Bullets Head to Dickinson Looking to Stay in CC Title Hunt
From the Gettysburg College Website:
Listen Live (WDCV-FM 88.3 - Carlisle, Pa.)
Kickoff: Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006; 1 p.m. ; Biddle Field (Carlisle, Pa.)
The Dickinson Series: Began in 1892 ... Gettysburg leads 40-29-2
The Last Meeting: Nov. 5, 2005 - Gettysburg 17, Dickinson 7 (Gettysburg, Pa.)
Last Dickinson Win: Nov. 6, 2004 - Dickinson 27, Gettysburg 6 (Carlisle, Pa.)
Series Streak: Gettysburg - 1
Radio: WDCV-FM 88.3 (Carlisle, Pa.)
GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Gettysburg will finish off its regular-season road schedule on Saturday with a trip up Route 34 to Carlisle, Pa., to take on Dickinson in the annual clash for the Little Brown Bucket. The Bullets' series against the Red Devils is one of their oldest, dating back to 1892, the third season of Bullet football. Gettysburg won that game, 18-6, and has never trailed in a series that was tied at 1-1 and 7-7. It is also the second-most contested rivalry in Gettysburg history. Now in its 72nd edition, this series trails only the Franklin & Marshall series (91 meetings). With last season's 17-7 victory at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium, the Bullets snapped a nine-game Dickinson winning streak and claimed the Bucket for the first time since 1995. Not only are the bucket and bragging rights on the line, there are implications in a much bigger picture. At 4-0 in conference with two games to play, the Red Devils have clinched at least a share of the Centennial Conference crown. While no longer in control of their own destiny, the Bullets can stay alive with a win. They would then need a win over Franklin & Marshall on Senior Day next Saturday, coupled with an Ursinus win against Dickinson. That scenario would create a three-way tie atop the CC standings, and the Bullets would have their first conference crown since 1985 and get the automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs based on the head-to-head results against the Bears and Red Devils. In last season's game, Gettysburg jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead on the strength of a Josh Huson (McLean, Va./McLean) field goal and touchdowns by Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) and Jesse Jeffers. Dickinson countered with a 47-yard strike from Matt Torchia to Arwin Gbolie in the third quarter, but the Red Devils could not pull closer. Sturges ran for 140 yards on 31 carries, and Hunter McMillan (Middletown, Del./Wilmington Friends) and Mark Campo (Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville) combined to go 10-of-17 for 117 yards.
Last Time Out
Muhlenberg scored 40 unanswered points to break a 14-14 halftime tie and down Gettysburg, 54-14 in Centennial Conference action at Scotty Wood Stadium. The Mules scored three rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter, completed a touchdown pass and recovered a fumble for a score on the last play of the game. Muhlenberg quarterback Eric Santagato was 13-of-19 for 202 yards and two touchdowns, and ran 16 times for 72 yards and three more scores. John DeLuca ran nine times for 102 yards and a touchdown, and Matt Johnson had 94 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Bullets' tailback Tom Sturges carried 21 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. His first rush of the game went for four yards and pushed him over 1,000 for the season. He now has 1,080 yards and eight touchdowns. Matt Flynn (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) was 11-of-30 for 140 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
At Hampden-Sydney, Va., Dickinson wrapped up its non-conference slate with a 22-21 come-from-behind victory. Junior wide receiver Chris McInerney and senior tight end Ryan Stearrett each hauled in an eight-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Matt Torchia in the fourth quarter to give the Red Devils their sixth straight win. Torchia had nine carries for 83 yards and a touchdown to go with a 13-for-24 passing performance that yielded 111 yards and the two fourth-quarter scores. Junior running back Michael D'Amico gained 80 yards on 15 carries. Junior linebacker Eric Dube set a school record with 20 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He had more tackles than any three players for either team. Dube was named Centennial Conference and ECAC Division III Southwest Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
Mr. Consistency
After a solid freshman campaign in 2004, junior tailback Tom Sturges has played in all 18 of Gettysburg's games since the beginning of the 2005 season. In that stretch, he has rushed for over 100 yards 12 times, including six times this season. 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. 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. He gained 82 yards on the ground and scored a game-tying touchdown in the second quarter at Muhlenberg. On the year, Sturges has carried the ball 210 times for 1,080 yards and eight touchdowns, caught seven passes for 35 yards and returned 10 kicks for 229 yards to rank eighth in the nation with 168.0 all-purpose yards per game and sixth in rushing with 135.0 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. Against Ursinus, he added 197 yards on 10 of 17 passing. Last weekend, Flynn threw for 140 yards and a touchdown. On the season, Flynn has 1,202 yards on 83 of 160 passing, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He is second in the conference with a 133.48 passing efficiency rating, third in passing touchdowns and third in passing yardage.
