Johns Hopkins Moves to #12 in AFCA Poll
BALTIMORE, MD -- The Johns Hopkins football team jumped two spots to #12 in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Poll. The Blue Jays earned 563 points to earn their number 12 ranking, which is the highest in-season ranking in school history. The climb to #12 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 and 14th before this week's number 12 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 (926) and Linfield (OR) (884) round out the top five.
This is the 24th week that JHU has been ranked in the top 25 since the formation of the AFCA poll in 1999. Including this week's #12 ranking, Johns Hopkins has been in the top 25 or listed as receiving votes 62 times since 1999. This is the 16th 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 #12 ranking is the highest in-season ranking in school history - Hopkins was ranked 13th for one week during the 2003 season.
The Blue Jays (7-0, 6-0 Centennial) have currently won a school-record 12 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 37-game winning streak is currently the longest in Division III and overall, while Stanford's 15-game streak tops Division I-A (FBS) and ranks second overall. Johns Hopkins' 12-game streak is tied with Colorado State Pueblo (Division II) as the third longest active streak.
Johns Hopkins will put its 12-game streak on the line on Saturday, October 29 when the Blue Jays welcome Ursinus to Homewood Field for a key Centennial Conference game against the Bears (5-2, 5-1 CC). A win against the Bears would secure the Centennial Conference's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Playoffs and assure JHU of no worse than a share of the Centennial title.
AFCA Division III Coaches Poll (10-24-2011)
Rk. School (Record/Points)
1. Wisconsin-Whitewater (39) (7-0/1,047)
2. Mount Union (3) (7-0/1,010)
3. St. Thomas (MN) (8-0/948)
4. Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) (7-0/926)
5. Linfield (OR) (6-0/884)
6. Thomas More (KY) (7-0/786)
7. North Central (IL) (6-1/784)
8. Delaware Valley (PA) (8-0/706)
9. Wesley (DE) (6-1/705)
10. Salisbury (MD( (7-0/682)
11. Wabash (IN) (7-0/573)
12. Johns Hopkins (7-0/563)
13. Wheaton (IL) (6-1/492)
14. Trinity (TX) (7-0/448)
15. Cal Lutheran (5-1/404)
16. Adrian (MI) (7-0/382)
17. Redlands (CA) (5-1/297)
18. Kean (NJ) (6-1/248)
19. Franklin (IN) (6-1/235)
20. Illinois Wesleyan (6-1/209)
21. Montclair St. (NJ) (6-1/206)
22. Wittenberg (OH) (7-1/174)
23. Wisconsin Oshkosh (5-2/159)
24. Louisiana College (6-1/138)
25. Bethel (MN) (5-2/135)
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