Sept. 18, 2004

BALTIMORE, Md. -- The 22nd-ranked Johns Hopkins football team raced to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and limited visiting Carnegie Mellon to just 231 yards of total offense as the Blue Jays ran their winning streak to six games dating back to last season with a 24-14 victory over the visiting Tartans. Hopkins improves to 3-0 this season, while CMU slips to 1-2.

The Blue Jays took advantage of the wind at their backs in the first quarter as they turned a blocked punt, a fumble recovery and an interception into touchdowns in the first 12 minutes of the game. The opportunistic JHU defense setup the Blue Jay offense at the 22, 35 and 30 yards lines of Carnegie Mellon and none of the scoring drives lasted longer than 77 seconds.

After Alan Cody (North Bergen, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) blocked a punt to end CMU's first possession the Blue Jays took over at the Tartan 22-yard line and needed just three plays to stick it in the end zone. An 18-yard pass from Zach DiIonno (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) to Brian Wolcott (Harding, PA/Wyoming Area) on the first play gave the Blue Jays first and goal at the four and junior T.J. Lyons (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) went in from one-yard out two plays later to make it 7-0 with 10:43 remaining in the first quarter.

Sophomore Brian Nickel (Waupun, WI/Waupun) forced the first of four Carnegie Mellon turnovers on the Tartans' next possession as he stripped Colby Whitman (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) of the ball at the CMU 38 and came up with the fumble recovery at the 35. It took the Blue Jays just four plays to push the lead to 14-0 as DiIonno connected with sophomore Anthony Triplin (Baltimore, MD/Gilman) on a 20-yard touchdown pass to cap the quick four-play, 35-yard drive.

CMU's nightmare first quarter continued on their next possession as sophomore Chris Chauvin (Brentwood, TN/Blair Academy) stepped in front of a Jarrod Highberger (Blairsville, PA/Blairsville) pass at the Blue Jay 48-yard line and returned the ball to the CMU 20. An illegal block on the return by the Blue Jays pushed the ball back to the 30, but once again it took just four plays for JHU to find the end zone. After an incomplete pass on first down, senior Adam Cook (New Freedom, PA/Susquehannock) carried the ball three straight times to account for all 30 yards. His four-yard touchdown run capped the drive and moved him into a tie for eighth on JHU's career rushing touchdowns list (14).

The Tartans got the gusting wind at their back in the second quarter and parlayed that into their first touchdown of the game. An impressive 15-play, 80-yard drive saw the Tartans convert on three third-downs and one fourth-down. Travis Sivek (Traverse City, MI/St. Francis) ended the drive with a one-yard scoring run.

After stopping the Blue Jays on their next possession and getting the ball back at the JHU 38, the Tartans had a golden opportunity to get back in the game before the half. However, the Blue Jays stopped them on downs and then drove for what proved to be a crucial three points.

A 12-play, 55-yard drive into the wind took 6:28 off the clock and was capped by a 33-yard field goal by sophomore Ben Scott (Pittsburgh, PA/Shade Side Academy). Those would be the only three points scored by a team driving into the wind throughout the game. Lyons rushed for 31 yards and had an eight-yard reception on the drive, which was kept alive when DiIonno rushed for two yards on a quarterback keeper on fourth-and-one from the CMU 41.

After the teams exchanged possessions in the first five minutes of the third quarter, CMU pulled within 10 with its second scoring drive of the game. Sivek again punched it in as he scored on a one-yard plunge to polish off the nine-play, 38-yard drive that took nearly four minutes off the clock.

Both teams had chances in the fourth quarter with a missed Nathaniel Greenstein (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Dobbs Ferry) 25-yard field-goal attempt into the wind proving to be critical for the Tartans. The Blue Jay defense came up with two interceptions and stopped the Tartans on downs to halt four of CMU's last five possessions. The Carnegie Mellon defense was just as impressive as it forced a pair of turnovers and five punts on JHU's seven second-half possessions.

Lyons rushed for a game-high 79 yards and the one touchdown, while Cook added 51 yards and the one score. DiIonno was 10-of-19 for 114 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while Triplin had a team-high six receptions for 69 yards and the one score. Sophomore Matt Hagel (Linwood, NJ/Mainland) led the Blue Jay defense with a career-high 13 tackles, including four for losses, and added the second interception of his career.

Sivek rushed for a team-high 56 yards and the two scores, while Highberger was 9-of-18 for 129 yards, but threw three interceptions. Jonathan Kline (Greensburg, PA/Greensburg Central Catholic) had a team-high three receptions for 29 yards, while Whitman added two receptions for 59 yards. Senior Roman Feola (Pittsburgh, PA/Canevin Catholic) had a team-high 11 tackles, including one sack, to lead the CMU defense.

Johns Hopkins will return to action on Friday, October 1 when the Blue Jays host Dickinson in their first Centennial Conference game of the year. The Tartans will host Franklin & Marshall next Saturday (September 25).

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