Holding the Freshman Records...
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 1,202 yards passing, Flynn has also broken Flaherty's freshman single-season passing yardage mark of 866.
...Taking Aim at the Overall Records
With his performance through the first eight games of the season, quarterback Matt Flynn has not only smashed the Gettysburg single-season freshman records for passing yardage and passing touchdowns, he has placed himself among the all-time leaders in those categories. With 12 touchdown passes, he is tied with Bob Crawford who connected with his receivers for six 12 times in 1973. That mark is also the highest total by a Gettysburg quarterback since Chris Adams set the school record with 19 touchdowns in 1994. Flynn has averaged two touchdowns per game since taking over in the first quarter of the Rochester game. If that average holds up over the next two games, he will have 16 touchdowns, good for fourth on the Bullets' single-season list. He is also creeping up the single-campaign passing yardage chart. With 1,202 yards passing this season, Flynn stands two yards behind Hunter McMillan's total from last season and in 12th place. He is within 218 yards of third, however, a spot held by Jim Ward, who threw for 1,420 yards in 1965.
Two-Grand Man
Junior tailback Tom Sturges' rushing performance in the first eight games of the season has pushed his career rushing total to 2,681 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 66 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 2,524 yards ahead of Sturges at 5,205.
One-Grand Man
Junior tailback Tom Sturges' entered last Saturday's game at Muhlenberg with 998 yards rushing for the season. He wasted no time in cracking the 1,000-yard for the second season in a row, gaining four yards on his first carry. Last season, he was Gettysburg's first 1,000-yard rusher since Paul Smith gained a school-record 1,546 yards in 1999. Sturges is now the first back with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since Smith did it three straight times from 1997-99 (1,256; 1,515; 1,546).
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 sixth in the nation in rushing with 135.0 yards per game and eighth in all-purpose yards with 168.0 per outing. Senior linebacker Harold Barton (Somerdale, N.J./Sterling) ranks 16th with 0.38 forced fumbles per game. Freshman quarterback Matt Flynn is 50th in passing efficiency at 133.48, while senior halfback Dusty Green (Idaville, Pa./Bermudian Springs) ranks 45th in scoring with 7.5 points per game. Barton in also 44th with 10.1 tackles per game. Other Bullets have cracked the top-100 as well. Junior linebacker James Holubowich (Mineola, N.Y./Mineola) ranks 62nd with 9.4 tackles per game, and sophomore kicker Josh Huson is 68th with an average of 0.6 made field goals. Sturges is 61st with a 22.9 kickoff return average, and junior cornerback Adam Fulmer (Halifax, Pa./Halifax) is 97th with 1.14 passes defended per game. As a team, the Bullets rank 23rd in rushing (207.3 yards per game) and 43rd in total offense (366.5 yards per game).
Green Means Go
Senior halfback Dusty Green has come up big in the 2006 season. He is the Centennial Conference's leading scorer with a career-high 10 touchdowns; seven receiving (more than 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. Against Ursinus on Oct. 21, 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. Last weekend at Muhlenberg, he caught a 21-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-8 to cap the Bullets' opening drive and give them a 7-0 lead. Overall, Green has 383 yards rushing on 51 carries, and he leads the team with 451 receiving yards on a team-high 30 catches. Green now has 157 carries for 818 yards and 63 catches for 769 yards, leaving him 182 rushing yards and 231 receiving yards from reaching 1,000 in both categories.
