Bullets at Muhlenberg Preview Articles
From today's Patriot-News:
GETTYSBURG AT MUHLENBERG:
"We haven't been a good road club," Gettysburg senior slotback Dusty Green, a senior from Bermudian Springs, said of the Bullets, 4-3 and 2-1 in the Centennial Conference. "This would be a week for us to win a big conference road game at Muhlenberg." Green scored a pair of touchdowns, on a 3-yard run and a 65-yard reception in last Saturday's 27-18 home win over Ursinus. "That was a big win for us," Gettysburg coach Barry Streeter said. "We have all Centennial Conference games remaining, so they'll all be tough ones." Sophomore kicker Josh Huson was named Special Teams Player of the Week after hitting three extra points along with 35 and 29 yard field goals, making him 5-for-5 this season. Muhlenberg comes in at 3-4, 1-3.
From the Gettysburg College Website:
Football to Wrap up October With CC Game at Muhlenberg
Listen Live (WMUH-FM 91.7 - Allentown, Pa.)
Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006; 1 p.m.; Scotty Wood Stadium (Allentown, Pa.)
The Muhlenberg Series: Began in 1907 ... Gettysburg leads 41-28-1
The Last Meeting: Oct. 29, 2005 - Gettysburg 10, Muhlenberg 3 (Gettysburg, Pa.)
Last MC Win: Oct. 30, 2004 - Muhlenberg 21, Gettysburg 0 (Allentown, Pa.)
Series Streak: Gettysburg - 1
Radio: WMUH-FM 91.7 (Allentown, Pa.)
GETTYSBURG, Pa. - After wrapping up its only multi-game home stand of the season, Gettysburg hits the road for the first of two straight games. Saturday's Centennial Conference (CC) game between Gettysburg and Muhlenberg marks the 71st meeting in a series dating back to 1907. The Bullets lead the rivalry 41-28-1. The Mules took a 16-15 lead with a win in 1950, but did not win again until 1982, by which time Gettysburg had a 30-16 lead. Muhlenberg won five straight from 2000-04, but the Bullets snapped that streak with a 10-3 victory last season at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium. The Mules had a 3-0 halftime lead thanks to a 42-yard field goal by Jordon Grube midway through the first quarter, but Gettysburg halfback Dusty Green (Idaville, Pa./Bermudian Springs) rumbled 75 yards on the first play of a third-quarter drive for the game-winning score. At the time, it was the longest run of Green's career. Josh Huson (McLean, Va./McLean) added a 28-yard field goal with 6:53 to play in regulation. The game featured just 18 total first downs, 416 yards of offense and 22 punts. Green led all runners with 78 yards on the ground. Gettysburg's Spencer Davidson (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) had five catches for 59 yards, and Stephen Montalto of Muhlenberg had 48 yards on four receptions.
Last Time Out
A balanced attack put Gettysburg up 21-12 at halftime, and the defense clamped down in the second half to give Gettysburg a 27-18 victory over Ursinus in Centennial Conference action at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium. The Bullets ran their perfect home record to 4-0 on the season and took over sole possession of second place in the CC standings. In the game, freshman quarterback Matt Flynn (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) was 10-of-17 for 197 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He is now Gettysburg's freshman single-season passing yardage leader with 1,062, surpassing Dennis Flaherty's 1997 total of 866. Junior tailback Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) carried 34 times for 152 yards and a touchdown against a team that was giving up just 70.7 yards per game on the ground. The score was his seventh of the season to set a career high, and he has 998 yards rushing for the season after posting his fifth 150-yard outing. The Bears turned the ball over four times on the afternoon, and Gettysburg capitalized by scoring 10 points on the ensuing possessions. The Bullets scored 27 points on a team that had given up only 7.3 points per game to rank fourth in the nation. Gettysburg also rolled up 411 total yards of offense, more than double Ursinus' 194.3 yards per game allowed entering the contest. Senior halfback Dusty Green caught four passes for a career-high 100 yards, including a 65-yard scoring strike and added five carries for 37 yards and a touchdown. His scores came in a 2:14 span early in the second quarter to put Gettysburg up 21-6.
At Homewood Field in Baltimore, Md., Johns Hopkins allowed only 40 total yards and two first downs to defeat Muhlenberg, 10-7, in the third straight game between the teams decided by a field goal. The Mules got a first down on their first play from scrimmage when sophomore Eric Santagato ran for 26 yards, then did not move the chains again until late in the fourth quarter. The Blue Jays held possession for 41:24 and ran 32 more offensive plays than Muhlenberg. The lone touchdown for the Mules came with 11:48 left in the fourth quarter when freshman cornerback Cameron Ahouse returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown. It tied for the third-longest interception return in team history. Ahouse returned another pick 26 yards, setting a school record with 121 yards on interception returns. Muhlenberg forced five turnovers for the second week in a row, including three on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions, but could not get in position for a field-goal attempt.
