The Johns Hopkins University football team piled up 647 yards of total offense and got four touchdowns from senior Tyler Messinger, pulling away in the second half for a 58-27 win against sixth-ranked Frostburg in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs on Saturday.
With the win, Hopkins (11-1) advanced to the quarterfinal round for the second time in the program's history. The Blue Jays will host RPI—which advanced with a 21-13 upset win against No. 3 Brockport—on Saturday at noon at Homewood Field. The winner will move on to the NCAA semifinals to face the winner of a game between Mount Union and Muhlenberg. NCAA Division III playoff bracket
JHU trailed 20-19 at halftime against the Bobcats (10-1) but scored four touchdowns in less than six and a half minutes in the third quarter to take control. Messinger gave the Blue Jays the lead for good with a 52-yard scoring run. After the Hopkins defense recovered a fumble, JHU struck again on a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback David Tammaro.
Another turnover—this time an interception by Macauley Kilbane—set up another Hopkins scoring chance, and Tammaro connected with Luke McFadden on a 50-yard TD pass. After Frostburg went three-and-out on its next possession, Tammaro found Dane Rogerson with a 19-yard touchdown strike, giving Hopkins a 48-20 lead.
Messinger finished with 231 yards—the fifth-highest single-game total in school history—and four scores on 16 carries. Tammaro threw for 247 yards and three scores; McFadden was on the receiving end of two touchdown passes and finished with five catches for 164 yards. Complete box score
Defensively, Robert Fletcher led the way with 12 tackles—including a sack—and an interception, one of four turnovers forced by the Blue Jays.
Johns Hopkins last played in an NCAA quarterfinal game in 2009.