Red-Zone Round-up
Gettysburg ranks at the top of the conference in red-zone scoring and fourth in red-zone defense. Once the Bullets have crossed the opponent's 20-yard-line this season, they have converted 20 of 25 attempts (80.0 percent), including 15 touchdowns, to lead the conference. Opposing offenses have not been as successful, converting 21 of 32 tries. The Bullet defense has an interception, three fumble recoveries and five forced turnovers on downs inside its 20.
Making the Stops
Gettysburg has four players among the top seven tacklers in the Centennial Conference. Senior linebacker Harold Barton is third with 10.1 stops per game. Junior linebacker James Holubowich and junior safety Kyle Luciano (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph's by-the-Sea) are fourth and fifth, respectively, with 9.4 and 9.2 stops per game. Sophomore safety David Rodriguez (Fort Belvoir, Va./Bishop Ireton) rounds out the group in seventh with 7.9 tackles per game. Barton (44th) and Holubowich (62nd) and Barton (63rd) are among the national top-100. Luciano, who missed the first four games of the season with an injury, is tied for seventh on the team with 37 total takedowns.
At a Loss for Yards
The Bullets have made 51 tackles for losses totaling 206 yards this season, including nine tackles for 29 yards in losses against Muhlenberg. Senior defensive end Stevenson Foote (Huntingtown, Md./Calvert) leads the team with 9.0 tackles for 36 yards in losses. Senior linebacker Harold Barton has 8.5 tackles for loss, and junior linebacker James Holubowich has 7.5. Foote is tied for fourth in the conference, while Barton and Holubowich are tied for sixth and 10th, respectively. With 5.0 sacks for 22 yards, Barton is tied for third in the conference.
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 (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem) (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 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 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 50 yards per game over the second-best team and rank 23rd in the nation with 207.3 yards per game. Gettysburg has the CC's most prolific offense, averaging 366.5 yards per game and is tied for the conference lead with 10 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 140-136-5 (.507) career record.
Scouting Dickinson (7-1, 4-0 CC)
Dickinson opened the season with a 14-0 shutout of Juniata at Biddle Field on Sept. 2. The Red Devils followed that with a trip to Hobart to face a team that is currently 7-0 and ranked 14th in the nation by d3football.com. In that game, it took an 80-yard drive capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass with 1:06 to play to beat the visitors. Since then, Dickinson has ripped off six straight wins, none by more than 14 points and none closer than last week's 22-21 comeback win at Hampden-Sydney. The Red Devils needed two fourth-quarter scores to pull out the victory. The team ranks among the national top-50 in four categories; kickoff return average (10th - 24.55 yards per return), rushing defense (16th - 68.1 rushing yards per game), scoring defense (43rd - 14.6 points per game) and total defense (49th - 254.3 total yards per game). They have achieved quite a balance as well, ranking second in the Centennial Conference in scoring offense, scoring defense, passing offense, rushing offense and kick return average. Senior quarterback Matt Torchia is 127-of-203 for 1,272 yards, 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He is also the team's third-leading rusher with 78 carries for 197 yards and four touchdowns. Torchia ranks first in the conference in completion percentage (62.6), passing efficiency (134.36 - 48th in the nation) and fewest interceptions thrown by regular starters. He is also second in passing yardage and passing touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Chris McInerney has been on the other end of most of Torchia's scoring passes, hauling in seven among his 32 catches for 417 yards. He also has a rushing touchdown and a kick return touchdown to rank second in the CC with nine touchdowns for 54 points. With a 33.3-yard kickoff return average, McInerney ranks fourth in the nation. He is also ranked in the national top-100 in scoring, all-purpose yards and punt return average. Junior running back Michael D'Amico is third in the conference with 74.6 rushing yards per game. He has 597 yards and a touchdown on 118 carries. On defense, the Red Devils are just as good. Junior linebacker Eric Dube, who set a school record with 20 tackles at Hampden-Sydney last week, is tied for the conference lead and for 15th in the nation with 11.6 tackles per game. He is 19th among all Division III defenders with 1.9 tackles for loss and 44th with 1.9 tackles for loss per game. Dube has a conference-best 15.0 tackles for losses of 39 yards. Dickinson boasts six of the conference's top-10 sack totals and ranks first as a team with 31.