Special Kicker
Sophomore kicker Josh Huson was named Centennial Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after recording nine points on a perfect kicking day against Ursinus. He matched a career high by making two field goals on two attempts and added a 3-for-3 effort in extra points. Both of his field goals came in the fourth quarter and both returned the Bullets to a two-score lead after Ursinus had cut it to six points. His 35-yarder with 14:48 to play was his longest of the season. Huson is the leading scorer among CC kickers, and he ranks fourth overall with 37 points. He is 5-of-7 on field goal attempts this season to lead the conference with a 71.4 percent conversion rate, and he ranks 50th in the nation with 0.7 field goals made per game. This is the second time he has been honored as the CC's outstanding special teamer, having also garnered the award after a two-field goal performance against McDaniel last year. In that game, he matched the Gettysburg record with a 48-yarder.
On the Honor Roll
Senior halfback Dusty Green and freshman linebacker Tim Widdoes (Newark, Del./St. Mark's) were named to the Centennial Conference Weekly Honor Roll for their contributions in the Bullets' 27-18 win over Ursinus. Green had five carries for 37 yards and a touchdown and added four catches for a career-high 100 yards and another score. His touchdowns came in a 2:14 span early in the second quarter and extended Gettysburg's lead to 15 points. His 65-yard touchdown reception from freshman quarterback Matt Flynn marked the first 60+-yard pass play by the Bullets in three years. Widdoes tied for the game high with 13 tackles, marking his personal best. He also recorded 1.0 tackles for two yards in losses. With Ursinus down by six and driving in Bullet territory late in the third quarter, Widdoes recovered a fumble that led to a Josh Huson field goal. He also blocked an extra point late in the first half.
Block That Kick
Freshman linebacker Tim Widdoes blocked an extra point late in the first half against Ursinus. It was the Bullets' first blocked kick of the season and marked the first time a Gettysburg player blocked an extra point since Kevin Golden rejected a Western Maryland offering on Sept. 18, 1999.
Mr. Consistency
After a solid freshman campaign in 2004, junior tailback Tom Sturges has played in all 17 of Gettysburg's games since the beginning of the 2005 season. In that stretch, he has rushed for over 100 yards 12 times, including each of the last six games. He has been named Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week three times this season and seven times in his career. He put together a 26-carry, 174-yard performance against Hampden-Sydney, earning conference offensive accolades, and followed it with a 27-rush, 159-yard outing at Rochester. He had a 32-yard touchdown run in each game. Against Rochester, he had three catches for 31 yards and returned four kickoffs for 72 yards to put together a then-career-high 231 all-purpose yards on the day. Against Denison, he earned CC Offensive Player of the Week honors after carrying 31 times for 186 yards and the game-tying touchdown on the Bullets' first possession. After a bye week, he was honored by the Centennial Conference again for a 246-all-purpose-yard effort that featured 189 yards on 32 carries and 53 yards in kick returns. Sturges also tied his career high with two rushing touchdowns. Against Johns Hopkins he rushed for over 100 yards for the fifth consecutive game, collecting 109 yards on 25 carries. He also scored the game-winning touchdown. Last week against Ursinus, Sturges toted the ball a season-high 34 times for 152 yards, reaching the 150-yard mark for the fifth time this season, and scored his career-high seventh touchdown of the season. On the year, Sturges has carried the ball 189 times for 998 yards and seven touchdowns, caught six passes for 38 yards and returned eight kicks for 196 yards to rank sixth in the nation with 176.0 all-purpose yards per game and fifth in rushing with 142.6 yards per outing.
Big-Time Opening Act
Freshman Matt Flynn threw six passes in the first two games of the season, but broke out in a big way, coming off the bench late in the first quarter on Sept. 16 at Rochester and tying a Gettysburg record with five touchdown passes in the game. He was 18-for-31 with 288 yards and rushed four times for 17 yards for a 305-yard total offensive performance. The first Bullet to throw five touchdown passes in one game was Ross Sachs against Bucknell in 1949. Chris Adams tied the mark in 1994 against Ursinus. As a result of his big day, Flynn became the second straight Gettysburg player named Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Flynn followed that effort with his first career start on Sept. 23 against Denison and threw for three more touchdown passes on 13-of-23 passing and ran for 26 more yards on six carries, and he had another solid performance in the CC opener at McDaniel. Against Johns Hopkins, he threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns to lead Gettysburg to its first win over Johns Hopkins since 1994. Last weekend, he added 197 yards on 10 of 17 passing. For the season, Flynn has 1,062 yards on 72 of 130 passing, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He leads the conference with a 147.31 passing efficiency rating, is tied for second in touchdown passes and ranks third in passing yardage.
Five Quarters, Eight Touchdowns
Freshman quarterback Matt Flynn came in late in the first quarter against Rochester, but the offense did not start rolling until the second quarter of that game. He threw five touchdown passes in the last three quarters and added three more before halftime against Denison the following week. What that means, is that in five quarters, Flynn broke the Gettysburg record for single-season touchdowns by a freshman (Dennis Flaherty - 6 - 1997) and went nearly one-quarter of the way to the Bullets' career touchdown record (Flaherty - 33 - 1997-2000). With 1,062 yards passing, Flynn also broke Flaherty's freshman single-season passing yardage mark of 866.
