It has been 70 years since the Johns Hopkins football team got off to a start like this.
The undefeated Blue Jays earned their fourth victory of the season at the expense of Centennial Conference rival Gettysburg last night, never trailing in a 23-21 decision at Homewood Field.
In 1932, Hopkins also won its first four games, but lost three of its final four to finish with a 5-3 record.
"It's kind of sad that it's been that long," said Blue Jays coach Jim Margraff, who set all of the school's passing records during his playing career. "But we're still excited about it because we're playing well enough to win. We have to get better, and the good thing is the players know that."
The "Who Jays" are a team of no-names with no real stars. But they showed their resourcefulness and balance by taking a 14-0 halftime edge with a grueling, 78-yard drive to a touchdown on the game's first possession and by blocking a Gettysburg punt that resulted in their second score.
They never surrendered control in their 12th straight victory in league openers, a Centennial record.
Gettysburg (2-3, 0-2) made matters uncomfortable by the fourth quarter, closing three points on the second of two scoring runs by Nick Nocar (Gilman).
Nocar swept the final 9 yards of a 71-yard drive after the second-half kickoff as the Bullets finally went to the passing game out of their option offense.
After Hopkins added a short field goal by Chris Smolyn, Nocar covered the final 3 yards of a 46-yard march.
A two-point conversion run by Bullets quarterback Joe Gossweiler shaved the Gettysburg deficit to 17-14. Freshman Hopkins running back T. J. Lyons then ripped off a 60-yard touchdown run with 2:54 remaining to widen the Blue Jays' lead.
Gettysburg drove right back to the end zone 1 1/2 minutes later, but the ensuing onsides kick was recovered by Lyons, and Hopkins consumed the clock.
Lyons, from Paramus, N.J. may have been uncovered as a budding star. In his first extended time as a ball carrier, he rushed for 174 yards on 18 carries.
On the clinching run, he said, "The hole was wide-open. Once I got past the line, I didn't have to make a whole lot of moves. I just ran to the end zone."
Gettysburg 0 0 6 15 - 21
Hopkins 7 7 3 6 - 23
H-Wolcott 7 pass from Fernand (Smolyn kick)
H-Deluzio 26 return with blocked punt (Smolyn kick)
G-Nocar 9 run (kick failed)
H-Smolyn FG 21
G-Nocar 3 run (Gossweiler run)
H-Lyons 60 run (kick failed)
G-McEvoy 5 pass from Gossweiler (Shipley kick)
A: 800.
G JHU
First downs 21 19
Rushes-yards 37-159 48-270
Passing 202 52
Comp-Att-Int 22-43-0 8-19-0
Return Yards 53 99
Punts-Avg. 2-7 2-24.5
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-1
Penalties-Yards 7-70 5-60
Time of Possession 30:40 29:20
Rushing-Gettysburg, Gossweiler 13-45, Nocar 9-43, Schwalb 8-40, McEvoy 1-14, Bryant 3-11, Jeffers 2-6, Lublanecki 1-0. Johns Hopkins, Lyons 18-174, Johnson 13-65, Readal 6-31, Fernand 6-11, Wolcott 2-10, DiIonna 2-(-19).
Passing-Gettysburg, Gossweiler 22-43-0-202. Johns Hopkins, Fernand 5-12-0-17, DiIonna 3-7-0-35.
Receiving-Gettysburg, Nocar 7-56, Jenkins 6-80, McEvoy 3-26, Schwalb 3-20, Bryant 2-10, Lublanecki 1-10. Johns Hopkins, Wolcott 3-25, Lehman 2-26, Lyons 2-0, Readal 1-1. Johns Hopkins results, schedule
Record: 4-0
9-14 at Wash. & Lee W, 21-14 (OT)
9-21 Rochester W, 41-28
9-28 Carnegie Mellon W, 28-7
10-4 Gettysburg W, 23-21
10-12 at Ursinus 1
10-19 Muhlenberg 1
10-26 at Randolph-Macon 1
11-2 Dickinson 1
11-9 at Franklin & Marshall 1
11-16 McDaniel 1