BALTIMORE, MD – Eighth-ranked Randolph-Macon got a 34-yard field goal from Kyle Ihle with four seconds remaining to lift the Yellow Jackets to a 39-36 win over seventh-ranked Johns Hopkins in an epic NCAA Quarterfinal game at Homewood Field on Saturday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets improve to 13-0 and move into the NCAA Semifinals, where they will meet Cortland State, which topped Alma, 58-41 in another quarterfinal game on Saturday afternoon.
Johns Hopkins, which was making its third appearance in the quarterfinals, ends the season at 12-1. The 12 wins ties the program single-season record.
In a game that featured a pair of second-half lead changes and two fourth-quarter ties, it was Ihle's late-game heroics that provided the final margin. After Johns Hopkins had pulled even at 36 with 92 seconds remaining, the Yellow Jackets went 49 yards in nine plays and ate all but those final four seconds of the clock before Ihle won it. Randolph-Macon converted a pair of third-down chances on the game-winning drive with senior quarterback Drew Campanale hitting Davis Wallis for 19 yards on a third-and-nine from the RMC 36. Three plays later, Campanale converted a third-and-five with a six-yard scamper to move the 'Jackets to the Blue Jay 19. Three plays later, Ihle polished off an instant classic.
Johns Hopkins trailed 14-3 midway through the second quarter and 21-9 at the half, but jumped back into the game with back-to-back touchdowns in a three-minute span midway through the third quarter.
After the Blue Jay defense held the 'Jackets off the board after they returned the opening kickoff of the second half to the Hopkins 30, it was a nine-play, 74-yard drive that pulled the Jays within six (21-15). Junior quarterback Bay Harvey polished off the drive with a 44-yard strike down the middle to senior tight end Will Leger.
It was a big play by the Blue Jay defense on Randolph-Macon's ensuing possession that set up Hopkins' next score as junior Oliver Craddock intercepted Campanale at the Yellow Jacket 38-yard line to set the offense up with great field position. On Hopkins' third play, senior Spencer Uggla broke free on the outside and darted 27 yards to the end zone to give the Blue Jays a 22-21 lead with 7:06 remaining on the third-quarter clock.
The back-and-forth affair then saw Randolph-Macon sandwich a 28-yard Wallis touchdown reception and a 43-yard Mitchell Johnson scoring run around a three-yard Harvey-to-Josh Polce touchdown pass over a 15-minute span that bridged the third and fourth quarters. The Johnson touchdown, his second of the game, gave the 'Jackets a 36-29 lead with 7:24 remaining in the fourth quarter and set the stage for heart-stopping final minutes.
Johns Hopkins answered Mitchell's scoring run with a methodical 12-play, 69-yard drive that ate 5:46 off the clock. The Blue Jays converted a fourth-and-one at the RMC 41 to keep the drive alive and then pulled even with a one-yard Harvey touchdown run with 1:32 remaining. As it turned out, that was four seconds more than the 'Jackets needed to pull out the victory.
Johns Hopkins had grabbed an early 3-0 lead on a 30-yard Joe Zahner field goal on the opening drive of the game. Randolph-Macon answered with back-to-back touchdowns – a 30-yard Wallis touchdown reception and a 59-yard Johnson run - to grab at 14-3 lead midway through the second quarter.
A 30-yard Leger touchdown reception and a 10-yard Kwesi Clarke touchdown reception closed out the first-half scoring that gave Randolph-Macon the 21-9 halftime lead.
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
• Harvey was 33-of-44 for 367 yards with three touchdowns against one interception. His marks for attempts, completions and yards are all career highs; his 33 completions are a JHU post-season record.
• Graduate student Burke Griffin had a career-high seven receptions for a person-best 102 yards and Leger had four receptions for 90 yards and the two touchdowns.
• Craddock led the Blue Jay defense with 11 tackles and the one interception and Isaac Urquidi added six tackles.
• Johns Hopkins rolled up the 36 points and 489 yards against a Randolph-Macon defense that entered the game allowing just 10.7 points and 218.1 yards per game.
Inside the Box Score – Randolph-Macon
• Campanale finished 15-of-27 for 197 yards with three touchdowns against one interception.
• Mitchell led a ground game that generated 255 yards as he rushed 11 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
• Wallis had seven receptions for 124 yards and caught two of Campanale's three touchdown passes in the victory.
• Jackson Deaver posted a team-high 11 tackles, including 1.5 for losses and one sack, and Brandon Evans added nine tackles.
Notes of Interest
• Johns Hopkins had its 15-game overall and 19-game home winning streaks snapped with the loss.
• The Blue Jays are now 12-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 8-5 at Homewood Field.
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