Two-Grand Man
Junior tailback Tom Sturges' rushing performance in the first seven games of the season has pushed his career rushing total to 2,599 yards, making him Gettysburg's seventh 2,000-yard rusher. He cracked the 2,000-yard plateau with a career-long 53-yard run on his second carry of the game against Denison. He also passed Paul Martin for sixth place on the list during that game. Martin rushed for 2,053 yards from 1982-85. Sturges is 148 yards behind Shannon Forsythe (2,747 yards - 1992-95) for fifth, and he still has a ways to go to reach the top of the list. Paul Smith, who played from 1996-99, is still 2,606 yards ahead of Sturges at 5,205.
Draddy Trophy Semifinalist
On Oct. 17, senior right guard Dain Alaia (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem) was named a semifinalist for the 2006 Draddy Trophy and a nominee for the National Football Foundation 2006 National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Each college or university that sponsors football may nominate one player who is a senior or graduate student in his final year of eligibility. The student-athlete must have at least a 3.00 GPA, have outstanding football ability as a starter and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The winner of the Draddy Trophy is awarded a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship. The roll of 148 nominees comes from all Divisions of the NCAA and NAIA. Alaia and Johns Hopkins senior defensive lineman Brian Nickel represent the Centennial Conference among the nominees.
On the National Stage
Several Gettysburg players have reached the national top 50 in various statistical categories. Junior tailback Tom Sturges leads the charge. He ranks fifth in the nation in rushing with 142.6 yards per game and sixth in all-purpose yards with 176.0 per outing. Senior linebacker Harold Barton (Somerdale, N.J./Sterling) ranks 13th with 0.43 forced fumbles per game. Freshman quarterback Matt Flynn is 28th in passing efficiency at 147.31, while senior halfback Dusty Green ranks 42nd in scoring with 7.7 points per game, and sophomore kicker Josh Huson is 50th with an average of 0.7 made field goals. Other Bullets have cracked the top-100 as well. Junior linebacker James Holubowich (Mineola, N.Y./Mineola) ranks 56th with 9.7 tackles per game, and Barton is 63rd with 9.4 stops per week. As a team, the Bullets rank 17th in rushing (224.1 yards per game), 32nd in total offense (386.1 yards per game) and 26th in turnover margin (+1.1).
Green Means Go
Senior halfback Dusty Green has come up big in the 2006 season. He is the Centennial Conference's leading scorer with nine touchdowns; six receiving (triple his career total entering the season), two rushing and one on a fumble recovery. In the Hampden-Sydney game, he rumbled 85 yards on a rushing play to record the Bullets' first 80-yard run in four years. Against Rochester, he caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from Matt Flynn. Green followed that performance with another 95 yards on a career-high seven catches and two touchdowns against Denison. Last week, he had his third two-touchdown performance of the season, scoring twice in 2:14 to extend the Bullets' lead to 15 points. His 65-yard touchdown catch was Gettysburg's first 60-yard pass play in three years. Overall, Green has 335 yards rushing on 47 carries, and he leads the team with 408 receiving yards on a team-high 27 catches. Green now has 153 carries for 788 yards and 60 catches for 726 yards, leaving him 212 rushing yards and 274 receiving yards from reaching 1,000 in both categories.
Red-Zone Disparity
Gettysburg ranks at or near the top of the conference in both red-zone scoring and red-zone defense. Once the Bullets have crossed the opponent's 20-yard-line this season, they have converted 19 of 23 attempts (82.6 percent), including 14 touchdowns, to lead the conference. Opposing offenses have not been as successful, converting 16 of 27 tries. The Bullet defense has an interception, three fumble recoveries and five forced turnovers on downs inside its 20.
Making the Stops
Gettysburg has three players among the top six tacklers in the Centennial Conference. Junior linebacker James Holubowich ranks third with 9.7 stops per game. Senior linebacker Harold Barton is fourth with 9.4, and sophomore defensive back David Rodriguez (Fort Belvoir, Va./Bishop Ireton) has made 8.5 tackles per game to rank sixth. Holubowich (56th) and Barton (63rd) are among the national top-100.
At a Loss for Yards
The Bullets have made 42 tackles for losses totaling 177 yards this season, including seven tackles for 16 yards in losses against Ursinus. Junior linebacker James Holubowich leads the way with 7.5 tackles for losses of 31 yards. Senior defensive end Stevenson Foote (Huntingtown, Md./Calvert) is second on the squad with 7.0 stops for 27 yards. Holubowich is tied for fifth, and Foote ranks seventh in the Centennial Conference. With 4.0 sacks for 18 yards, Barton is tied for fourth in the conference.
This is a Stick-Up
Gettysburg had a season-high four takeaways against Ursinus with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The Bullets are now +8 on the season to lead the conference in turnover margin, ahead of Dickinson in second with a +1 rating. On Saturday, for the second week in a row, senior linebacker Harold Barton, the conference leader in forced fumbles caused a fumble in a key spot that was recovered by senior defensive end Stevenson Foote. Foote is tied for the CC lead with two fumble recoveries. Junior cornerback Adam Fulmer (Halifax, Pa./Halifax) is tied for first in the conference and 71st in the nation with 1.29 passes defended per game, including two interceptions.
