Johns Hopkins University Athletics men’s football defeated Franklin & Marshall 17-3 on Nov. 13 at Homewood Field in Baltimore, Maryland, to close the regular season. Johns Hopkins entered the Centennial Conference game at 5-5 overall and 4-3 in conference play, while Franklin & Marshall entered at 8-1 and 5-2.
Johns Hopkins rushed for 246 yards and controlled the ball for more than 38 minutes. Franklin & Marshall finished with 123 yards of total offense and 12 first downs.
Johns Hopkins Builds Lead With Ground Game
Milan Desai made his second career start and rushed for 113 yards. The Johns Hopkins quarterback also completed 16 of 32 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown.
Josh Moore added 93 rushing yards and one touchdown, along with six receptions for 48 yards. His 12-yard touchdown run in the second quarter capped a nine-play, 70-yard drive and gave Johns Hopkins a 7-3 lead.
Franklin & Marshall opened the scoring late in the first quarter on Michael Fleming’s 32-yard field goal. Brad Paxton answered with a 25-yard field goal on the final play of the first half, giving Johns Hopkins a 10-3 advantage.
Johns Hopkins Defense Finishes Strong
Johns Hopkins scored the only points of the second half. Desai connected with Alex Orecchio for a 28-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, extending the lead to 17-3.
Franklin & Marshall crossed the Johns Hopkins 40-yard line only once in the second half, and that drive ended at the Johns Hopkins 38. The Diplomats’ final three drives produced 12 total yards.
Kevin Olah intercepted a pass on Franklin & Marshall’s final offensive play to seal the victory. Cole Stup recorded a team-high 11 tackles, including one sack, while Sawyer Olson finished with five tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack in his final game at Homewood Field.
Johns Hopkins Could Continue Season
The victory was Johns Hopkins’ 19th straight at home on a Friday night dating to 2008. Johns Hopkins is also 26-3 in November dating to 2018 and 68-7 in its last 75 games at Homewood Field dating to 2014.
The game marked Johns Hopkins’ first regular-season finale on a day other than Saturday since 1934. Johns Hopkins could still qualify for the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series and potentially play on Saturday, Nov. 21, depending on postseason results.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Johns Hopkins controlled the game with its rushing attack and sustained possession against a Franklin & Marshall team that entered with an 8-1 record. The 246 rushing yards, more than 38 minutes of possession and strong second-half defensive effort defined the victory.
Desai contributed 113 rushing yards and a touchdown pass in his second career start, while Moore supplied production as both a runner and receiver. Johns Hopkins now waits to learn whether its season will continue in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series.
Source: Original report
