Johns Hopkins Week

Following is the first in a series of posts leading up to Friday evening's game at Johns Hopkins.

From the D3Football.com 2007 Kickoff Preview Edition:

Johns Hopkins Blue Jays

Last playoff appearance: 2005

Last year: 5-5, 3-3 CC

Last conference title: 2005

Wins increase from 05-06: Minus-3

Preseason ranking: 70 of 238

Head coach: Jim Margraff, 18th year, 107-63-3

Starters returning: 10 (five offense, five defense, zero special teams)

Position battle to watch: Quarterback. Junior Adam Waddell and sophomore Michael Murray are the favorites. Because of injuries, both played some last year; Waddell entered the season as the starter, but was knocked out - literally - of the first half of the first game. Murray had 713 yards passing and five TDs in six games. But head coach Jim Margraff said no matter who wins the job, Waddell will see playing time. "Not to be the offense of the year, [like] Florida, but he might play some quarterback and some wide receiver," Margraff said. "He's a terrific athlete."

Pressure is on: Senior running back Phil Roberts. His 561 yards was good enough for fifth in the conference last year; the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder also ran for 150 yards or better in two games last year. Margraff is expecting big things from Roberts - "He's the only guy we've had that can break long runs in the past couple of years," Margraff said - but wants to see Roberts hold on to the ball a little better and improve his consistency. "He's got five yards per carry. But he'll be 35, then zero, zero, then a 35," Margraff said.

Where did he come from? Bryan Power, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound junior, is a tight end by trade and listed as such on the Hopkins roster. But he's athletic enough that he can be - and Margraff said will be - split wide as a receiver. "He's one of those guys, since he does things so easily, it doesn't look like he's trying very hard. And we've held that against him a couple of times," Margraff said with a laugh. Power started just once last season - though he played in all 10 games - and had three catches for 47 yards; his workload should increase this season.

Their season will be defined by: Their conference opener against Gettysburg. Margraff was quick to point out the traditional rivalry game against McDaniel and their series against Muhlenberg, which has been decided by more than 10 points only once in the past six games. But he came back to the Friday night tilt against the Bullets in Baltimore. The Blue Jays had beaten Gettysburg 11 straight times until the Bullets won at home last year, 23-18.

Predicted record: 7-3, 5-3

Capsule: Of all the Centennial Conference teams, Johns Hopkins was hit hardest by graduation. While they return half of their offensive and defensive starters, the players they lost were top-notch. The Blue Jays had six players who were first-team all-conference a year ago; all six were lost to graduation including Ben Scott, who was first team as a kicker and a punter, two of many honors he received. All three of Hopkins' all-conference second-teamers are gone, too. The starters that do return center mostly around the offensive line and linebackers. Along the o-line, sophomores Aaron Chance and Tim Miller got accustomed to each other in the second half of last year; Chance started all 10 games at right tackle, and Miller joined him on the first team in the final six games. Mike Stoffel, also a sophomore, started the final four games. With a year under their belts, expect the pass protection to be more stout; the Blue Jays were next-to-last in the conference in 2006 in sacks allowed. All three linebackers seniors Ryan Johnstin and Scott Meyers, along with sophomore Colin Wixted are back as well. Of them, Wixted had the most tackles last year (40) and also contributed three sacks.