Line 'Em Up
Coming into preseason camp, one of Gettysburg's biggest question marks was an offensive line that had to replace four starters from the Centennial Conference's best rushing attack in 2005. After an uneven performance at Lebanon Valley on Sept. 2, the Bullets' front five has come together. The quintet of seniors Rick Finnegan (Springfield, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) (C) and Dain Alaia (RG), junior James Russell (Amityville, N.Y./Amityville Memorial) (LT) and sophomores Jay Hagerman (Gibsonia, Pa./Hampton) (LG) and Sam Walthall (Uniondale, N.Y./Woodlands) (RT) paved the way for Gettysburg's best rushing effort in several years against Hampden-Sydney. Two players gained over 100 yards rushing for the first time since 2002, and Gettysburg rushed for 318 yards as a team, eclipsing the 300-yard mark for the first time in three years. Additionally, quarterbacks Mark Campo (Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville) and Matt Flynn were not sacked during the game, making Hampden-Sydney the first sackless Gettysburg opponent since 2004. At Rochester, the Bullets gained 534 total yards, including 216 on the ground. They only allowed one sack on the day and helped Flynn tie the Gettysburg single-game record with five touchdown passes. The success continued with the line again not allowing a sack against Denison and helping the offense generate 446 yards of offense. On Oct. 7 at McDaniel, Gettysburg accumulated 423 total yards, and the team added 398 more against Johns Hopkins. The offensive line turned in one of its most impressive performances last weekend against Ursinus when it opened the holes for 27 points and 411 yards against a team that had been allowing just 7.3 points (fourth in the nation) and 193.4 yards (ninth in the nation) entering the game. Junior tailback Tom Sturges alone rushed for 152 yards against the Bears, who were allowing just 70.7 yards per game on the ground. The Bullets have the Centennial Conference's best rushing offense by nearly 75 yards per game over the second-best team and rank 17th in the nation with 224.1 yards per game. Gettysburg has the CC's most prolific offense, averaging 386.0 yards per game and leads the conference with just six sacks allowed.
Head of the Class
Gettysburg head coach Barry Streeter is the longest-tenured and winningest football coach in Gettysburg history. He surpassed Hen Bream (1927-51), who coached for 22 seasons, in 2000. Streeter won his 105th career game against Muhlenberg in 1995 to take over the career wins lead. Now in his 28th season as head coach, he has a 140-135-5 (.509) career record.
Scouting Muhlenberg (3-4, 1-3 CC)
Muhlenberg opened the season with 24-14 and 24-17 home wins over The College of New Jersey and William Paterson, respectively. Since then, the Mules have lost four of five. Last week coming off a 22-6 win over Ursinus, Muhlenberg was held to two first downs and 40 total yards of offense in a 10-7 loss at Johns Hopkins. Freshman cornerback Cameron Ahouse was named Centennial Conference Defensive Co-Player of the Week after picking off a pair of passes. He returned one 95 yards for a touchdown and the other 26 yards to set the school single-game record for interception return yardage (121). On the ground, the Mules are led by sophomore John DeLuca, who has carried 65 times for 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Eric Santagato and senior running back Jerome Beverly have each scored a pair of rushing touchdowns. Santagato is 86-of-156 for 990 yards with three touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His favorite target has been senior tight end Stephen Montalto, who has 339 yards and two touchdowns on 28 receptions. The Mules have gained 11.6 yards per catch as a team. Montalto ranks fourth in the CC with 4.00 receptions per game and seventh with 48.4 receiving yards per game. Sophomore cornerback Brandon Doyle ranks in the top five in the conference in both kickoff returns (second, 26.7 yards per return) and punt returns (fourth, 7.2 yards per return). On defensive, Muhlenberg ranks second in the conference, allowing just 87.7 rushing yards per game. Junior defensive end Tom Tarsitano has helped that cause, ranking ninth in the conference with 7.6 tackles per game. At the other end of the line, senior Chris Musselman leads the conference with 6.0 sacks for 29 yards. He is also tied with teammate Chris Swensen for third in the conference with 8.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore linebacker Matt Rathbun and Gettysburg's James Holubowich are tied for fifth with 7.5 tackles for loss.
Coach's Corner
Streeter on the Win Against Ursinus
"It was a good win against a quality team. All three phases of the game did a lot of things well. Josh Huson kicked they ball well. They weren't long field goals, but they were crucial. We had four takeaways defensively, and we moved the ball well and ate clock when we needed to, especially in the fourth quarter."
Streeter on the Play of Dusty Green
"He was very good on Saturday, not only his play, but his leadership. He really came through for us, and his leadership was the best I've ever seen it. He gave us some good blocks, ran well, and he has good hands and good speed. On that long touchdown, it was a play-action pass out of the backfield behind the outside linebacker. He made a nice move to get free and outran everybody."
Streeter on Muhlenberg
"They are a tough team to figure out. One week they look really good, and last week they struggled a little bit. They are capable of scoring a lot of points. The quarterback (Eric Santagato) runs well and is a good athlete. The tight end (Stephen Montalto) is a big, athletic kid with good hands. He can really run. They put him in a lot of different places, and you have to account for him. Defensively, Muhlenberg is always good. Our conference is a defensive conference, and Muhlenberg is one of the best."
