Sept. 13, 2008

Box Score

ASHLAND, VA - Junior running back Andrew Kase scored on a three-yard run in Johns Hopkins' possession in the third overtime and sophomore Mike Mahon intercepted a pass in the end zone on Randolph-Macon's ensuing possession to cap a wild 39-31 Blue Jay victory at Day Field Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays trailed by 14 early, rallied to take the lead and then won on the Kase and Mahon plays in the third extra period. The win is the third straight for the Blue Jays (2-0) dating back to last season and runs their winning streak in road-openers to eight straight. The Yellow Jackets slip to 0-2 and have lost three straight dating back to last season.

Kase's three-yard run capped a quick five-play, 25-yard drive for the Blue Jays, who were then forced to go for the two-point conversion per NCAA rules in the third overtime. Freshman Hewitt Tomlin then found sophomore Brian Hopkins all alone on the backside of the defense after rolling to his right to give the Blue Jays the 39-31 lead.

It looked like a fourth overtime would be coming as Austin Faulkner hit Brandon Braner for 19 yards on Randolph-Macon's first play of the third overtime, but the `Jackets got an incomplete pass on their next play and a rush for no gain by Zak Thornton on second down. Faulkner then tried a fade pass to Braner in the corner of the end zone, but Mahon had position and out-jumped him for the ball in the corner to seal the victory.

It didn't look like overtime would be necessary early as Randolph-Macon jumped out to a two-touchdown lead less than nine minutes into the game. A defensive touchdown and a long pass accounted for the two scoring plays for Randolph-Macon.

With the Blue Jays pinned back deep in their own end, senior safety Eric Dardozzi intercepted a Tomlin pass and returned it 21 yards for the first touchdown of the game. After forcing a quick three-and-out on JHU's next possession, the Yellow Jackets needs just three plays to go 76 yards to push the lead to 14-0.

The Blue Jay defense forced the `Jackets into a third-and-three from their own 31, but Braner, who would later be replaced at quarterback by Faulkner before reemerging as a wide receiver, eluded a would-be tackler seven yards behind the line of scrimmage, rolled to his right and found senior tight end Stuart May behind the defense crossing the field. May caught Braner's pass in stride and raced untouched along the sideline to make it 14-0 with 6:34 remaining in the first quarter.

The two-touchdown lead held until the second quarter, when Tomlin and the Blue Jays pieced together a stunning 18-play, 77-yard drive that consumed just over eight minutes. The Blue Jays converted two third downs and one fourth down on the drive, which was capped by a three-yard touchdown pass from Tomlin to Hopkins. Tomlin set up the touchdown with an 18-yard completion to sophomore Tucker Michels on third-and-14 from the Randolph-Macon 22 two plays before hitting Hopkins in the back of the end zone.

The Blue Jays took their first lead of the game with back-to-back touchdowns in the third quarter. Tomlin capped a seven-play, 46-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass to junior Sean Hennessey with 10:43 remaining and JHU added its fourth defensive touchdown in two games seven minutes later when freshman Tyler Brown sacked Braner and forced a fumble that he scooped up and return 22 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

The Blue Jays actually forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff that they recovered at the Yellow Jacket 30 yard line, but Scott Ahonen intercepted Tomlin on the first play after the fumble to prevent any further damage and swing a little momentum back in the `Jackets favor.

The Blue Jays held the 21-14 lead until early in the fourth quarter, when Faulkner, who had replaced Braner at quarterback after Brown's sack and fumble return, found Alex Ramirez with an 11-yard touchdown pass to polish off a 12-play, 85-yard drive that ate more than six minutes off the clock.

Neither team seriously threatened for the remainder of regulation to send the game to overtime, the Blue Jays' first extra-session game since a 21-14 win at Washington & Lee in the 2002 season-opener.

Hopkins got a 22-yard field goal from sophomore Alex Lachman in the first overtime, but Randolph-Macon answered with a 22-yard field goal by Scott Shope on its possession in the first extra period.

The Yellow Jackets had possession first in the second overtime and Faulkner hit Braner with a 15-yard touchdown pass on a fade pattern to give Randolph-Macon a 31-24 lead. Braner out-jumped Johns Hopkins freshman cornerback Dan Kauffman on the play, but the Blue Jays needed just two plays to answer.

Taking over at the Yellow Jacket 25, Tomlin ran a back-side screen to Michels and Michels did the rest as he eluded a would-be tackler at the 25 and darted to the corner of the end zone. Lachman ensured the third overtime with his fourth extra point of the day. That set the stage for Kase's touchdown run and Mahon's game-saving interception.

Tomlin was 19-of-39 for 195 yards with the three touchown passes and two interceptions in his first career start. Kase led the way on the ground as he rushed 24 times for 95 yards and the one score. Chris Baldwin, the hero of last week's 34-3 season-opening win against St. Lawrence, led the Blue Jay defense with a career-high 12 tackles, one forced fumble and one pass breakup.

Faulkner was 10-of-17 for 122 yards with two touchdowns and the one interception. Ramirez had five receptions for 69 yards and the one score, while May added two catches for 81 yards and the long touchdown reception. Tristan Carr matched Baldwin's 12-tackle effort with a dozen of his own.

The triple overtime game matched the longest in school history as the Blue Jays previously went three overtimes in a 13-7 loss at Dickinson in 1997.

The comeback also marks the second straight time the Blue Jays have come from 14 points down to win at Randolph-Macon as they erased a 14-0 deficit to win 21-14 in 2006. It is the sixth time under head coach Jim Margraff that Johns Hopkins has come from 14 points or more to win a game.

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