If Saturday was any indication, Johns Hopkins will get by without starting running back Phil Roberts.
Roberts, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior, suffered a severe left knee injury in practice last week and will miss the remainder of the season.
“It’s a shame in his senior year that it has to happen,” sophomore running back Andrew Kase said. “Hopefully, we can overcome.”
Kase will be key in whether the Blue Jays (1-3 overall, 0-2 Centennial Conference) can salvage a season in which they enter Saturday?s game at Muhlenburg (3-0, 1-0) on a three-game losing streak.
Kase gave an impressive performance in Saturday’s 44-41 loss to Moravian, rushing 23 times for a career-high 170 yards and a touchdown, as Hopkins amassed 213 yards on the ground.
“Andrew is a real good back,” Coach Jim Margraff said. “He’s the type of player we want here.”
Kase rushed for 310 yards last season, including becomming the first Blue Jays freshman to rush for at least 100 yards in consecutive games ? posting 113 against Gettysburg and 101 against Muhlenberg.
But Kase had two of Hopkins’ seven fumbles in Saturday’s game that was filled with turnovers and was decided when Moravian?s Brian Reckenbeil made a 34-yard field goal with one second remaining.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Kase battled a chest injury during the week and was cleared to play against Moravian fewer than 48 hours before kickoff.
“There were definitely instances where you’d like to have someone else step in for him when he’s exhausted on the field,” sophomore quarterback Michael Murray said. “We asked, ?one more play, one more play. We’re almost there.? He gave it everything he had.”
Junior Chris Baldwin, who spent the past two seasons at safety, rushed for 76 yards on 14 carries against the Greyhounds.
“On a hot day like [Saturday], it helps to have a few backs rotating,” Kase said.
Roberts could petition the NCAA for a medical redshirt, which would enable him toreturn next season. As a freshman, he suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee that sidelined him the second half of the season.
Roberts, who led the Blue Jays with 561 rushing yards and five touchdowns as a junior, has rushed for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns on 45 carries in 3 games this season.
In addition to being the team?s best running back, Roberts? injury will prevent him from being an on-field leader on a team that has just 12 seniors.
“I’m sure he’ll be sticking around,” Murray said. “He’s a great influence in the locker room. He’s a leader on the team and without his services on the field, I think we’ll have to thrive on his off the field leadership.”