GETTYSBURG AT MUHLENBERG:
"We haven't been a good road club," Gettysburg senior slotback Dusty Green, a senior from Bermudian Springs, said of the Bullets, 4-3 and 2-1 in the Centennial Conference. "This would be a week for us to win a big conference road game at Muhlenberg." Green scored a pair of touchdowns, on a 3-yard run and a 65-yard reception in last Saturday's 27-18 home win over Ursinus. "That was a big win for us," Gettysburg coach Barry Streeter said. "We have all Centennial Conference games remaining, so they'll all be tough ones." Sophomore kicker Josh Huson was named Special Teams Player of the Week after hitting three extra points along with 35 and 29 yard field goals, making him 5-for-5 this season. Muhlenberg comes in at 3-4, 1-3.
From the Gettysburg College Website:
Football to Wrap up October With CC Game at Muhlenberg
Listen Live (WMUH-FM 91.7 - Allentown, Pa.)
Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006; 1 p.m.; Scotty Wood Stadium (Allentown, Pa.)
The Muhlenberg Series: Began in 1907 ... Gettysburg leads 41-28-1
The Last Meeting: Oct. 29, 2005 - Gettysburg 10, Muhlenberg 3 (Gettysburg, Pa.)
Last MC Win: Oct. 30, 2004 - Muhlenberg 21, Gettysburg 0 (Allentown, Pa.)
Series Streak: Gettysburg - 1
Radio: WMUH-FM 91.7 (Allentown, Pa.)
GETTYSBURG, Pa. - After wrapping up its only multi-game home stand of the season, Gettysburg hits the road for the first of two straight games. Saturday's Centennial Conference (CC) game between Gettysburg and Muhlenberg marks the 71st meeting in a series dating back to 1907. The Bullets lead the rivalry 41-28-1. The Mules took a 16-15 lead with a win in 1950, but did not win again until 1982, by which time Gettysburg had a 30-16 lead. Muhlenberg won five straight from 2000-04, but the Bullets snapped that streak with a 10-3 victory last season at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium. The Mules had a 3-0 halftime lead thanks to a 42-yard field goal by Jordon Grube midway through the first quarter, but Gettysburg halfback Dusty Green (Idaville, Pa./Bermudian Springs) rumbled 75 yards on the first play of a third-quarter drive for the game-winning score. At the time, it was the longest run of Green's career. Josh Huson (McLean, Va./McLean) added a 28-yard field goal with 6:53 to play in regulation. The game featured just 18 total first downs, 416 yards of offense and 22 punts. Green led all runners with 78 yards on the ground. Gettysburg's Spencer Davidson (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) had five catches for 59 yards, and Stephen Montalto of Muhlenberg had 48 yards on four receptions.
Last Time Out
A balanced attack put Gettysburg up 21-12 at halftime, and the defense clamped down in the second half to give Gettysburg a 27-18 victory over Ursinus in Centennial Conference action at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium. The Bullets ran their perfect home record to 4-0 on the season and took over sole possession of second place in the CC standings. In the game, freshman quarterback Matt Flynn (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) was 10-of-17 for 197 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He is now Gettysburg's freshman single-season passing yardage leader with 1,062, surpassing Dennis Flaherty's 1997 total of 866. Junior tailback Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) carried 34 times for 152 yards and a touchdown against a team that was giving up just 70.7 yards per game on the ground. The score was his seventh of the season to set a career high, and he has 998 yards rushing for the season after posting his fifth 150-yard outing. The Bears turned the ball over four times on the afternoon, and Gettysburg capitalized by scoring 10 points on the ensuing possessions. The Bullets scored 27 points on a team that had given up only 7.3 points per game to rank fourth in the nation. Gettysburg also rolled up 411 total yards of offense, more than double Ursinus' 194.3 yards per game allowed entering the contest. Senior halfback Dusty Green caught four passes for a career-high 100 yards, including a 65-yard scoring strike and added five carries for 37 yards and a touchdown. His scores came in a 2:14 span early in the second quarter to put Gettysburg up 21-6.
At Homewood Field in Baltimore, Md., Johns Hopkins allowed only 40 total yards and two first downs to defeat Muhlenberg, 10-7, in the third straight game between the teams decided by a field goal. The Mules got a first down on their first play from scrimmage when sophomore Eric Santagato ran for 26 yards, then did not move the chains again until late in the fourth quarter. The Blue Jays held possession for 41:24 and ran 32 more offensive plays than Muhlenberg. The lone touchdown for the Mules came with 11:48 left in the fourth quarter when freshman cornerback Cameron Ahouse returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown. It tied for the third-longest interception return in team history. Ahouse returned another pick 26 yards, setting a school record with 121 yards on interception returns. Muhlenberg forced five turnovers for the second week in a row, including three on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions, but could not get in position for a field-goal attempt.