Coach's Corner
Streeter on the Muhlenberg Game "We need to learn to play in a pressure-filled game. I thought we were going to win that game when we went to the fourth quarter with the wind at our backs and only down 21-14. In the third quarter, they got great field position because of the wind and put one in, but we had them on their six yard line at the end of the third, so they were going to have to turn around and go into the wind. Offensively we started pressing to make something happen, to do something extra, and we got away from our assignments."
Streeter on Spencer Davidson's Diving Catch to Set Up the Game-Tying Touchdown
"He's got the best hands of anybody we have, and that is not to take anything away from the other guys. He is a quiet leader that does everything you ask of him. I can't say enough about him. That catch didn't shock me. If it's near him, he is going to go after it."
Streeter on the Fake Punt to Hunter McMillan at Muhlenberg
"They knew we were going to fake it somehow. We had thought about it, but I said, "Let's punt," but then they called time out thinking we were going to fake it. So I said, "What the heck? Let's fake it.' Hunter did a nice job with it. That was a big play because we were in their territory down by two touchdowns. I felt we were going to take it in and score, but then we fumbled it on the next play."
Streeter on How the Muhlenberg Loss Changes The Bullets' Mindset
"It changes the mindset in that there is a statistical possibility (to win the CC title, instead of controlling our own destiny). Obviously this is a rivalry, but we need to reestablish our credibility and respect. We've got to play in a pressure-filled game and just do it. We are going to start winning those games either this year or next year. Our players just have to make the decision to do it."
Streeter on the Gettysburg-Dickinson Rivalry
"The Dickinson series has been an interesting one. When I first came here as the head coach, we kind of dominated it for awhile. Then it turned, and they dominated for awhile. We've had some tight ones, some real good games. I really respect (Dickinson head coach) Darwin (Breaux). He was on my staff in '85. We've got a good relationship."
Listen Live (WDCV-FM 88.3 - Carlisle, Pa.)
Kickoff: Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006; 1 p.m. ; Biddle Field (Carlisle, Pa.)
The Dickinson Series: Began in 1892 ... Gettysburg leads 40-29-2
The Last Meeting: Nov. 5, 2005 - Gettysburg 17, Dickinson 7 (Gettysburg, Pa.)
Last Dickinson Win: Nov. 6, 2004 - Dickinson 27, Gettysburg 6 (Carlisle, Pa.)
Series Streak: Gettysburg - 1
Radio: WDCV-FM 88.3 (Carlisle, Pa.)
GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Gettysburg will finish off its regular-season road schedule on Saturday with a trip up Route 34 to Carlisle, Pa., to take on Dickinson in the annual clash for the Little Brown Bucket. The Bullets' series against the Red Devils is one of their oldest, dating back to 1892, the third season of Bullet football. Gettysburg won that game, 18-6, and has never trailed in a series that was tied at 1-1 and 7-7. It is also the second-most contested rivalry in Gettysburg history. Now in its 72nd edition, this series trails only the Franklin & Marshall series (91 meetings). With last season's 17-7 victory at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium, the Bullets snapped a nine-game Dickinson winning streak and claimed the Bucket for the first time since 1995. Not only are the bucket and bragging rights on the line, there are implications in a much bigger picture. At 4-0 in conference with two games to play, the Red Devils have clinched at least a share of the Centennial Conference crown. While no longer in control of their own destiny, the Bullets can stay alive with a win. They would then need a win over Franklin & Marshall on Senior Day next Saturday, coupled with an Ursinus win against Dickinson. That scenario would create a three-way tie atop the CC standings, and the Bullets would have their first conference crown since 1985 and get the automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs based on the head-to-head results against the Bears and Red Devils. In last season's game, Gettysburg jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead on the strength of a Josh Huson (McLean, Va./McLean) field goal and touchdowns by Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) and Jesse Jeffers. Dickinson countered with a 47-yard strike from Matt Torchia to Arwin Gbolie in the third quarter, but the Red Devils could not pull closer. Sturges ran for 140 yards on 31 carries, and Hunter McMillan (Middletown, Del./Wilmington Friends) and Mark Campo (Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville) combined to go 10-of-17 for 117 yards.
