Centennial Honors to Michael Schmidt!

Congratulations go out to Michael Schmidt, honored this week as the Defensive Player of the Week by the Centennial Conference. In awarding the honor, the Conference notes that "Schmidt was all over the field in the 10-3 win against Muhlenberg, recording a season-high 16 tackles. He added 1.5 sacks as the Bullets held the Mules to 209 total yards and the fewest points ever to "Berg (3) in CC play.

Also honored this week were Dusty Green and Tom Petit, recognized as "Other Outstanding Performers".

You can read about these awards and other Centennial Conference football news here.

Green’s run, Gettysburg’s defense stop Mules, 10-3

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Green’s run, Gettysburg’s defense stop Mules, 10-3

Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Dusty Green (Idaville, PA/Bermudian Springs) ran for a 75-yard touchdown and the Gettysburg defense forced five turnovers in a 10-3 Centennial Conference (CC) win over Muhlenberg on Saturday.

Adam Fulmer (Halifax, PA/Halifax) recorded two of the Bullets’ four interceptions, returning the second one 54 yards to set up Josh Huson’s (McLean, VA/McLean) 28-yard field goal that gave the hosts a seven-point cushion midway through the fourth quarter.

The Mules (3-5, 2-3 CC) threatened to tie the game on their final drive – setting up on first-and-goal from the Gettysburg 8 – but the Bullets used three incompletions and a 12-yard sack by Harold Barton (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) to seal the win, Gettysburg’s first in the series since 1999.

Bullet linebacker Michael Schmidt (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman) led all players with 16 tackles and also recorded 1.5 sacks. Gettysburg (3-5, 2-2 CC) remained alive for a share of the CC championship thanks to Ursinus’ 21-17 win over conference-leading Johns Hopkins on Saturday.

Muhlenberg quarterback Matt Johnson accounted for 127 yards of total offense in the loss while John DeLuca led the team with 61 rushing yards on 18 carries. Jordan Grube hit a 42-yard field goal in the first half for his team’s only points.

In a game featuring 22 punts, eight turnovers and plenty of defense, the Bullets used a pair of big plays to remain in the CC title hunt.

Gettysburg trailed 3-0 with 5:06 left in the third quarter when Green took a sweep around right end, eluded a number of Mule defenders along the right sideline and broke into the clear for a 75-yard touchdown, putting the Bullets ahead for the first time.

Green’s run was the longest allowed by Muhlenberg since Paul Smith broke an 80-yarder for one of his record six touchdowns in Gettysburg’s 42-28 win in 1999, its last win in the series before Saturday.

Fulmer set up the game’s final points by swiping a Johnson pass in Bullet territory and racing 54 yards to the Mule 10 with 8:28 left in the game.

The Muhlenberg defense pushed Gettysburg back one yard on the next three plays, but Huson knocked through a 28-yard field goal to make it a one-touchdown game with 6:53 remaining.

From there, the Bullets and a sizeable Family Weekend crowd needed to survive some anxious moments before celebrating the win.

Following Huson’s kick, Phil Gasker returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards to the Gettysburg 33 and a personal foul set up the Mules on the Bullet 18 Johnson, however, threw incomplete to DeLuca on third-and-8 from the 16 and Grube’s 33-yard field goal attempt was blocked to keep the score at 10-3.

After Gettysburg’s next drive ended with Tom Pettit’s (Blue Bell, PA/Wissahickon) 12th and final punt of the game, Muhlenberg set up for its final opportunity at the Bullet 30 with 1:56 remaining.

Johnson ran for 13 yards on first down and a late-hit penalty put the ball on the 8. Johnson threw incomplete to Chris Poehls and Kyle Douglass on the first two plays of the final sequence and Barton’s sack made it fourth-and-goal from the 20.

On the final play, Johnson skipped a pass short of a diving Douglass in the end zone and Gettysburg used two kneel-downs to run out the clock.

The Mules took advantage of excellent field position to score first. Muhlenberg took over its second drive of the game at the Bullet 38 and moved 13 yards before Grube drilled his fifth field goal of the year to make it 3-0 midway through the first quarter.

Nathan Smith (Hanover, PA/Cooperstown Central [NY]) and Daniel Silva (Lanham, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt) each recorded their team-leading third interceptions in the win.

Spencer Davidson (Dumont, NJ/Dumont) made a team-high five receptions for 59 yards.

Dustin Good recorded nine tackles, one pass breakup and one sack to lead the Mules’ nationally ranked defense. Dan McCall and James Crowley added interceptions in the loss.

The Bullets return to action on Saturday at home against Dickinson. Game time is 1 p.m.

Muhlenberg at Gettysburg Game Notes

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Muhlenberg at Gettysburg – Saturday, Oct. 29, 2005 – 1 p.m.

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Saturday’s Centennial Conference (CC) game marks the 70th meeting between Gettysburg (2-5, 1-2 CC) and Muhlenberg (3-4, 2-2 CC) in a series that dates back to 1907. The Bullets hold a 40-28-1 advantage in the all-time series but the Mules have won the last five match-ups between the two programs. Gettysburg’s last win against Muhlenberg came by a 42-28 margin in 1999. In last year’s meeting, Matt Johnson ran for 131 yards and three touchdowns in his first collegiate start, and the Muhlenberg defense posted the fourth shutout in its last five meetings with Gettysburg, blanking the Bullets 21-0 on Oct. 30, 2004 in Allentown. Mike Schwalb finished with 115 rushing yards for Gettysburg, the Mules’ first opponent to reach the 100-yard plateau for the season.

LAST TIME OUT: Ursinus quarterback Vince Gallagher scored on a seven-yard scramble with 16.7 seconds remaining to lift the Bears to a 16-13, come-from-behind victory against Gettysburg last Saturday in Collegeville. Sophomore TB Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) rushed for a game-high 92 yards and scored on a five-yard touchdown run to lead the Bullet offense. In Allentown, Johns Hopkins scored 10 points in a four-minute span of the fourth quarter to post a 13-10 victory over Muhlenberg last Saturday. Kyle Douglass scored the Mules’ lone touchdown on a 14-yard reception with 48 seconds left in the first half. Jordan Grube accounted for his squad’s other points with a 20-yard field goal midway through the third period that gave the hosts a 10-3 lead.

OUTSTANDING OFFENSE: Tom Sturges and senior TE Chris Halleman (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh) were selected to the CC Outstanding Offensive Peformers list for their efforts in Gettysburg’s last two games. Sturges ran for 92 yards and his fifth touchdown of the season against Ursinus last Saturday while Halleman set single-game career highs with four receptions for 91 yards against Johns Hopkins on Oct. 14.

OUTSTANDING DEFENSE: Junior LB Harold Barton (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) earned back-to-back nods to the CC Outstanding Defensive Performers list after recording a total of 17 tackles and three sacks against the Blue Jays and Bears. Barton leads Gettysburg with 76 tackles and ranks third in the CC with 10.9 tackles per game.

AHEAD OF THE PACK: With a 92-yard effort against Ursinus, Tom Sturges continued his charge toward a 1,000-yard season. Sturges leads the CC in carries (196), rushing yards (873) and yards per game (124.7), and has already run for the most yards by a Bullet since Paul Smith rolled up 1,546 rushing yards in 1999.

IN THE TRENCHES: Gettysburg leads the CC in rushing, thanks in large part to the efforts of a veteran offensive line. The quintet of senior LT John Burger (Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.), senior LG Brandon Smith (Lititz, PA/Manheim Twp.), senior C Keith Phillips (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa), junior RG Dain Alaia (Lake Ronkonkoma, NY/Sachem) and senior RT Enoch Boateng (Vienna, VA/W.T. Woodson) has helped the Bullets roll up 156.3 rushing yards per game in 2005.

WINGING IT: Sophomore QB Hunter McMillan (Middletown, DE/Wilmington Friends) became the seventh Bullet signal caller since 1979 to throw for 1,000 yards in a single season, surpassing the mark in Saturday’s loss to Ursinus. McMillan has completed 90 of 176 passes for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns in 2005.

GREEN-LIGHTED: Junior HB Dusty Green (Idaville, PA/Bermudian Springs) made his second touchdown reception of the season last Saturday while taking over the team lead for receptions (25) and receiving yards (276). Green ranks fourth in the CC in receptions per game (3.57) and is tied for sixth with 39.4 receiving yards per contest.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: Senior DB Nathan Smith (Hanover, PA/Cooperstown Central [NY]) leads the CC and ranks fourth in Division III with an average of 32.8 yards per kickoff return. In the Bullets’ last home game – against McDaniel on Oct. 8 – Smith returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, tying the CC single-season record for kickoff-return touchdowns (3) while breaking a tie with Muhlenberg’s Joshua Carter for the career mark (5).

THE HITS KEEP ON COMING: Nathan Smith and senior LB Ryan McGarry (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) rank second and third on the team with 58 and 49 tackles, respectively. Smith is tied for sixth in the CC with 8.3 tackles per game while McGarry ranks 14th with 7.0 tackles per game.

DOUBLE COVERAGE: Senior FS Daniel Silva (Lanham, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt) and senior CB Jay Cage (N. Charleston, SC/Sterling [NJ]) have each recorded a team-high six passes defended in 2005. Silva has two interceptions and four pass breakups to go with a forced and recovered fumble against Johns Hopkins. Cage leads the team with six pass breakups.

BULLET POINTS: Freshman DT Anthony Pastore (Garden City, NY/Garden City) has a sack in each of his first two collegiate starts over the past two weekends... Tom Sturges ranks 23rd in Division III with 124.7 rushing yards per game... Harold Barton is tied for fifth in Division III with 7.4 solo tackles per game... Sophomore DB Kyle Luciano (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by-the-Sea) and junior DE Stevenson Foote (Huntingtown, MD/Calvert) each made their first collegiate interceptions against Ursinus... Gettysburg continues to lead the conference in and total offense (321.3 yards per game).