Special Kicker
Sophomore kicker Josh Huson was named Centennial Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after recording nine points on a perfect kicking day against Ursinus. He matched a career high by making two field goals on two attempts and added a 3-for-3 effort in extra points. Both of his field goals came in the fourth quarter and both returned the Bullets to a two-score lead after Ursinus had cut it to six points. His 35-yarder with 14:48 to play was his longest of the season. Huson is the leading scorer among CC kickers, and he ranks fourth overall with 37 points. He is 5-of-7 on field goal attempts this season to lead the conference with a 71.4 percent conversion rate, and he ranks 50th in the nation with 0.7 field goals made per game. This is the second time he has been honored as the CC's outstanding special teamer, having also garnered the award after a two-field goal performance against McDaniel last year. In that game, he matched the Gettysburg record with a 48-yarder.
On the Honor Roll
Senior halfback Dusty Green and freshman linebacker Tim Widdoes (Newark, Del./St. Mark's) were named to the Centennial Conference Weekly Honor Roll for their contributions in the Bullets' 27-18 win over Ursinus. Green had five carries for 37 yards and a touchdown and added four catches for a career-high 100 yards and another score. His touchdowns came in a 2:14 span early in the second quarter and extended Gettysburg's lead to 15 points. His 65-yard touchdown reception from freshman quarterback Matt Flynn marked the first 60+-yard pass play by the Bullets in three years. Widdoes tied for the game high with 13 tackles, marking his personal best. He also recorded 1.0 tackles for two yards in losses. With Ursinus down by six and driving in Bullet territory late in the third quarter, Widdoes recovered a fumble that led to a Josh Huson field goal. He also blocked an extra point late in the first half.
Block That Kick
Freshman linebacker Tim Widdoes blocked an extra point late in the first half against Ursinus. It was the Bullets' first blocked kick of the season and marked the first time a Gettysburg player blocked an extra point since Kevin Golden rejected a Western Maryland offering on Sept. 18, 1999.
Mr. Consistency
After a solid freshman campaign in 2004, junior tailback Tom Sturges has played in all 17 of Gettysburg's games since the beginning of the 2005 season. In that stretch, he has rushed for over 100 yards 12 times, including each of the last six games. He has been named Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week three times this season and seven times in his career. He put together a 26-carry, 174-yard performance against Hampden-Sydney, earning conference offensive accolades, and followed it with a 27-rush, 159-yard outing at Rochester. He had a 32-yard touchdown run in each game. Against Rochester, he had three catches for 31 yards and returned four kickoffs for 72 yards to put together a then-career-high 231 all-purpose yards on the day. Against Denison, he earned CC Offensive Player of the Week honors after carrying 31 times for 186 yards and the game-tying touchdown on the Bullets' first possession. After a bye week, he was honored by the Centennial Conference again for a 246-all-purpose-yard effort that featured 189 yards on 32 carries and 53 yards in kick returns. Sturges also tied his career high with two rushing touchdowns. Against Johns Hopkins he rushed for over 100 yards for the fifth consecutive game, collecting 109 yards on 25 carries. He also scored the game-winning touchdown. Last week against Ursinus, Sturges toted the ball a season-high 34 times for 152 yards, reaching the 150-yard mark for the fifth time this season, and scored his career-high seventh touchdown of the season. On the year, Sturges has carried the ball 189 times for 998 yards and seven touchdowns, caught six passes for 38 yards and returned eight kicks for 196 yards to rank sixth in the nation with 176.0 all-purpose yards per game and fifth in rushing with 142.6 yards per outing.
Big-Time Opening Act
Freshman Matt Flynn threw six passes in the first two games of the season, but broke out in a big way, coming off the bench late in the first quarter on Sept. 16 at Rochester and tying a Gettysburg record with five touchdown passes in the game. He was 18-for-31 with 288 yards and rushed four times for 17 yards for a 305-yard total offensive performance. The first Bullet to throw five touchdown passes in one game was Ross Sachs against Bucknell in 1949. Chris Adams tied the mark in 1994 against Ursinus. As a result of his big day, Flynn became the second straight Gettysburg player named Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Flynn followed that effort with his first career start on Sept. 23 against Denison and threw for three more touchdown passes on 13-of-23 passing and ran for 26 more yards on six carries, and he had another solid performance in the CC opener at McDaniel. Against Johns Hopkins, he threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns to lead Gettysburg to its first win over Johns Hopkins since 1994. Last weekend, he added 197 yards on 10 of 17 passing. For the season, Flynn has 1,062 yards on 72 of 130 passing, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He leads the conference with a 147.31 passing efficiency rating, is tied for second in touchdown passes and ranks third in passing yardage.
Five Quarters, Eight Touchdowns
Freshman quarterback Matt Flynn came in late in the first quarter against Rochester, but the offense did not start rolling until the second quarter of that game. He threw five touchdown passes in the last three quarters and added three more before halftime against Denison the following week. What that means, is that in five quarters, Flynn broke the Gettysburg record for single-season touchdowns by a freshman (Dennis Flaherty - 6 - 1997) and went nearly one-quarter of the way to the Bullets' career touchdown record (Flaherty - 33 - 1997-2000). With 1,062 yards passing, Flynn also broke Flaherty's freshman single-season passing yardage mark of 866.
