A tremendous defensive effort carried the Muhlenberg football team to a 21-6 win against Johns Hopkins in a Friday night matchup of nationally ranked Centennial Conference heavyweights.

The Mules (5-1, 4-1) came in ranked 21st by D3football.com and 22nd by the American Football Coaches Association, while Hopkins (5-1, 4-1) was 11th in the AFCA poll and 14th in the D3football.com rankings.

The Blue Jays also entered as the top-scoring team in Division III, averaging 59.8 points per game, but were held to a single touchdown with 3.3 seconds left in the third quarter. Hopkins was also well below its season averages in total offense (590.8 vs. 384), passing offense (a Division III-leading 420.0 vs. 275) and passing efficiency (179.91 vs. 94.0).

The defense was particularly impressive in the first half, when Hopkins started three drives near midfield or in Muhlenberg territory but did not score. It was the first time the Blue Jays were shut out in the first half since 2012.

Senior Spencer Kirin was one of four Mules who tied for the team lead in seven tackles and also made the biggest play of the first half, blocking a punt, scooping the ball up at the 21 and running the ball into the end zone for his first career touchdown. It was the third blocked kick of the season for Kirin, and it gave Muhlenberg a 7-0 lead with 7:56 left in the half.

Sophomore Matt Papa also blocked a kick, thwarting a 30-yard field goal attempt on the Blue Jays' first possession.

The 7-0 score stood until 4:50 remained in the third quarter, when senior Michael Hnatkowsky hit junior Thomas Jenkins with a 28-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone on fourth down.

Hnatkowsky passed for an even 200 yards and picked up his 35th win (against six losses) as a starter, tying the all-time Centennial Conference record that was set in 1999.

Hopkins went for two points after its lone touchdown but came up short, leaving the score at 14-6 heading into the fourth quarter.

Muhlenberg began the final period with its longest drive of the game, marching 73 yards in 14 plays and taking 6:57 off the clock. Hnatkowsky completed passes for first downs to senior Mitch Daniel on third down and senior Michael Feaster on fourth down, ran for a first down on third-and-2 and passed to junior Ethan Brader for the final 4 yards, extending the lead to 21-6.

The Blue Jays drove right back down the field, but on first-and-goal from the 9, junior Kyle Dormer intercepted a pass in the end zone.

Muhlenberg ran off most of the remaining time and sealed the game when senior James McGettigan forced a fumble, recovered by junior Alex Batista, in the closing seconds.

Senior Jay McGill also picked off a pass to go along with seven tackles, and junior Josh Ferro recorded seven stops, including 1½ for loss.  

pictured above: senior Joshua Barnett celebrates after a big hit on a kickoff return