THE WORD ON MUHLENBERG: Muhlenberg enters today’s game off a 13-10 loss to Johns Hopkins last Saturday in Allentown, a major set-back in the Mules’ quest for a fifth consecutive CC championship. Sophomore QB Matt Johnson has completed 58 of 114 passes for 698 yards and five touchdowns this season, good for a conference-leading pass efficiency rating of 113.3. As a running back in 2004, Johnson ran for 131 yards and three touchdowns in last year’s meeting with Gettysburg. Senior WR Kyle Douglass was selected as a CC Outstanding Offensive Performer after catching four passes for 56 yards and one touchdown against Johns Hopkins. Douglass has 31 receptions for 476 yards and a conference-leading six touchdowns this season. He ranks second in the CC in both receptions (4.43) and yards (68.0) per game. Junior TE Stephen Montalto ranks second on the team with 24 receptions and 278 receiving yards. Montalto is fifth in the CC in both receptions (3.43) and yards (39.7) per game. Freshman RB John DeLuca leads the Mules with 79 carries for 254 yards. Sophomore RB Ross Tanner is second on the team with 73 carries for 212 yards and one score. Senior LB Dan McCall leads the conference in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (12.0) this season. Among the national leaders, he is tied for 12th with 1.1 sacks per game and tied for 29th with 1.7 tackles for loss per game. McCall is fourth on the squad with 40 total tackles and has recovered four fumbles. Senior LB Mark Bennett is the Mules’ top tackler with 54 stops this season. Senior FS Phil Gasker – who recorded an interception in last year’s meeting with the Bullets – is second with 48 tackles, including a team-high 34 solo stops. Muhlenberg’s defense ranks 12th in Division III in total defense (243.7 yards allowed per game) and 18th in scoring defense (13.6 points allowed per game).

COACH’S CORNER: Barry Streeter is in his 27th season as the head coach at Gettysburg, the longest coaching tenure in program history. He has posted a 134-130-5 record while guiding the Bullets to three CC championships and a pair of NCAA playoff victories. He ranks first among active CC coaches in both conference victories (72) and overall wins (134). Ninth-year head coach Mike Donnelly has engineered a remarkable turnaround at Muhlenberg, leading the Mules to a share of four consecutive CC championships along with three NCAA tournament berths in the last four years. Donnelly is 56-36 at Muhlenberg, the most coaching victories in program history.

STREETER ON THE URSINUS LOSS: “Both teams were playing hard, but their kids made a couple of plays. They threw the ball up there and their receivers made a couple of nice catches to get them down there on both touchdowns in the fourth quarter. We didn’t make a play on the ball as well as they did.”

STREETER ON THE MUHLENBERG DEFENSE: “They’re really multiple in what they’re doing and they have good talent defensively. They’re in a 3-4, but they give you a lot to look at. They blitz almost 70 percent of the time and do a good job with their schemes.”

STREETER ON MUHLENBERG’S DAN MCCALL: “He’s everywhere and he plays every position. He’s played defensive line, outside backer, inside backer, strong safety – all in one game. He’s a good athlete and they put him in position to make plays.”

STREETER ON BOUNCING BACK: “I don’t notice any change in their work ethic. I’ve been really pleased with how hard they’ve worked and how hard they’ve played in the last several weeks. I know they were really stinging on Monday – as everybody was – but we had a good practice on Tuesday and nobody is dwelling on it too much.”

GCFPC WEEKLY UPDATE

From Rick Jordan's email:

GCFPC WEEKLY UPDATE

Game 8 – Muhlenberg College

After a tough loss in the waning seconds on a mud-soaked field in Collegeville, PA, the Bullets seek to steady their season with a win over a tough Muhlenberg team on Family Weekend this Saturday in Gettysburg.

FAMILY WEEKEND / BEFORE THE GAME: Hopefully, you can participate in some or many of the College’s Family Weekend Events. Keep in mind that the College and Parents Advisory Board generously offer a "Happy Hour" Reception for parents in "The Attic" on Friday evening from 5 - 8 p.m. This is a nice opportunity to mingle with other parents and get a feel for the campus atmosphere.

FAMILY WEEKEND / MUHLENBERG/ TAILGATING: In the recent past, some of the most exciting games on Family Weekend have involved the "Mules." Let’s hope this Saturday gets the Bullets back in the "W" column. Parents’ Club tailgating will be, as usual, at the Pavilion. Before the game, the College will provide a catered lunch behind the home stands in the stadium before the game (beginning at 11:30 a.m.) – NOTE: this event was omitted mistakenly from some of the College’s Family Weekend literature.

Because of the College’s pre-game lunch and many families’ plans for dinner on Saturday evening, no Parents’ Club class is designated to provide potluck food for the pre- and post-game tailgates. However, those families who have been unable to attend games when it was their student’s year’s turn to contribute food for the tailgates are asked to do so this weekend. Also, the Parents’ Club will provide a limited amount of food before and after the game.

J.V GAME THIS PAST MONDAY: Congratulations to the J.V. / non-starters on a real nice performance against Lebanon Valley College on Monday, with a strong come-back win. The game showed both the depth of talent on the Bullets team and the quality of many of the younger players. In many cases, there is not a great deal of difference in talent, drive and ability between the starters and the kids that spend most of the time on the sidelines on Saturdays.

CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE NEWS: The Centennial Conference announced today that Moravian College and Juniata College will join the Conference for football starting in 2007. This is a real plus for the CC.

THE URSINUS GAME: Congratulations to Harold Burton and Tom Sturges for their Conference weekly awards for their performances last Saturday.

FANS / PARENTS IN THE STANDS: I would like to be more adept in addressing this issue, but it is late as I write this and the feelings are too raw from last Saturday’s experience not to be blunt about comments (more accurately, abuse) from some fans / parents toward OUR sidelines lately, especially coming to a head in last Saturday’s game.

There are few of us who do not want our son to play every down of the game or who agree with every play called by a coach, but this past Saturday went over the top from the stands in terms of "heckling" (to put it mildly). Those who disagree, please come to me personally so I can talk to you about this.

Here goes: (1) the players do not appreciate your bad-mouthing of the coaches/players/team (which means you are probably embarrassing your son and, if you are not, he should re-think being a part of the team): (2) the coaches you are trying to hassle generally have on headphones or just do not "hear" you in the action of the game; (3) you may not understand the scheme, formation, etc. going on on the field – that is, you do not know what you are yelling about; (4) you have not been at team practices or film sessions to understand what is going on on the field – that is, you do not know what you are yelling about; (5) you do not understand how stupid you sound from the stands to others in the stadium and other GC fans; (6) you do not understand how detrimental you are to the atmosphere; Let’s keep it positive from the stands.

If you have a problem with this, please let me know. If you don’t get the message here, we will let you know. Thanks.

A PERSONAL NOTE, THANK YOU: Thank you for all the expressions of condolences and support for the recent passing of my mother, especially for the beautiful plant sent to us by the "Gettysburg College Football Parents Club." RICK

Go Bullets!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An Early Look at Muhlenberg

The following is taken from the pre-season Kickoff Edition of D3Football.com:

Muhlenberg Mules

Last time not in playoffs: 2003

Last conference title: 2004, shared five ways

Head coach: Mike Donnelly, ninth year, 53-32

Starters returning: 15 (eight offense, seven defense)

Position battle to watch: Quarterback. Senior Tom Kelleher, who started five games as a sophomore but was only 1-for-15 as the No. 2 guy last year, will contend with sophomore Matt Johnson, who completed nine of 14 for 85 yards and a touchdown from his running back spot last year. Someone must emerge from the pack to jump-start a sporadic offense.

Pressure is on: The defense. The unit carried the Mules in 2004, leading the country in allowing only 195.5 yards per game, only to cough up 31 points in their playoff appearance. A repeat in 2005 will be much needed.

Their season will be defined by: The Nov. 5 meeting with McDaniel. Muhlenberg is 0-12-1 in its last 13 meetings against McDaniel. A win over McDaniel could push the Mules over the top in a tight race.

Predicted record: 7-3, 4-2

Capsule: My kingdom for an offense. The Mules struggled to put points on the board in the conference games that mattered most last season, averaging only 8.3 points in the three games against the teams we predict to be in the top four of the Conference this year: F&M, Johns Hopkins, and McDaniel. Despite carrying a 1-2 record against those teams, Allentown's finest won a five-way tiebreaker and earned a trip back the NCAA playoffs before a throttling at the hands of St. John Fisher. Whoever ends up on top at quarterback will have a formidable task of taking control of the offense. Defense, however, has been in plentiful supply. Mike Donnelly's squad allowed four rushing touchdowns last season and went 24 consecutive quarters without allowing a passing touchdown. Conference defensive player of the year Ryan Peer has graduated along with fellow linebacker Dan Walker. Walker had tied a school record with 10½ sacks last year. With two anchors of the linebacking corps gone, the Mules will need mustang-like performance from the defense to again return to the postseason.

Attention Freshman Football Parents

From George and Karen Lessler's email:

Hello Freshman Football Parents:

George and I wanted to remind you the Freshman tailgate party is coming up on November 5th. With your help we will be organizing the food. Please think about what you would like to bring. And on Monday October 31th please e-mail us. The boys will be hungry and likely cold, so hot food would be great.
I will post the food list as its e-mailed to me so everyone can see what parents are bringing.
Thank you all for responding to our first welcome e-mail and we look forward to meeting everyone soon.