Two-Grand Man
Junior tailback Tom Sturges' rushing performance in the first seven games of the season has pushed his career rushing total to 2,599 yards, making him Gettysburg's seventh 2,000-yard rusher. He cracked the 2,000-yard plateau with a career-long 53-yard run on his second carry of the game against Denison. He also passed Paul Martin for sixth place on the list during that game. Martin rushed for 2,053 yards from 1982-85. Sturges is 148 yards behind Shannon Forsythe (2,747 yards - 1992-95) for fifth, and he still has a ways to go to reach the top of the list. Paul Smith, who played from 1996-99, is still 2,606 yards ahead of Sturges at 5,205.
Draddy Trophy Semifinalist
On Oct. 17, senior right guard Dain Alaia (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem) was named a semifinalist for the 2006 Draddy Trophy and a nominee for the National Football Foundation 2006 National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Each college or university that sponsors football may nominate one player who is a senior or graduate student in his final year of eligibility. The student-athlete must have at least a 3.00 GPA, have outstanding football ability as a starter and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The winner of the Draddy Trophy is awarded a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship. The roll of 148 nominees comes from all Divisions of the NCAA and NAIA. Alaia and Johns Hopkins senior defensive lineman Brian Nickel represent the Centennial Conference among the nominees.
On the National Stage
Several Gettysburg players have reached the national top 50 in various statistical categories. Junior tailback Tom Sturges leads the charge. He ranks fifth in the nation in rushing with 142.6 yards per game and sixth in all-purpose yards with 176.0 per outing. Senior linebacker Harold Barton (Somerdale, N.J./Sterling) ranks 13th with 0.43 forced fumbles per game. Freshman quarterback Matt Flynn is 28th in passing efficiency at 147.31, while senior halfback Dusty Green ranks 42nd in scoring with 7.7 points per game, and sophomore kicker Josh Huson is 50th with an average of 0.7 made field goals. Other Bullets have cracked the top-100 as well. Junior linebacker James Holubowich (Mineola, N.Y./Mineola) ranks 56th with 9.7 tackles per game, and Barton is 63rd with 9.4 stops per week. As a team, the Bullets rank 17th in rushing (224.1 yards per game), 32nd in total offense (386.1 yards per game) and 26th in turnover margin (+1.1).
Green Means Go
Senior halfback Dusty Green has come up big in the 2006 season. He is the Centennial Conference's leading scorer with nine touchdowns; six receiving (triple his career total entering the season), two rushing and one on a fumble recovery. In the Hampden-Sydney game, he rumbled 85 yards on a rushing play to record the Bullets' first 80-yard run in four years. Against Rochester, he caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from Matt Flynn. Green followed that performance with another 95 yards on a career-high seven catches and two touchdowns against Denison. Last week, he had his third two-touchdown performance of the season, scoring twice in 2:14 to extend the Bullets' lead to 15 points. His 65-yard touchdown catch was Gettysburg's first 60-yard pass play in three years. Overall, Green has 335 yards rushing on 47 carries, and he leads the team with 408 receiving yards on a team-high 27 catches. Green now has 153 carries for 788 yards and 60 catches for 726 yards, leaving him 212 rushing yards and 274 receiving yards from reaching 1,000 in both categories.
Red-Zone Disparity
Gettysburg ranks at or near the top of the conference in both red-zone scoring and red-zone defense. Once the Bullets have crossed the opponent's 20-yard-line this season, they have converted 19 of 23 attempts (82.6 percent), including 14 touchdowns, to lead the conference. Opposing offenses have not been as successful, converting 16 of 27 tries. The Bullet defense has an interception, three fumble recoveries and five forced turnovers on downs inside its 20.
Making the Stops
Gettysburg has three players among the top six tacklers in the Centennial Conference. Junior linebacker James Holubowich ranks third with 9.7 stops per game. Senior linebacker Harold Barton is fourth with 9.4, and sophomore defensive back David Rodriguez (Fort Belvoir, Va./Bishop Ireton) has made 8.5 tackles per game to rank sixth. Holubowich (56th) and Barton (63rd) are among the national top-100.
At a Loss for Yards
The Bullets have made 42 tackles for losses totaling 177 yards this season, including seven tackles for 16 yards in losses against Ursinus. Junior linebacker James Holubowich leads the way with 7.5 tackles for losses of 31 yards. Senior defensive end Stevenson Foote (Huntingtown, Md./Calvert) is second on the squad with 7.0 stops for 27 yards. Holubowich is tied for fifth, and Foote ranks seventh in the Centennial Conference. With 4.0 sacks for 18 yards, Barton is tied for fourth in the conference.
This is a Stick-Up
Gettysburg had a season-high four takeaways against Ursinus with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The Bullets are now +8 on the season to lead the conference in turnover margin, ahead of Dickinson in second with a +1 rating. On Saturday, for the second week in a row, senior linebacker Harold Barton, the conference leader in forced fumbles caused a fumble in a key spot that was recovered by senior defensive end Stevenson Foote. Foote is tied for the CC lead with two fumble recoveries. Junior cornerback Adam Fulmer (Halifax, Pa./Halifax) is tied for first in the conference and 71st in the nation with 1.29 passes defended per game, including two interceptions.
