 21 minutes into Saturday's showdown with 18th-ranked Susquehanna, held off a mid-game rally by the River Hawks and picked up a crucial 38-17 win at Homewood Field Saturday afternoon. The win improves the Blue Jays' record to 7-1 overall and 6-1 in the Centennial Conference, while the River Hawks had their school-record 15-game winning streak snapped and fall to 7-1 overall and 6-1 in the Centennial.
After punting on their first drive of the game, the Blue Jays would score on four of their next five possessions to build what would prove to be an insurmountable 24-point lead. The Blue Jay defense would play a big role in the early lead as Hopkins forced three first-half turnovers that the JHU offense turned into 17 of the 24 points.
With the River Hawks threatening in a still scoreless game early in the first quarter, a Finn Zechman interception halted an SU drive in the red zone and set the Blue Jays up at their own 18. On a drive that never saw them face a third down, the Blue Jays then went 82 yards on seven plays with a 23-yard Danny Wolf run capping things to make it 7-0.
The second of Susquehanna quarterback Michael Ruisch's three interceptions on the day – this one by Jameson Lajoie – gave the Blue Jays a much shorter field late in the first quarter and Wolf powered in from a yard out push the lead to 14-0.
A 33-yard field goal from Kyle Battles – after Duncan Van Kouteren recovered a Ruisch fumble – pushed the lead to 17-0 early in the second quarter and another Wolf touchdown run – this one from 22-yards out - on Hopkins' next possession, gave the Blue Jays the 24-point cushion.
The River Hawks put together their most impressive drive of the game after Wolf's touchdown as they went 75 yards in 13 plays in a drive that ate just over seven minutes off the clock. Ruisch connected with Michael Good from seven yards out to slice the deficit to 24-7 with just under three minutes remaining in the second quarter.
The Blue Jays failed to run out the final 2:44 of the half and Susquehanna responded with a 98-second, seven-play drive that Elijah Hoffman polished off with a 30-yard field goal just before halftime to make it a two-score game at the break (24-10).
Momentum was entirely on the Susquehanna sideline early in the third quarter as the SU defense forced a Blue Jay turnover on the opening possession of the second half and the 'Hawks needed just three plays to go 30 yards with Ruisch scoring on a 12-yard run around right end and Hoffman's extra point closed things to 24-17.
With all but seven points of the early 24-point margin erased, the Blue Jay offense went to work after the Ruisch touchdown and responded with a critical 79-yard drive that Wolf closed with his fourth touchdown of the game – this one from two yards out – that pushed the lead back to 13 (30-17).
The decisive play in the game came on the 10th play of Susquehanna's ensuing possession as the Blue Jay defense came up with another forced turnover.
After the River Hawks moved inside the Blue Jay 10, things started going backwards for SU. A penalty and sack moved the ball back to the 24-yard line and Ruisch was then sacked by Luke Schuermann, who forced a fumble on the play that was recovered by senior Joe Tischler and returned to the River Hawk 38. The Blue Jays methodically moved to a second-and-goal situation from the five-yard line, where junior Ryan Stevens would cap things with a five-yard touchdown pass to Quinn Revere with 1:22 on the third-quarter clock.
Susquehanna's final three drives of the game ended with a punt, a failed fake punt and a Michael Linguadoca interception of a Ruisch attempt with 5:59 remaining. The Blue Jays ate the final six minutes off the clock to seal the victory.
Wolf rushed for a career-high 140 yards and the four rushing touchdowns, which are one shy of his own school record. Stevens was 27-of-35 for 268 yards and one touchdown with Revere, Harrison Wellmann and Ryan Hubley – his top three targets – combining for 21 receptions for 188 yards and the one Revere touchdown.
The 38 points are 24 more than Susquehanna was allowing entering the game, while JHU's 417 yards of total offense came against a River Hawk defense that was allowing just 242 on the year.
The Blue Jay defense sacked Ruisch four times, forced him into three interceptions, recovered a pair of fumbles and held the River Hawks 26 points and nearly 150 yards below their season averages of 43.2 points and 419.4 yards per game.
Nick Seidel was in on a team-high nine tackles for the Blue Jays, who got five tackles, including 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble from Schuermann, and six tackles and the 28-yard fumble return from Tischler.
Franie Negrini rushed 17 times for 96 yards and Ruisch threw for 158 yards and one score and also rushed for the one touchdown. Craig Roumes had nine tackles, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup to lead the way defensively for Susquehanna.
Johns Hopkins will return to action on Saturday, November 6 when the Blue Jays host Dickinson. Kickoff at Homewood Field is set for 1 pm.
Notes: Hubley became the sixth player in school history to reach 200 career receptions as his seven today boost his mark to 205 • There have been 12 instances where a JHU player has had four or more rushing touchdowns – Wolf has accounted for three of the 12 • JHU is now 34-2 in its last 36 games in October • The five turnovers the Blue Jays forced are the most by the JHU defense six October 27, 2018, when the 'Jays forced six against Muhlenberg.
Hopkins Tops Susquehanna, 38-17, in Top-20 Battle
/seasons/2021/boxscores/20211030_1kum.xml
2021
Susquehanna
17
Johns Hopkins
38
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susquehanna (7-1) | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| No. 17 Johns Hopkins (7-1) | 14 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 38 |
Oct 30, 2021
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