Goooooo Bullets..........

George and Karen Lessler

JV's Victorious!

The Lebanon Valley JVs paid a visit to Gettysburg on Monday, and after spotting them an early 13-0 lead, the Bullets JVs shook off the rust from a 4-week layoff to turn the tables on the Dutchmen enroute to a 41-25 victory!

Bill Dowling kindly photographed the JV game. Photos can be viewed and ordered from his Website. Thanks Bill!

Congratulations to the JV team on a 3-0 season!

Sturges & Barton Honored

Congratulations to Tom Sturges and Harold Barton who were recognized as "Other Outstanding Performers" for their respective Offensive and Defensive performances on Saturday against Ursinus. Read about this and all the other Centennial Conference news here.

JV Game Location Change

From Rick Jordan's email:

The J.V. Game scheduled for this Monday, October 24th, against Lebanon Valley College has been moved from LVC to Gettysburg - .i.e. a HOME J.V. Game (3:30).

Time note: I have also been told that the game time was moved up to 3:00 p.m.

Gallagher lifts Ursinus over Gettysburg, 16-13

From the Ursinus Website:

Gallagher lifts Ursinus over Gettysburg, 16-13

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Vince Gallagher (Springfield, PA/St. Joseph’s Prep) scored on a seven-yard scramble with 16.7 seconds remaining to give Ursinus a 16-13 come-from-behind victory over Gettysburg in Centennial Conference (CC) football action on Saturday.

Gallagher’s run capped a 10-play, 48-yard march in the final three minutes that allowed the Bears (3-4, 1-2 CC) to snap a 20-game losing streak in conference play dating back to 2001. The senior signal caller and Homecoming King finished with 289 passing yards and both of his team’s touchdowns.

Brandon Evans (Mohnton, PA/Governor Mifflin) caught four passes for a game-high 94 yards, including a key 19-yard, third-down reception on the winning drive. For his performance, Evans was awarded the Kenneth E. Walker Memorial Trophy, given annually to the most valuable Ursinus player in the Homecoming game.

Tom Sturges led the Bullet offense with 33 carries for 92 yards and a five-yard touchdown run that made it 13-3 Gettysburg (2-5, 1-2 CC) midway through the third quarter. Hunter McMillan completed 8 of 19 passes for 88 yards and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Dusty Green.

James Sproule (Sckuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain) finished with a team-high five receptions for 63 yards. Brian Hrynczyszyn (Bensalem, PA/Conwell-Egan) led all players with 14 tackles and also recovered a fumble.

Playing in a steady rain that turned an already sloppy field into a mud bowl, Gallagher was able to rally the Bears with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives.

Ursinus trailed 13-3 with 5:15 left in the third quarter before driving 76 yards on 12 plays to cut into the Gettysburg lead.

Facing third-and-10 from the Bullet 46, Gallagher kept the drive going with a 26-yard pass to Mike Weyrauch (Mountaintop, PA/Crestwood). Gallagher followed that clutch toss with a 17-yarder to Sproule on third-and-11 that made it first-and-goal at the Gettysburg 4.

Gallagher’s bootleg on the opening play of the fourth quarter and Matt Baney’s (Deptford, NJ/Deptford) extra point made pulled the Bears within 13-10.

Despite a fumble recovery by Barton and the first collegiate interception by Stevenson Foote – the latter with 3:36 remaining – Ursinus stayed alive by recovering a fumble at the Bullet 48 with 2:49 left.

A 16-yard pass from Gallagher to Sproule converted a third-and-14 and the Bears moved to the Bullet 20 on a 19-yard, third-and-13 completion to Evans. On the next play, Gallagher found Justin Zeigler (Souderton, PA/Souderton) for 16 yards to the Gettysburg 4, setting up the final drama.

Ursinus lost three yards on its next two plays and was forced to use its final timeout before a third-and-goal from the 7. On the decisive play, Gallagher dropped back to pass, but took off around right tackle after finding no open receivers and dove into the end zone for the winning points.

Following a 35-yard field goal by Baney with 13:16 left in the second quarter, Gettysburg was able to negotiate the treacherous conditions for a pair of touchdowns.

The Bullets ate up more than seven minutes while driving 70 yards on 13 plays to take a 7-3 lead on Green’s touchdown reception late in the first half.

Gettysburg took advantage of a Dan Petersen fumble recovery for its second touchdown. McMillan connected on an 11-yard pass to Spencer Davidson and a 17-yard screen pass to Sturges before a pass interference call put the ball at the Ursinus 5.

Sturges scored on the next play to make it 13-3 with 7:55 left in the third quarter.

Harold Barton and Dan Hogdahl recorded a team-high nine tackles apiece for the Bullets, who dropped their 10th consecutive road game.

Despite being held to 88 passing yards, McMillan became only the seventh Gettysburg player since 1979 to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season, finishing the day with 1,020 yards.

Gallagher's run pushes Ursinus past Gettysburg, 16-13

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Gallagher’s run lifts Ursinus over Gettysburg, 16-13
Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Vince Gallagher scored on a seven-yard scramble with 16.7 seconds remaining to give Ursinus a 16-13 come-from-behind victory over Gettysburg in Centennial Conference (CC) football action on Saturday.

Gallagher’s run capped a 10-play, 48-yard march in the final three minutes that allowed the Bears (3-4, 1-2 CC) to snap a 20-game losing streak in conference play dating back to 2001. The senior signal caller finished with 289 passing yards and both of his team’s touchdowns. Brandon Evans caught four passes for a game-high 94 yards, including a key 19-yard, third-down reception on the winning drive.

Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) led the Bullet offense with 33 carries for 92 yards and a five-yard touchdown run that made it 13-3 Gettysburg midway through the third quarter. Hunter McMillan (Middletown, DE/Wilmington Friends) completed 8 of 19 passes for 88 yards and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Dusty Green (Idaville, PA/Bermudian Springs).

Harold Barton (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) and Dan Hogdahl (Riverside, NJ/Pompton Lakes) recorded a team-high nine tackles apiece for the Bullets (2-5, 1-2 CC), who dropped their 10th consecutive road game. Playing in a steady rain that turned an already sloppy field into a mud bowl, Gallagher was able to rally the Bears with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives.

Ursinus trailed 13-3 with 5:15 left in the third quarter before driving 76 yards on 12 plays to cut into the Gettysburg lead.

Facing third-and-10 from the Bullet 46, Gallagher kept the drive going with a 26-yard pass to Mike Weyrauch. Gallagher followed that clutch toss with a 17-yarder to James Sproule on third-and-11 that made it first-and-goal at the Gettysburg 4.

Gallagher’s bootleg on the opening play of the fourth quarter and Matt Baney’s extra point made pulled the Bears within 13-10.

Despite a fumble recovery by Barton and the first collegiate interception by Stevenson Foote (Huntingtown, MD/Calvert) – the latter with 3:36 remaining – Ursinus stayed alive by recovering a fumble at the Bullet 48 with 2:49 left.

A 16-yard pass from Gallagher to Sproule converted a third-and-14 and the Bears moved to the Bullet 20 on a 19-yard, third-and-13 completion to Evans. On the next play, Gallagher found Justin Zeigler for 16 yards to the Gettysburg 4, setting up the final drama.

Ursinus lost three yards on its next two plays and was forced to use its final timeout before a third-and-goal from the 7. On the decisive play, Gallagher dropped back to pass, but took off around right tackle after finding no open receivers and dove into the end zone for the winning points.

Following a 35-yard field goal by Baney with 13:16 left in the second quarter, Gettysburg was able to negotiate the treacherous conditions for a pair of touchdowns.

The Bullets ate up more than seven minutes while driving 70 yards on 13 plays to take a 7-3 lead on Green’s touchdown reception late in the first half.

Gettysburg took advantage of a Dan Petersen (Beachwood, NJ/Toms River South) fumble recovery for its second touchdown. McMillan connected on an 11-yard pass to Spencer Davidson (Dumont, NJ/Dumont) and a 17-yard screen pass to Sturges before a pass interference call put the ball at the Ursinus 5.

Sturges scored on the next play to make it 13-3 with 7:55 left in the third quarter.

Sproule finished with a team-high five receptions for 63 yards. Brian Hrynczyszyn led all players with 14 tackles and also recovered a fumble.

Despite being held to 88 passing yards, McMillan became only the seventh Bullet since 1979 to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season, finishing the day with 1,020 yards.

Gettysburg returns to action on Saturday at home against Muhlenberg. Game time is 1 p.m.

More Gettysburg at Ursinus Game Notes

The Ursinus Website has a nice 4 page PDF file chock full of interesting statisitcal informaton on this weeks matchup. Click here to view and print out.

Gettysburg at Ursinus Game Notes

The following preview is from the Gettysburg College Website:

Gettysburg at Ursinus – Saturday, Oct. 22, 2005 – 1 p.m.

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Saturday’s Centennial Conference (CC) game marks the 49th meeting between Gettysburg (2-4, 1-1 CC) and Ursinus (2-4, 0-2 CC) in a series that dates back to 1903. The Bullets hold a 28-16-4 lead in the all-time series and have won their last three match-ups with the Bears. In last year’s game, Joe Gossweiler ran for one touchdown and threw for another as Gettysburg posted its first shutout in 16 years with a 14-0 decision over Ursinus on Oct. 23, 2004 at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium. The Bears’ last win in the series was by a 31-7 margin in Collegeville during the 2001 season.