Line 'Em Up
Coming into preseason camp, one of Gettysburg's biggest question marks was an offensive line that had to replace four starters from the Centennial Conference's best rushing attack in 2005. After an uneven performance at Lebanon Valley on Sept. 2, the Bullets' front five has come together. The quintet of seniors Rick Finnegan (Springfield, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) (C) and Dain Alaia (RG), junior James Russell (Amityville, N.Y./Amityville Memorial) (LT) and sophomores Jay Hagerman (Gibsonia, Pa./Hampton) (LG) and Sam Walthall (Uniondale, N.Y./Woodlands) (RT) paved the way for Gettysburg's best rushing effort in several years against Hampden-Sydney. Two players gained over 100 yards rushing for the first time since 2002, and Gettysburg rushed for 318 yards as a team, eclipsing the 300-yard mark for the first time in three years. Additionally, quarterbacks Mark Campo (Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville) and Matt Flynn were not sacked during the game, making Hampden-Sydney the first sackless Gettysburg opponent since 2004. At Rochester, the Bullets gained 534 total yards, including 216 on the ground. They only allowed one sack on the day and helped Flynn tie the Gettysburg single-game record with five touchdown passes. The success continued with the line again not allowing a sack against Denison and helping the offense generate 446 yards of offense. On Oct. 7 at McDaniel, Gettysburg accumulated 423 total yards, and the team added 398 more against Johns Hopkins. The offensive line turned in one of its most impressive performances last weekend against Ursinus when it opened the holes for 27 points and 411 yards against a team that had been allowing just 7.3 points (fourth in the nation) and 193.4 yards (ninth in the nation) entering the game. Junior tailback Tom Sturges alone rushed for 152 yards against the Bears, who were allowing just 70.7 yards per game on the ground. The Bullets have the Centennial Conference's best rushing offense by nearly 75 yards per game over the second-best team and rank 17th in the nation with 224.1 yards per game. Gettysburg has the CC's most prolific offense, averaging 386.0 yards per game and leads the conference with just six sacks allowed.
Head of the Class
Gettysburg head coach Barry Streeter is the longest-tenured and winningest football coach in Gettysburg history. He surpassed Hen Bream (1927-51), who coached for 22 seasons, in 2000. Streeter won his 105th career game against Muhlenberg in 1995 to take over the career wins lead. Now in his 28th season as head coach, he has a 140-135-5 (.509) career record.
Scouting Muhlenberg (3-4, 1-3 CC)
Muhlenberg opened the season with 24-14 and 24-17 home wins over The College of New Jersey and William Paterson, respectively. Since then, the Mules have lost four of five. Last week coming off a 22-6 win over Ursinus, Muhlenberg was held to two first downs and 40 total yards of offense in a 10-7 loss at Johns Hopkins. Freshman cornerback Cameron Ahouse was named Centennial Conference Defensive Co-Player of the Week after picking off a pair of passes. He returned one 95 yards for a touchdown and the other 26 yards to set the school single-game record for interception return yardage (121). On the ground, the Mules are led by sophomore John DeLuca, who has carried 65 times for 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Eric Santagato and senior running back Jerome Beverly have each scored a pair of rushing touchdowns. Santagato is 86-of-156 for 990 yards with three touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His favorite target has been senior tight end Stephen Montalto, who has 339 yards and two touchdowns on 28 receptions. The Mules have gained 11.6 yards per catch as a team. Montalto ranks fourth in the CC with 4.00 receptions per game and seventh with 48.4 receiving yards per game. Sophomore cornerback Brandon Doyle ranks in the top five in the conference in both kickoff returns (second, 26.7 yards per return) and punt returns (fourth, 7.2 yards per return). On defensive, Muhlenberg ranks second in the conference, allowing just 87.7 rushing yards per game. Junior defensive end Tom Tarsitano has helped that cause, ranking ninth in the conference with 7.6 tackles per game. At the other end of the line, senior Chris Musselman leads the conference with 6.0 sacks for 29 yards. He is also tied with teammate Chris Swensen for third in the conference with 8.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore linebacker Matt Rathbun and Gettysburg's James Holubowich are tied for fifth with 7.5 tackles for loss.
Coach's Corner
Streeter on the Win Against Ursinus
"It was a good win against a quality team. All three phases of the game did a lot of things well. Josh Huson kicked they ball well. They weren't long field goals, but they were crucial. We had four takeaways defensively, and we moved the ball well and ate clock when we needed to, especially in the fourth quarter."
Streeter on the Play of Dusty Green
"He was very good on Saturday, not only his play, but his leadership. He really came through for us, and his leadership was the best I've ever seen it. He gave us some good blocks, ran well, and he has good hands and good speed. On that long touchdown, it was a play-action pass out of the backfield behind the outside linebacker. He made a nice move to get free and outran everybody."
Streeter on Muhlenberg
"They are a tough team to figure out. One week they look really good, and last week they struggled a little bit. They are capable of scoring a lot of points. The quarterback (Eric Santagato) runs well and is a good athlete. The tight end (Stephen Montalto) is a big, athletic kid with good hands. He can really run. They put him in a lot of different places, and you have to account for him. Defensively, Muhlenberg is always good. Our conference is a defensive conference, and Muhlenberg is one of the best."
posted by Pat McConnell | 6:13 AM
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