Blue Jays Down Eagles
BALTIMORE, Md.- The Juniata football team lost on the road at #10 Johns Hopkins University, 70-0, Saturday afternoon at Homewood Field.
The Eagles started with the ball but couldn't manage to get much going, and they punted from their 26. A 23-yard return allowed Hopkins to take over at the Eagle 40. On the first play for the Blue Jay offense, Gunner Lesher managed to wrap up the QB for a sack to make it second and 16. The Blue Jays completed seven and 10 yards passes to get the first down. On the next play, their running back burst through the hole for a 29-yard TD to make it 7-0.
On the next Eagle possession, Noah Wright found Austin Nash for a two-yard completion and a nine-yard completion for a first down at the JC 32. The drive stalled out, so Wyatt Buell punted the ball to the JHU 35.
The Blue Jays drove 65 yards in eight plays which culminated in a three-yard passing touchdown to make it 14-0.
A fumble short-circuited the next Eagle drive. On fourth down, Buell mishandled a snap and had to fall on the ball at the JC five. Johns Hopkins only needed one play as they ran the ball in to make it 21-0.
The Blue Jays intercepted a pass on the second play of the following JC drive and returned it down to the eight. It took their offense two plays to find the endzone and push the deficit to 28.
Johns Hopkins forced a fumble on the kickoff but was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. They began their next drive from the Juniata 48. It took the hosts five plays to go the 48 yards necessary, scoring on a 14-yard passing touchdown to make it 35-0.
On the next Eagle drive, which bled into the second quarter, facing third and five from their 25, Wright found Julian Jackson for a nine-yard pickup and a first down. The Blue Jays intercepted the next pass at the JHU 27.
Starting at their own 27, Johns Hopkins got to the JC 44, but the Eagle defense managed to get a stop on third and five to force the Blue Jays to punt. JHU pinned the Eagles at their own four.
Wright found Sean Hakanson for 12 yards and Jackson later on third and 11 to keep the drive going, but a penalty for a chop block backed the Eagles up a bit. Juniata eventually punted from their 23, and Hopkins took over from their 50.
A 29-yard completion was followed by a 21-yard touchdown pass with 10 minutes to go in the half as the Blue Jays continued to fire on all cylinders.
Johns Hopkins scored three more times as the Eagles went into the locker room trailing 63-0.
The second half featured one Johns Hopkins touchdown to open the quarter, but the teams traded punts otherwise.
Max Locke recovered a fumble for Juniata deep inside Hopkins territory, but the Eagles could not turn the turnover into points.
Juniata will return home to take on Gettysburg, Saturday at 1:00 on Homecoming.