LAST TIME OUT: Johns Hopkins wide receiver Anthony Triplin scored on an 80-yard touchdown reception and the 18th-ranked Blue Jays returned a blocked punt for another score to defeat Gettysburg 14-0 on Oct. 14 in Baltimore. Junior LB Harold Barton (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) paced the Bullet defense with eight tackles and two sacks. In Collegeville, Ursinus was victimized by a 74-yard touchdown pass off a fake punt with 3:54 remaining, falling to Muhlenberg 21-14 last Saturday. Sophomore RB Frank Hales accounted for 142 yards from scrimmage (82 rushing, 60 receiving) and ran for two touchdowns while senior QB Vince Gallagher completed 22 of 40 passes for 213 yards in the loss.

AMONG THE OUTSTANDING: Senior TE Chris Halleman (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh) and Harold Barton were named to the CC Outstanding Performers List for their efforts against Johns Hopkins last Friday. Hallaman set single-game career highs with four receptions for 91 yards against the Blue Jays while Barton recorded eight tackles, including four solo stops and two sacks.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: Heading into this weekend’s action, senior DB Nathan Smith (Hanover, PA/Cooperstown Central [NY]) ranked second in Division III with an average of 34.9 yards per kickoff return, one-tenth of a yard behind national leader Marcus Washington of Bridgewater (Va.). Smith has three touchdowns among his 16 returns this season, matching the CC’s single-season record set by Muhlenberg’s Joshua Carter in 1999. Smith broke a tie with Carter for the CC’s career record for kickoff-return TDs (5) and needs one more to tie Division III records for a season (4) and career (6).

RUNNING WILD: Sophomore TB Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) battled his way to a game-high 82 yards against the Johns Hopkins defense. Sturges has carried 163 times for 781 yards this season and continues to lead the CC with 130.2 rushing yards per game. With four games remaining on the schedule, Sturges’ rushing total is already the highest by a Bullet since Paul Smith ran for a program-record 1,546 yards in 1999.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: After allowing more than 43 points per game against four non-conference opponents, Gettysburg has turned the tables in conference play, yielding only 31 points against nationally ranked foes McDaniel and Johns Hopkins in the past two weeks. Harold Barton leads the Bullet defense with 67 total tackles and ranks third in the CC and tied for 32nd in Division III with 11.2 tackles per game. Barton’s 7.5 solo tackles per game is tied for sixth in Division III. Nathan Smith is tied for sixth in the conference with 8.5 tackles per game.

MAKING AN ENTRANCE: Freshman DT Anthony Pastore (Garden City, NY/Garden City) recorded his first collegiate sack while making his first collegiate start last Friday in Baltimore. Pastore dropped Johns Hopkins quarterback Zach DiIonno for a four-yard loss on the Blue Jays’ first series of the game and finished with six tackles.

TAKE IT AWAY: Senior DB Daniel Silva (Lanham, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt) is tied with Nathan Smith and senior DB Jay Cage (N. Charleston, SC/Sterling [NJ]) for the team lead with six passes defended. Silva has caused three turnovers this season, making two interceptions earlier in the year and ripping the ball away from a Blue Jay receiver last Friday night to record a forced fumble and recovery. He is tied for fourth on the squad with 40 total tackles.

AT THE CONTROLS: Sophomore QB Hunter McMillan (Middletown, DE/Wilmington Friends) has completed 82 of 159 passes for 932 yards and five touchdowns this season. McMillan needs 68 passing yards to become the seventh Bullet since 1979 to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a single season. He ranks second in the CC in both passing yards per game (155.3) and total yards per game (152.8).

HANDS TEAM: Junior HB Dusty Green (Idaville, PA/Bermudian Springs) ranks fifth in the CC with 3.50 receptions per game and ninth with 39.5 receiving yards per game. Sophomore HB Shawn Hollingsworth (Chester, PA/Wilmington Friends [DE]) is sixth with 3.33 catches per game and seventh with 40.5 receiving yards per game. Junior WR Spencer Davidson (Dumont, NJ/Dumont) ranks sixth with 41.2 receiving yards per game.

ALL PURPOSE BACKS: Tom Sturges and Nathan Smith rank 1-2 in the CC in all-purpose yards per game. Sturges has accounted for 140.3 all-purpose yards per game while Smith is next at 103.3.

BULLET POINTS: Gettysburg leads the CC in both rushing offense (160.0 yards per game) and total offense (337.8) while ranking second in scoring offense (22.5 points per game)… The Bullets are looking to snap a nine-game road losing streak this Saturday. Gettysburg’s last road victory came in its last trip to Collegeville, a 14-3 win over the Bears on Oct. 25, 2003.

THE WORD ON URSINUS: Ursinus enters Saturday’s game hoping to snap a 20-game losing streak in conference play. The Bears’ last victory against a CC foe was a 40-28 win at Dickinson on the final week of the 2001 season. Senior QB Vince Gallagher threw for 213 yards in Ursinus’ 21-14 loss to Muhlenberg last Saturday. Gallagher has completed 70 of 145 passes for 764 yards and four touchdowns this season and needs 67 passing yards to reach 4,000 for his collegiate career. Sophomore RB Frank Hales rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught five passes for 60 yards against the Mules, earning a spot on the CC Outstanding Performers List. Hales ranks second on the team with 242 rushing yards, trailing junior RB David Ashworth (251 on a team-high 75 carries). Junior WR Josh Hannum is tied for seventh in the CC with 3.00 receptions per game, but ranks fourth with 15.4 yards per catch. He paces the Bears with 18 receptions for 277 yards and three touchdowns. Senior DB Adam Schmidt blocked two kicks and recorded six tackles against Muhlenberg. He ranks second on the team with 41 total tackles and is second in the conference with 11.5 tackles for loss. Schmidt and freshman DB DeVohn Butler are tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks apiece. Sophomore LB Brian Hrynczyszyn leads the way with 56 tackles and ranks fifth in the conference with 9.3 tackles per game. Hrynczyszyn’s older brother Chris was a four-year starter on the Gettysburg defensive line from 2000-03. Ursinus ranks fifth in the conference in total defense (316.7 yards allowed per game) and sixth in total offense (262.7 yards per game).

COACH’S CORNER: Barry Streeter is in his 27th season as the head coach at Gettysburg, the longest coaching tenure in program history. He has posted a 134-130-5 record while guiding the Bullets to three CC championships and a pair of NCAA playoff victories. He ranks first among active CC coaches in both conference victories (72) and overall wins (134). Peter Gallagher has posted a 16-36 record in his five years at Ursinus. In 2001, Gallagher guided the Bears to a 6-4 mark, the best record for an Ursinus rookie coach since 1931. Prior to arriving in Collegeville, he served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Rochester and also enjoyed successful coaching stints at Dartmouth, Wagner and Georgetown.

STREETER ON HIS DEFENSE VS. JOHNS HOPKINS: “I felt that we had a shot at winning that game up until there were three minutes left. And the biggest reason was because of the defense – they played well and kept us in the game. We came up with some turnovers, we had some big stops and they didn’t get a lot of big drives.”

STREETER ON THE KEYS TO WINNING AT URSINUS: “We have to continue to play passionate, physical football on both sides of the ball. We have to continue to play good, tough defense and we have to pick up our pace on offense again, stay on the field, get some drives going and get in the end zone.”

STREETER ON THE CONFERENCE PICTURE: “Last year five teams tied for the conference championship. I’m sure all five of those teams didn’t think they were going to win a championship after two games. It’s been a few years since a team has gone undefeated in the league, so there’s a lot of football left to play before there’s a champion.”

GCFPC WEEKLY UPDATE

From Rick Jordan's email:

GCFPC WEEKLY UPDATE

Game 7 – Ursinus College

Still alive in the hunt for the Centennial Conference championship and having beaten or proven that they can go toe-to-toe with the best in the Conference, the Bullets travel to Collegeville, PA for a show-down with the Ursinus Bears this Saturday.

NUTS AND BOLTS OF ATTENDING THE URSINUS GAME:

NUTS AND BOLTS OF ATTENDING THE URSINUS GAME: Directions to Ursinus can be found on the Ursinus Website.

This weekend is Homecoming at Ursinus. This, combined with a whole lot of construction on campus at UC, will be a challenge for parking and our attempt at tailgating. The following is the UC’s athletic director’s response to our request for tailgating space (it provides directional advice and reflects how tailgating will be difficult to carry out):

“Over the past year we have had quite a campus transformation. Major construction and a new campus plan have eliminated the campus drive. No one can go from one entrance to the other. All visitor parking must come off of 9th avenue not 5th. Travel up main street to 9th avenue and turn right and go 200 yards and turn right into the college. Make a left into our new parking area. That is the only place you will be able to go. We have 4 home events, plus it is our homecoming which means parking will be at a premium. Please advise your parent group to cooperate with the new parking configuration. You will actually be parking behind the new field house and to get to the football field you will have to walk around the building on the small emergency road. Thank you for your cooperation and let's hope for good weather.”

[Editorial comment: let’s hope for a Gettysburg win to dampen U.C.’s Homecoming!]

Let’s hope we can get by this inconvenience and meet somewhere in the mess of things before the game!!!

LAST FRIDAY’S GAME: Congratulations to Chris Halleman and Harold Barton for their Centennial Conference “Outstanding Performances” awards, offensively and defensively, against Hopkins. Also, we should have mentioned in last week’s email Nate Smith’s Conference-breaking record against McDaniel of a fifth career kick-off return touchdown.

We hope not too many of us relied on the JHU concession stand for food last Friday (as we suggested would be decent), as the “faire” clearly “tanked” since the last time we were there. Well, at least JHU’s new field turf replaced the old “Astroturf” / pool table surface.

