College Football | Facts and figures for Saturday's Mount Union-Johns Hopkins game
Mount Union continues the quest for its 14th NCAA Division III football national championship against the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays. Here are eight things to know about the matchup:
Kickoff
Noon Saturday at Mount Union Stadium. Tickets are available online through Hometown Ticketing and at the gate for $8 (cash only). Gates open at 10:30 a.m.
On the air
The game will be broadcast live on WDPN-AM (1310 AM) and WRMU-FM (91.1). A live stream is also available at boxcast.tv.
The history
This is the fourth meeting between Mount Union and Johns Hopkins, all in the playoffs. Mount Union has won every time, including a 28-20 victory in the 2018 NCAA semifinals.
Road to the playoffs
Johns Hopkins, ranked 16th in the country, earned one of five at-large bids after sharing the Centennial Conference championship with Muhlenberg and beating 12th-ranked Salisbury in the first round. The Blue Jays defeated No. 11 Salisbury 45-20 on the road last week to advance.
Fourth-ranked Mount Union won its 32nd Ohio Athletic Conference title to earn one of 27 automatic playoff bids and beat Washington & Lee 52-0 in the first round.
Postseason history
This is the 11th appearance for Johns Hopkins and it is 10-10 all-time. Mount Union is 105-18 in 32 playoff appearances with 13 national championships.
The coaches
Geoff Dartt is 15-0 in his second season at Mount Union. Greg Chimura is 30-6 in his fourth season at Johns Hopkins.
Scouting the Blue Jays
Located in Baltimore with a student enrollment of 5,567, the school is known for its pre-med program as many students go on to med school. There are three Ohioans on the roster — starting defensive end Nick DiFiore (Chagrin Falls), offensive lineman Joe Iemma (Akron/St. Edward) and Hugh (Bay) Harvey, a quarterback from Cleveland Heights by way of Switzerland.
The Blue Jays average 47.5 points and 498 yards per game and will probably throw the ball more than run it. Junior Danny Wolf is the leading ball carrier with 900 yards and 18 touchdowns on 170 carries. Junior quarterback Ryan Stevens has completed 259 of 375 passes for 3,482 yards and 30 TDs against six interceptions. His favorite receivers are senior Harrison Wellman (77 receptions/1,194 yards/16 TDs), and grad students Ryan Hubley (71 receptions/826 yards/5 TDs) and Quinn Revere (66 receptions/1,016 yards/ nine TDs). The defense has held opponents to 12.45 points and 287.5 yards per game.
Scouting the Purple Raiders
The Raiders’ defense has been ultra-successful all season. Led by linebacker Mason McMillen (team-leading 78 total tackles/ 6.5 tackles for loss), tackle Duke Hill (47 total/ 14 TFL), linebacker Carson Kovath (45 total tackles), tackle Matt Lilja (five sacks) and safeties Jesse Vail (45 tackles) and Malik Britt (44 tackles, 4 interceptions) it has held opponents to 8.27 points and 201 yards per game.
Quarterback Braxton Plunk has completed 284 of 387 passes for 3,563 yards and 36 touchdowns. Running backs DeAndre Parker and Josh Petruccelli combined for 1,401 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns but have expanded Mount’s versatility by combining for 74 receptions for 789 yards and four scores. Wayne Ruby Jr. is the leading receiver with 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and 10 touchdowns followed by Derrick Harvey Jr. (44 receptions/620 yards/6 TDs) and Jaden Manley (34/517/7).
Up next
The winner of this game will advance to the national quarterfinals where it will play either seventh-ranked Delaware Valley (Pa.) or 13th-ranked Muhlenberg (Pa.).
Playoff tidbits
Some playoff eyes this week will be focused on Pennsylvania and the second-round game between neighbors, Delaware Valley and Muhlenberg. Delaware Valley, not to be confused with Delaware State, is located in Doylestown, Pa. and Muhlenberg is in Allentown, Pa., a mere 46 minutes away … The bBest game of the first round was second-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor’s 13-3 victory over 14th-ranked Trinity in an all-Texas showdown. UMHB, national champs in 2016 and 2018, got field goals of 42 yards from Anthony Avila and 33 yards from Brandon Cunningham and a 17-yard scoring run from Thomas Aphonso with about two minutes left. A defensive battle was expected and a defensive battle was delivered in what was the closest thing to an upset in the first round. … Hats off to the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse for its 58-23 victory at Albion (Mich.) after a 475-mile bus ride.
This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Mount Union plays in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs on November 27