VOLUNTEERS: Once again, we are still looking for folks willing to help out with merchandise sales with a view toward taking over this job next year from the Edgars. This is a critical position for our Club. You do not need to live near Gettysburg to do this job so long as you attend the home games -- and the time commitment is not overwhelming. We’re also looking for other new leaders elsewhere for next year – starting in a "shadow" position this year would be very helpful. We are close to DRAFTING people on this, so please step forward. The future of the Parents Club is at issue here.

Some families have requested copies of game tapes. These can be made available, but only if someone volunteers to do the leg work to coordinate duplication, ordering, etc., as the coaches are not in a position to do this.

MEMBERSHIP: If you have not yet completed a membership form and paid dues for the Parents Club, please do so right away – let us know if you need a membership form and we will email you one.

BULLETS JACKETS: Through Kelly Jones, team equipment manger, we have an opportunity to order team jackets – "just like the players wear." If you are interested in this, please let us know with a response to this email.

J.V. SCHEDULE: Monday Oct. 24 (3:30 p.m.) at Lebanon Valley

Go Bullets!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Early look at Ursinus

The following was taken from the preseason Kickoff Edition of D3Football.com:

Ursinus Bears

Last playoff appearance: 1999

Last conference title: 1996

Head coach: Peter Gallagher, fifth year, 12-28

Starters returning: 20 (eight offense, eleven defense, two special teams)

Position battle to watch: Running back. The Bears showed several options from the backfield last year with rising junior David Ashworth’s 112 yards per game over four games to stand out. Someone needs to rise to the occasion to solidify the ground game.

Pressure is on: Gallagher. Ursinus has fallen from the ranks of the competitive since Gallagher has been at the helm. A major change is needed if the Bears repeat their performances of the last three seasons.

Their season will be defined by: Recruiting. Gallagher has cleaned house in Collegeville over the past few seasons. If his own recruits don’t begin to play well, their problems will continue to exacerbate. While there were some tight games in 2004, with the Bears falling on the losing end, we don’t see much change in 2005.

Predicted record: 2-8, 1-5

Capsule: Seniors on the Bears squad have yet to win a Centennial Conference game. The Bears are 0-18 over the past three seasons in conference and 3-21 with Gallagher as their head coach. That 3-3 season in 2001 came in Gallagher's first year with a team he had inherited. Despite that, the Bears have actually improved and could have seen many of those games go the other way. Three of their 2004 CC losses came by seven points or fewer with a roster that housed only three seniors and 42 freshmen. Despite the fact that Gallagher is starting his fifth season, it would seem that 2005 will be the best chance to evaluate his recruiting techniques since many of the youngsters have at least one season under their belt. Even Sir Issac Newton would agree there is only one way to go. A youthful bunch could spring the occasional upset, but we don’t expect more than that.

Weekly Awards

Congratulations to Chris Halleman and Harold Barton for being recognized by the Centennial Conference as "Other Outstanding Performers" for their respective Offensive and Defensive performances agains Johns Hopkins on Friday night!

Click here to read about this and all the other Conference news from this past weekend.

Blue Jays blank Gettysburg, 14-0

From the Gettysburg C0llege Website:

Blue Jays use big pass, big block to blank Gettysburg, 14-0; Margraff wins 100th game

Box Score

BALTIMORE, Md. - Anthony Triplin scored on an 80-yard touchdown pass and Matt Hagel returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to lead 18th-ranked Johns Hopkins over Gettysburg 14-0 in Centennial Conference (CC) football action on Friday, giving Blue Jay head coach Jim Margraff his 100th career victory.

Triplin finished with 11 receptions for a career-high 169 yards, helping the Blue Jays (6-0, 3-0 CC) post their 11th consecutive win against the Bullets (2-4, 1-1 CC). Zach DiIonno, the CC's leading passer, completed 18 of 32 passes for 239 yards and the one touchdown toss.
Max Whitacre caused Johns Hopkins' second score, blocking a punt by Tom Pettit (Blue Bell, PA/Wissahickon) deep in Bullet territory that Hagel picked up and carried into the end zone from six yards out. In addition to his touchdown, Hagel added eight tackles, two sacks and one interception.

Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) rushed for a game-high 82 yards for Gettysburg, which is winless in its last six trips to Homewood Field. Chris Halleman (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh) made four catches for a career-high 91 yards in the loss.
Harold Barton (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) recorded eight tackles and two sacks for the Gettysburg defense, which held a nationally ranked team under its scoring average for the second straight week.

Behind two big plays and a defense that yielded only 248 total yards and no points, the Blue Jays delivered their mentor's milestone victory.

Following a Gettysburg punt to the JHU 20, DiIonno and Triplin needed exactly 13 seconds to put their team ahead for good. The senior signal-caller drew the defense with a play-action fake, then found Triplin on a post route deep down the middle of the field. Triplin snagged the ball in stride at midfield and galloped untouched to the end zone to give the Blue Jays a 7-0 lead.

With less than one minute remaining in the half, Whitacre and Hagel teamed up on the punt block and return to put Johns Hopkins ahead, 14-0. It was the team's first punt block return for a touchdown since the 2003 campaign.

The Bullets drove to the Blue Jay 23 in the final seconds, but Josh Huson's (McLean, VA/McLean) 40-yard field goal attempt was wide left.

Buoyed by strong defensive plays on both sides of the ball, the teams battled scorelessly through the night's last two quarters.

Gettysburg drove to the JHU 22 on its first drive of the third quarter, but the march stalled on an incomplete pass on fourth-and-14.

The Blue Jays marched to the Bullet 28 later in the period, but Daniel Silva (Lanham, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt) ended the threat by ripping a reception away from Corey Sattler.

Gettysburg was the recipient of another fumble recovery early in the fourth quarter, but the ensuing drive netted only five yards before another of Pettit's seven punts.

The Bullets' last push into Blue Jay territory started after Ben Scott's punt to the Gettysburg 1 with 8:08 remaining.

On in relief of starting quarterback Hunter McMillan (Middletown, DE/Wilmington Friends), Mark Campo (Arendtsville, PA/Biglerville) found Halleman for an acrobatic 48-yard reception to the Bullet 49. A reception and two runs by Sturges put the visitors on the Blue Jay 23, but three straight incompletions halted the drive.

Nathan Smith (Hanover, PA/Cooperstown Central [NY]) led Gettysburg with nine tackles while Sliva added eight stops and one pass breakup.

Brian Cook, Adam Luke and Mike Aynardi all recorded a game-high 10 stops for Johns Hopkins.
The Bullets return to action on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Ursinus. Game time is 1 p.m.

Gettysburg looks for second upset

From today's Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA):

Gettysburg looks for second upset

Friday, October 14, 2005

BY ROXANNE B. MOSES of The Patriot-News

After a gutsy upset of McDaniel last week the Gettysburg College football team could really make things interesting when it travels to Johns Hopkins tonight.

The Bullets (2-3, 1-0) will take aim at the unbeaten Blue Jays (5-0, 2-0) in a Centennial Conference matchup at 7 tonight in Baltimore.

The return of coach Barry Streeter to the sidelines and the emergence of running back Tom Sturges has put the Bullets right back into the heart of the conference race.

Sturges, the sophomore from Connecticut, leads the Centennial with 699 rushing yards and has four touchdowns on 137 carries this season.

No. 2 in the conference statistics is T.J. Lyons of Johns Hopkins, who has gained 449 yards and scored four touchdowns on 80 carries.

And while the top two rushers in the Centennial Conference grind it out, this game will also pit the conference's top offense, Gettysburg's phat Spread Wing, against Hopkins' top-ranked defense.

Tops against the run, the Blue Jays have allowed just 102.0 rushing yards and two touchdowns in five games.
"We have to be able to sustain drives and we have to be able to stay on the field," Streeter said in his weekly release.

"Their defense is outstanding so it's going to be a great challenge to us. And we have to play physically and with passion. If we're able to do that, it gives us a chance."

Gettysburg vs. Johns Hopkins Game Notes

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Gettysburg at Johns Hopkins – Friday, Oct. 14, 2005 – 7 p.m.

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Friday’s Centennial Conference (CC) game marks the 33rd meeting between Gettysburg (2-3, 1-0 CC) and 18th-ranked Johns Hopkins (5-0, 2-0 CC) in a series that dates back to 1911. Gettysburg holds an 18-12-2 lead in the all-time series, but the Blue Jays have won the last 10 meetings between the two programs. In last year’s match-up, Zach DiIonno threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns to key Johns Hopkins’ 37-17 win on Oct. 16, 2004 at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium. Brian Wolcott caught two of the touchdown tosses while Anthony Triplin snagged the other. The Bullets’ last win in the series was a 27-24 decision in Baltimore during the 1994 season.

LAST TIME OUT: Freshman K Josh Huson (McLean, VA/McLean) kicked a 34-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining to snap a 17-all tie and give Gettysburg a 20-17 win over 19th-ranked McDaniel last Saturday at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium. Senior DB Nathan Smith (Hanover, PA/Cooperstown Central [NY]) set a new CC record with his fifth career kickoff return for a touchdown and sophomore TB Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) rushed for 187 yards in the victory. In Baltimore, T.J. Lyons rushed for 149 yards and one touchdown to become the sixth 2,000-yard rusher in program history as Johns Hopkins downed Franklin & Marshall 19-7 last Saturday. The win was the Blue Jays’ ninth straight overall and ninth consecutive against the Diplomats.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Tom Sturges and Josh Huson were honored as CC Players of the Week for their performances against McDaniel on Saturday. Sturges was named the CC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after carrying 37 times for 187 yards, the second-highest single-game total of his career. It is the third time that he has been named the CC Offensive Player of the Week this season. Huson was selected as the CC Special Teams Player of the Week after hitting two milestone field goals, the first of his collegiate career. The first traveled 48 yards to tie the program’s 29-year-old record while the second – a 34-yarder – snapped a 17-all tie with 1:10 remaining, delivering the victory.

ALSO OUTSTANDING: Senior LB Ryan McGarry (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) was named to the CC Outstanding Performers list after spearheading a defense that held the conference’s top scoring offense 15 points below its average on Saturday. McGarry recorded seven tackles, including five solo stops and two tackles for loss, and also broke up a pass in the win. He ranks ninth in the conference with 7.6 tackles per game.

TO THE HOUSE: Nathan Smith sprinted into the CC record books with his 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on Saturday. Smith tied Muhlenberg’s Joshua Carter for the most kickoff-return touchdowns in a season (3) and snapped a tie with Carter for the most in a career (5). Smith leads the conference and ranks fifth in Division III with 35.4 yards per return.

KICKING IT: Josh Huson’s first two collegiate field goals were memorable ones on Saturday. Huson tied a program record by booting a 48-yard field goal in the third quarter against McDaniel, then won the game with a 34-yard field goal in the final minutes. The freshman leads the CC in extra points made (13) and attempted (14), and is second on the team with 19 points. Huson took his place in the Gettysburg record book alongside Dick Eppleman, whose 48-yarder provided margin of victory in a 10-7 win over Bucknell on Oct. 23, 1976.

RUNNING WILD: Tom Sturges enjoyed his fourth 100-yard rushing day of the season against the Green Terror and continues to lead the conference in carries (137) and rushing yards (699). In addition, he paces the CC and ranks 17th in Division III with 139.8 rushing yard per game. He is also the conference leader for all-purpose yards per game (149.4). Sturges’ 187-yard outing against McDaniel was the second-highest single-game output of his career, topped only by a 206-yard performance against Lebanon Valley on Sept. 3. His 699 rushing yards are already the most in one season by a Bullet since Paul Smith’s record-setting 1,546 yards in 1999.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: An energized Gettysburg defense held McDaniel to 295 total yards and 17 points on Saturday, both single-game lows for a Bullet opponent in 2005. Senior LB Michael Schmidt (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman) led the way with 11 tackles (9 solo) and recorded one of the squad’s nine pass breakups. Ryan McGarry and Harold Barton (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) were next on the list with seven tackles and one breakup apiece. In addition, Barton blocked a 35-yard Green Terror field goal attempt and also stopped Matt Buschman on fourth-and-1 from the McDaniel 49, setting up Gettysburg’s lone touchdown drive late in the second quarter.

SACK ATTACK: Junior DE Stevenson Foote (Huntingtown, MD/Calvert) and junior DT Rob Brassell (Huntingdon Valley, PA/LaSalle College) recorded their first collegiate sacks on Saturday. Senior DT Dan Hogdahl (Riverdale, NJ/Pompton Lakes) notched the Bullets’ third sack of the day, one of his five tackles.

AIRING IT OUT: Despite throwing for a season-low 28 yards on Saturday, sophomore QB Hunter McMillan (Middletown, DE/Wilmington Friends) continues to rank among the CC’s passing leaders. McMillan has completed 77 of 144 passes (53.5 percent) for 870 yards and five touchdowns in 2005, ranking second in passing yards per game (174.0) and total yards per game (172.4), and third in pass efficiency (103.2).

ALL PURPOSE BACK: Nathan Smith ranks second in the conference with 109.8 all-purpose yards per game and is sixth with 8.4 tackles per game from his strong safety position. Smith is tied with senior CB Jay Cage (N. Charleston, SC/Sterling [NJ]) for third place in passes defended per game (1.20).

HANDS TEAM: A trio of Bullets rank among the CC’s top 10 for receptions and receiving yards per game. Sophomore HB Shawn Hollingsworth (Chester, PA/Wilmington Friends [DE]) is tied for second with 4.00 catches per game and ranks fifth with 48.6 yards per game. Junior WR Spencer Davidson (Dumont, NJ/Dumont) is sixth with 48.0 yards per game and 10th with 3.00 receptions per game. Junior HB Dusty Green (Idaville, PA/Bermudian Springs) ranks fifth with 3.80 catches per game and is ninth with 42.2 yards per contest.

BULLET POINTS: Senior DB Daniel Silva (Lanham, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt), a former two-year letterwinner at McDaniel, ended his former team’s first drive on Saturday with his second interception of the season. Silva also added six tackles in the win… Gettysburg is looking to snap an eight-game road losing streak and five-game skid at Homewood Field… The Bullets lead the CC in total offense (355.8 yards per game) and rank second in scoring offense (27.0 points per game). Gettysburg is also second in third-down conversion percentage (36.6).

THE WORD ON JOHNS HOPKINS: The Blue Jays enter Friday’s game ranked 18th in the latest AFCA Division III poll and riding a nine-game winning streak. Johns Hopkins has also won 10 straight games against Gettysburg. Senior QB Zach DiIonno has completed 85 of 142 passes for 881 yards and one touchdown this season. He leads the CC in passing yards per game (176.2) and total offense (175.8), and is second in pass efficiency (110.1). He has three of the conference’s six 200-yard passing games in 2005. Senior TB T.J. Lyons has 449 yards on 80 carries and ranks second in the CC with 89.8 rushing yards per game. Lyons was named the CC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 149 yards and one touchdown in the Blue Jays’ 19-7 win over Franklin & Marshall on Saturday. Junior WR Anthony Triplin leads the conference with 5.60 receptions per game and ranks fourth with 53.2 receiving yards per contest. Sophomore WR Corey Sattler is tied for second with 4.00 receptions per game while ranking second with 55.0 receiving yards per game. The duo has combined for 48 receptions and 541 yards through the air this season. Senior LB Adam Luke and senior LB Mike Barrasso rank seventh and eighth in the CC, respectively, with 8.2 and 8.0 tackles per game. Luke leads Johns Hopkins with 41 total tackles. Senior DB Adam Colicchio is one of three players tied for third in the conference with three interceptions. Junior P/K Ben Scott ranks second in the conference with 7.2 points per game. Scott has converted 9 of 15 field goals this season and is also the CC’s top punter with an average of 39.9 yards per punt. The Blue Jays lead the conference in scoring defense (6.8 points per game), total defense (209.6 yards per game) and third down conversion percentage (37.3). Johns Hopkins is tied for third in scoring offense (19.2) and ranks third in total offense (319.4 yards per game). Head coach Jim Margraff is seeking his 100th coaching victory.

COACH’S CORNER: Barry Streeter is in his 27th season as the head coach at Gettysburg, the longest coaching tenure in program history. He has posted a 134-129-5 record while guiding the Bullets to three CC championships and a pair of NCAA playoff victories. He ranks first among active CC coaches in both conference victories (72) and overall wins (134). Jim Margraff has led Johns Hopkins to a 99-55-3 record and three CC championships during 16 seasons at his alma mater. Since the beginning of the 2002 season, the Blue Jays are 33-5 (.868) while earning a share of the past three conference crowns and winning three ECAC playoff games. He is the third-winningest head coach in CC history, boasting 64 conference victories entering tonight’s action.

STREETER ON THE WIN OVER MCDANIEL: “Our whole football team played with passion and we played physically, in particular on defense. We didn’t get caught up in any plays that happened before, we just took care of one thing at a time. We played like it was urgent and that’s how you have to play.”

STREETER ON KICKER JOSH HUSON: “He’s gotten better every week and he’s a confident kicker. Through preseason and the first part of the season, he’s been getting more height and more distance on his kicks. That’s a clutch performance by a young player. It’s good to have him on our team.”

STREETER ON THE KEYS TO WINNING AT JOHNS HOPKINS: “The key at Johns Hopkins is similar to what I said last week against McDaniel. We have to be able to sustain drives and we have to be able to stay on the field. Their defense is outstanding, so it’s going to be a great challenge to us. And we have to play physically and with passion. If we’re able to do that, it gives us a chance.”

STREETER ON THE JOHNS HOPKINS OFFENSE: “They’re very well balanced, so have to be prepared for anything. They have seniors in good positions offensively – their quarterback, the tailback and a couple of linemen are seniors. And their receivers are two of the best we’ve seen.”

Johns Hopkins-Gettysburg Football Notes

From the Johns Hopkins Website:

Johns Hopkins-Gettysburg Football Notes

Blue Jays, Bullets Battle for First Place on Friday Night

Senior quarterback Zach DiIonno and the Blue Jays host Gettysburg at Homewood Field Friday night.

Oct. 12, 2005

The Game: Johns Hopkins (5-0, 2-0 CC) and Gettysburg (2-3, 1-0) meet with first place in the Centennial Conference on the line. The Blue Jays, who are ranked 18th in this week's AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, and Bullets enter Friday night's game as the only two teams in the league without a league loss as Hopkins has beaten Dickinson (35-14) and Franklin & Marshall (19-7), while the Bullets took down McDaniel (20-17) last Saturday in its CC-opener. While there is still a lot of football left to be played, the winner of tonight's game will control its own destiny in the race for the Centennial Conference Championship.

The Teams: Johns Hopkins posted a 9-2 record, claimed a share of a third straight Centennial Conference Championship and won the ECAC Southeast title in 2004. Gettysburg struggled to a 1-9 overall record, including a 1-5 mark in the Centennial Conference, last season.

Series History: Johns Hopkins and Gettysburg are meeting for the 33rd time tonight in a series that dates back to 1911. The Blue Jays have dominated the series of late winning 10 straight after the Bullets went 18-2-2 in the first 22 meetings.

During the 10-game winning streak the Blue Jays have been on the right side of blowouts and close calls. They have won six of the 10 by 17 points or more (including the last two), while the remaining four have been decided by eight points or less. In addition, the Blue Jays have averaged 30.8 points per game during their 10-game run against the Bullets while allowing an average of just 12.7 points per game.

Title Time: From 1969-2001 the Johns Hopkins football team did not win a title of any kind. In the last three years the Blue Jays have grabbed a share of three straight Centennial Conference titles and won three ECAC Championships (ECAC Southwest-2002, ECAC South Atlantic-2003, ECAC Southeast-2004).

Streaking: The win over Franklin & Marshall improved the Blue Jays' record to 24-3 in their last 27 games, 33-5 in their last 38 and 39-8 in their last 47. These represent the best records ever over those numbers of games in school history.

Seniors Close on School Record: The win over Franklin & Marshall improved JHU's record to 33-5 since the start of the 2002 season. The 33 wins are just one shy of the school record for most wins in a four-year period (34 / 2001-04).

Poll Position: Johns Hopkins jumped from 22nd to 18th in this week's AFCA Division III Coaches Poll. The Blue Jays have now been ranked in the top 25 in each of the last three weeks. Prior to the 2003 season Johns Hopkins had never been ranked in the top 25 in the nation in football. Since then the Blue Jays have been ranked in the top 25 in the nation 15 times in 24 weeks and have received votes in every poll since the start of the 2003 season.

This week's number 18 ranking marks the seventh time JHU has appeared in the top 20 and is the fifth-highest ranking in school history. The Blue Jays peaked at number 13 in the poll of October 21, 2003.

Friday Night Lights: Friday's game against Gettysburg is the 37th for the Blue Jays on a Friday night at Homewood Field. The Blue Jays, who played their first home Friday night game on September 25, 1982, sport a 24-12-1 (.662) record in Friday night home games, including a 5-2 mark against Gettysburg.

Non-Conference Roll: The 9-6 win over CMU extended JHU's winning streak in non-conference games to 13 games. The Blue Jays last dropped a non-conference game on October 26, 2002 at Randolph-Macon (17-12).

Home Sweet Home: Since the beginning of the 1996 season Johns Hopkins is 38-10 (.792) at home and has twice enjoyed 10-game winning streaks at Homewood Field during that time. Currently, the Blue Jays have won 15 of their last 17 and 21 of their last 25 at home.

Road Warriors: The win over Dickinson was JHU's eighth straight victory away from Homewood Field and 16th win in its last 18 road games. The eight-game road winning streak is the longest in school history. Johns Hopkins previously had a seven-game road winning streak from 1967-69.

Comeback Kids: The come-from-behind win over Rochester was dramatic in that it ended with Ben Scott's 37-yard field goal with just one second remaining in the fourth quarter, but Jim Margraff-coached teams have excelled in this situation throughout his career. The Blue Jays came from behind to win six times last season, erasing 14-point deficits in wins against Ursinus and Waynesburg (twice).

Last Second Heroics: Prior to this season the last time the Blue Jays came from behind to win in the final minute was in 1997, when Adam Gentile scored on an eight-yard touchdown run with 33 seconds remaining to beat Muhlenberg, 24-21. Ben Scott provided the heroics with a 37-yard field goal with one-second remaining against Rochester. Scott went one better in the win over Carnegie Mellon as he snapped a 6-6 tie with a 24-yard field goal as time expired to lift Hopkins to a 9-6 win.

Seven's Heaven: For all the different numbers and statistics that can be applied to the Johns Hopkins football team, there has been one simple way to measure the success of the Blue Jays recently. Since the beginning of the 2003 season the Blue Jays are 24-0 when scoring more than seven points and 0-3 when they have been held to seven points or less.

Keys to Success: Johns Hopkins is an impressive 60-4 (.938) under head coach Jim Margraff when scoring 24 or more points...currently, the Blue Jays have won 47 of their last 49 when scoring 24 or more...at the same time, Hopkins is 68-10-2 (.863) when holding the opposition to 14 points or less since Margraff arrived for the 1990 season...the Blue Jays have won 32 of their last 34 games when holding the opposition to 14 points or less.

Defense Leads The Pack: A trademark of the Johns Hopkins football team is a solid defense. Despite several key injuries the Blue Jays have continued that trend as they rank first in the Centennial Conference in scoring defense (6.8 ppg), total defense (209.6 ypg), rushing defense (102.0 ypg), pass defense (107.6 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (76.9 rating). The Blue Jays rank fourth in the nation in scoring defense and seventh in total defense and pass efficiency defense.

More Defense: The seven points the Blue Jays allowed against Franklin & Marshall marked the fourth time in five games this season that the JHU defense has allowed seven points or less. In addition, the 34 points the Blue Jays have allowed are the second-fewest allowed by a JHU defense in the first five games of a season in the last 45 years. Only the 2003 team, which allowed just 16 points in the first five games of the season, allowed fewer points through five games since 1960 than the 2005 team.

Scoring Defense: Johns Hopkins got a 31-yard fumble return for a touchdown (Adam Luke) and a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown (Adam Colicchio) in the win over Dickinson. This marked the first time since September 29, 2000 (54-13 win over Gettysburg) that Johns Hopkins has scored two defensive touchdowns in the same game.

Shutouts: The 24-0 shutout of Randolph-Macon was JHU's first since October 4, 2003, when JHU beat Dickinson, 30-0. That was the third of three straight shutouts for JHU that year. Johns Hopkins has posted 13 shutouts in 15+ seasons under head coach Jim Margraff. The Blue Jays posted 11 shutouts in the 20 seasons prior to Margraff's arrival in 1990.

Click here for a PDF containing more detailed information about this week's matchup.

Change in JV Schedule

From Rick Jordan:

NOTICE:

The J.V. Game scheduled for Monday, October 17th has been cancelled because Dickinson is slim on players. The Football office is trying to arrange for a last minute replacement game. If that happens, we will send out the information. Please also keep in touch with your son on this.

An early look at Hopkins

The following was taken from the Preseason Kickoff Edition of D3Football.com:

Johns Hopkins Blue Jays

Last playoff appearance: None

Last conference title: 2004, shared five ways

Head coach: Jim Margraff, 15th year, 85-53-3

Starters returning: 15 (four offense, nine defense, two special teams)

Position battle to watch: Offensive line where JHU has to replace graduated All Conference anchors Matt Weeks and Mike Speer.

Pressure is on: Junior wide receiver Anthony Triplin. Triplin’s four receiving touchdowns in 2004 helped complement senior Brian Wolcott’s eight. But with Wolcott lost to graduation, Triplin must step up his play as the go-to guy in the offense. These two combined for 12 receiving touchdowns in 2004 while the rest of the team accounted for four others. A solid start from Triplin should also open up some spots for youngsters to alleviate some of the pressure.

Their season will be defined by: Playing on the road. The Blue Jays face three of their toughest opponents in 2005 off the renovated Homewood Field’s surface — Hampden-Sydney, McDaniel, and Muhlenberg.

Predicted record: 7-3, 4-2

Capsule: Life in Baltimore has been good over the past three seasons, netting a 28-5 record but lacking an NCAA playoff appearance and plenty of time on the proverbial bubble. The addition of four more at-large berths could help Margraff's birds if only they got out of their own way. Two debilitating losses at home last season doomed the Jays' playoff aspirations, a 17-7 head-scratcher under the lights against Dickinson and a 9-6 loss against Muhlenberg in a battle of the kickers. The difference in the Dickinson loss was an uncanny four interceptions and two fumbles resulting in 14 Red Devils points. A win in either game would have given Hopkins their much-coveted chance in the big dance. Combined with the losses of two all-conference stars (three-time first-team defensive back Matt Campbell and two-time first-team running back Adam Cook), it is easy to think that JHU could once again end up on the outside looking in. They always seem to be just short of their playoff goal. Returning defensive starters Matt Hagel (106 tackles in 2004) and Brian Cook (11½ sacks in 2004) could have something to say about that.

GCFPC WEEKLY UPDATE

The following text was taken from Rick Jordan's weekly email:

GCFPC WEEKLY UPDATE

Game 6 – Johns Hopkins University

Following a stunning victory against nationally ranked McDaniel College last Saturday, the Bullets travel to Baltimore this Friday evening to take on another ranked team – the undefeated Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins University. Gettysburg traditionally plays Hopkins very tough, and the rejuvenated Bullets could send shock waves through the Centennial Conference with win in Charm City.

NUTS AND BOLTS OF ATTENDING THE HOPKINS GAME: Johns Hopkins’ football stadium is on its "Homewood Campus" in a nice residential area of northern Baltimore. (Make sure you do not go to the JHU Medical Campus, which is nowhere near the football stadium). Click here for general directions to the campus.

It would be helpful to print out a map of the campus, as the football stadium is on the north end of campus along University Parkway slightly northwest of its intersection with North Charles Street (a major North-South street in Baltimore). Click here for a map of the campus, showing the stadium. Parking can be very tough to find. There is little or no parking on campus. Street parking on North Charles, University Parkway or in the residential neighborhood a block or so on the opposite side of University Parkway is probably your best bet – it is a good idea to give yourself extra time to find parking (plus it will be rush hour in Baltimore).

FOOD – JHU has the best concession stand in the Conference. It offers much more than the standard boiled hot dogs. You can buy sausage sandwiches, steak sandwiches and more at respectable prices – this can allow you to avoid stopping during your travels to catch dinner on Friday evening.

HOTEL SUGGESTION - Jim and Julie Russell have done some legwork on hotels for the game – subject to availability, they suggest the Ramada Inn Towson (8.5 miles from JHU), 8712 Loch Raven Boulevard, Towson, MD 21286; 410 - 823-8750; Rate - $90.00 / Night.

Tailgating at Hopkins is pretty much impossible, so our socializing will really have to be in the stands.
Hopkins does not charge an admission fee.

LAST SATURDAY’S GAME: For the fourth week in five, Gettysburg has garnered "Player of the Week" honors for the Centennial Conference – this week, freshman Josh Huson was named Special Teams Player of the Week for his heroics kicking critical field goals, and Tom Sturges was named Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his 187 yard rushing performance – his third Weekly CC honor this year.

LAST SATURDAY’S TAILGATE: Thank you to all, especially the Sophomore parents (coordinated by Tina and Don Sturges) for the great food provided at last Saturday’s Tailgate. Especially with the bad weather, the turnout was great. The Phillips and McGarry families continued their success in running our 50/50 raffle which collected $250 toward the senior gifts (congratulations to Deb Edgar on her winning ticket! – given all that Deb and Joe have done to make our merchandise sales so successful, it was especially nice to see Deb win the cash this week – ooops, do you think Deb told Joe about this????). Thanks also to Bill and Sue Finnegan who continue to coordinate the tailgates (and clean up), to Jim Russell, our "DJ," to the Dunns and Brassells who have contributed in many ways, to John Peterson and crew for his haute cuisine, and to all who help make these pre and post game events so much fun. Suggestions continue to be welcomed.

ACTION PHOTOS: Bill Dowling continues to take action photos at the games (the rain this past game got in the way of that). Please check out Bill’s website and order some pictures. Bill even "shot" the Dickinson JV game, so there is a broader availability beyond varsity games. If you have a particular request for a photo, we can pass that on to Bill. Thanks to Chuck Alai for volunteering to coordinate this.

VOLUNTEERS: We are still looking for folks willing to help out with merchandise sales with a view toward taking over this job next year from the Edgars. This is a critical position for our Club. You do not need to live near Gettysburg to do this job so long as you attend the home games, and the time commitment is not overwhelming. We’re also looking for other new leaders elsewhere for next year – starting in a "shadow" position this year would be very helpful.

Some families have requested copies of game tapes. These can be made available, but only if someone volunteers to do the leg work to coordinate duplication, ordering, etc., as the coaches are not in a position to do this.

MEMBERSHIP: If you have not yet completed a membership form and paid dues for the Parents Club, please do so right away – let us know if you need a membership form and we will email you one.

BULLETS JACKETS: Through Kelly Jones, team equipment manger, we have an opportunity to order team jackets – "just like the players wear." If you are interested in this, please let us know with a response to this email.

DENISON GAME / TAILGATE: The Kennedy family (alums) threw a great pre-game Tailgate in Ohio. This was done at their own (considerable) expense. All GC families present were very impressed with the food and the setting. On a quiet, informal request for contributions from the GC families in attendance to lessen the cost to the Kennedys, we collected $260 – thank you for your generosity. Norm and Suzi Kennedy were very grateful and surprised with this donation, which covered about one-half of their costs. The Parents Club is also sending them Bullets baseball caps.

J.V. SCHEDULE:
Monday Oct. 17 (3:30 p.m.) at Dickinson
Monday Oct. 24 (3:30 p.m.) at Lebanon Valley

ON A PERSONAL NOTE: I can’t tell you how touched I was by the hugs, support and even tears from fellow Parents Club members this past Saturday in response to my mother’s death last week (the reason for a lack of an email for the McDaniel game). It struck me how such good friends are made over long distances centered around Gettysburg Football. My mother was an occasional participant in the Tailgates over the years and really enjoyed them. The game and camaraderie was a great change of pace from the last several difficult weeks.

Thank you,

Rick

Go Bullets!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gettysburg’s Sturges, Huson named CC Players of the Week

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Gettysburg’s Sturges, Huson named CC Players of the Week

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) and Josh Huson (McLean, VA/McLean), members of the Gettysburg College football team, have been named Centennial Conference (CC) Players of the Week for games of Oct. 8.

Sturges, a sophomore tailback, was named the CC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, the third time he has earned the conference’s weekly honor this season. He carried 37 times for 187 yards in the Bullets’ 20-17 win over nationally ranked McDaniel on Saturday, his fourth 100-yard game of 2005. He had eight carries for 44 yards on Gettysburg’s game-winning drive in the final minutes of regulation.

Through the season’s first five games, Sturges leads the CC with 699 rushing yards, an average of 139.8 yards per game. He also tops the conference with 149.4 all-purpose yards per game.

Huson, a freshman kicker, was named the CC Special Teams Player of the Week after capping the winning drive with a 34-yard field goal, snapping a 17-all tie with 1:10 remaining. His first field goal of the day – and first of his collegiate career – sailed 48 yards, tying a 29-year-old program record. He leads the CC in extra points made (13) and attempted (14).

Ryan McGarry is also honored as an "Other Outstanding Performers on Defense" award winner!

Gettysburg (2-3, 1-0 CC) returns to action on Friday at Johns Hopkins (5-0, 2-0 CC) in a battle of the conference’s lone unbeaten teams. Game time is 7 p.m.

You can also read more about this weeks awards and other news from around the Centennial Conference in this weeks Weekly Report.

Congratulations to Tom, Josh and Ryan!

Huson delivers game-winning field goal in 20-17 victory over McDaniel

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Huson delivers game-winning field goal in 20-17 victory over McDaniel

Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Freshman Josh Huson (McLean, VA/McLean) kicked a 34-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining to lift Gettysburg over 19th-ranked McDaniel 20-17 in Centennial Conference (CC) football action on Saturday.

Huson’s game-winning kick capped a 10-play, 51-yard drive that followed a four-yard touchdown run by Meikos Parker and a game-tying two-point conversion from Tom Wenrich to Jamie Unger with 5:15 left in regulation. Huson provided the Bullets’ only other second-half points with his first collegiate field goal, a 48-yarder that matched a 29-year-old program record.

Nathan Smith (Hanover, PA/Cooperstown Central [NY]) sparked the victory by returning the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, his third in five games this season. Smith matched the CC single-season record (3) for kickoff-return touchdowns and snapped a tie with Muhlenberg’s Joshua Carter for the conference’s career record (5).

Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) powered the Gettysburg offense with 187 yards on 37 carries, his fourth 100-yard performance in five games this season. An energized Bullet defense held the CC’s top scoring offense 15 points below its season average while recording three sacks and breaking up nine passes.

Wenrich completed 13 of 28 passes for 129 yards and led two fourth-quarter McDaniel scoring drives that erased a 17-3 deficit. He also carried seven times for 35 yards and one touchdown.

Parker finished with 45 rushing yards and scored his fifth touchdown of the season while Jon Green made five receptions for a game-high 74 yards.

Playing in a steady rain from the opening kick to the final horn, Gettysburg (2-3, 1-0 CC) utilized all three phases of the game to snap a three-game losing streak and deal the Green Terror (4-1, 1-1 CC) its first conference loss.

Smith’s return, Huson’s leg and a 49-yard scoring drive late in the second quarter to build a 17-3 lead heading into the final 15 minutes. The 14-point lead proved vital when Wenrich led fourth-quarter scoring drives of 55 and 66 yards to pull McDaniel even at 17 with 5:15 remaining.

Unfazed, sophomore Hunter McMillan (Middletown, DE/Wilmington Friends) and the offense had an answer, thanks in large part to the hard running of Sturges.

Starting from their own 33, the Bullets used six Sturges carries and one option pitch to Jesse Jeffers (Morristown, NJ/Morristown-Beard) to march to the Green Terror 20. Three more Sturges rushes netted four yards, moving the ball to the McDaniel 16 with 1:16 remaining.

Following a timeout on fourth-and-6, Huson sailed a 34-yard kick through the uprights to put Gettysburg ahead, 20-17.

The Green Terror started its final drive on its own 33, but a five-yard pass from Wenrich to Unger followed by three straight incompletions sealed the Bullet victory.

Smith gave Gettysburg a jolt on the game’s opening kickoff, racing 95 yards down the right sideline to make it 7-0 just 14 seconds into the contest.

Bullet defensive back Daniel Silva (Lanham, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt) – a two-year letterwinner at McDaniel before transferring to Gettysburg – ended his former team’s first series with an interception, setting the tone for a defense that allowed only three points in the game’s first three quarters.

Jay Leonard provided those points with a 40-yard field goal to cut the Green Terror deficit to 7-3. McMillan’s one-yard plunge capped a 49-yard scoring drive to make it 14-3 late in the second quarter and Huson extended the lead to 17-3 with a booming 48-yard field goal, joining Dick Eppleman’s 48-yarder against Bucknell during the 1976 season in the Bullet record book.

Held to 172 total yards into the early moments of the fourth quarter, McDaniel rallied to tie the game. The Green Terror needed only 60 seconds to march 55 yards and cut into the Gettysburg lead on Wenrich’s 11-yard keeper. A bad snap on the extra point kept the score at 17-9.

McDaniel forced two Bullet punts before using an eight-play, 66-yard drive to knot the game at 17. A 21-yard run by Wenrich followed by a personal foul set up the Green Terror on the Gettysburg 13 and Parker found the end zone on fourth-and-1 from the 4 to make it 17-15.

On the two-point conversion, Wenrich rolled right and found Unger amidst a host of orange shirts to knot the score.

Michael Schmidt (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman) led the Bullets with 11 tackles while fellow linebackers Ryan McGarry (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) and Harold Barton (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) recorded seven stops apiece. Silva finished with six tackles, one interception and one pass breakup.

Anthony Catucci led all players with 12 tackles and one sack for McDaniel. Drew Abbamonte added 11 tackles, two pass breakups and his fifth interception of the season.

Gettysburg returns to action on Friday at Johns Hopkins. Game time is 7 p.m.