Last Time Out
Muhlenberg scored 40 unanswered points to break a 14-14 halftime tie and down Gettysburg, 54-14 in Centennial Conference action at Scotty Wood Stadium. The Mules scored three rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter, completed a touchdown pass and recovered a fumble for a score on the last play of the game. Muhlenberg quarterback Eric Santagato was 13-of-19 for 202 yards and two touchdowns, and ran 16 times for 72 yards and three more scores. John DeLuca ran nine times for 102 yards and a touchdown, and Matt Johnson had 94 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Bullets' tailback Tom Sturges carried 21 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. His first rush of the game went for four yards and pushed him over 1,000 for the season. He now has 1,080 yards and eight touchdowns. Matt Flynn (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) was 11-of-30 for 140 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
At Hampden-Sydney, Va., Dickinson wrapped up its non-conference slate with a 22-21 come-from-behind victory. Junior wide receiver Chris McInerney and senior tight end Ryan Stearrett each hauled in an eight-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Matt Torchia in the fourth quarter to give the Red Devils their sixth straight win. Torchia had nine carries for 83 yards and a touchdown to go with a 13-for-24 passing performance that yielded 111 yards and the two fourth-quarter scores. Junior running back Michael D'Amico gained 80 yards on 15 carries. Junior linebacker Eric Dube set a school record with 20 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He had more tackles than any three players for either team. Dube was named Centennial Conference and ECAC Division III Southwest Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
Mr. Consistency
After a solid freshman campaign in 2004, junior tailback Tom Sturges has played in all 18 of Gettysburg's games since the beginning of the 2005 season. In that stretch, he has rushed for over 100 yards 12 times, including six times this season. 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. 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. He gained 82 yards on the ground and scored a game-tying touchdown in the second quarter at Muhlenberg. On the year, Sturges has carried the ball 210 times for 1,080 yards and eight touchdowns, caught seven passes for 35 yards and returned 10 kicks for 229 yards to rank eighth in the nation with 168.0 all-purpose yards per game and sixth in rushing with 135.0 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. Against Ursinus, he added 197 yards on 10 of 17 passing. Last weekend, Flynn threw for 140 yards and a touchdown. On the season, Flynn has 1,202 yards on 83 of 160 passing, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He is second in the conference with a 133.48 passing efficiency rating, third in passing touchdowns and third in passing yardage.
Holding the Freshman Records...
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 1,202 yards passing, Flynn has also broken Flaherty's freshman single-season passing yardage mark of 866.
...Taking Aim at the Overall Records
With his performance through the first eight games of the season, quarterback Matt Flynn has not only smashed the Gettysburg single-season freshman records for passing yardage and passing touchdowns, he has placed himself among the all-time leaders in those categories. With 12 touchdown passes, he is tied with Bob Crawford who connected with his receivers for six 12 times in 1973. That mark is also the highest total by a Gettysburg quarterback since Chris Adams set the school record with 19 touchdowns in 1994. Flynn has averaged two touchdowns per game since taking over in the first quarter of the Rochester game. If that average holds up over the next two games, he will have 16 touchdowns, good for fourth on the Bullets' single-season list. He is also creeping up the single-campaign passing yardage chart. With 1,202 yards passing this season, Flynn stands two yards behind Hunter McMillan's total from last season and in 12th place. He is within 218 yards of third, however, a spot held by Jim Ward, who threw for 1,420 yards in 1965.
Two-Grand Man
Junior tailback Tom Sturges' rushing performance in the first eight games of the season has pushed his career rushing total to 2,681 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 66 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 2,524 yards ahead of Sturges at 5,205.
One-Grand Man
Junior tailback Tom Sturges' entered last Saturday's game at Muhlenberg with 998 yards rushing for the season. He wasted no time in cracking the 1,000-yard for the second season in a row, gaining four yards on his first carry. Last season, he was Gettysburg's first 1,000-yard rusher since Paul Smith gained a school-record 1,546 yards in 1999. Sturges is now the first back with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since Smith did it three straight times from 1997-99 (1,256; 1,515; 1,546).
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 sixth in the nation in rushing with 135.0 yards per game and eighth in all-purpose yards with 168.0 per outing. Senior linebacker Harold Barton (Somerdale, N.J./Sterling) ranks 16th with 0.38 forced fumbles per game. Freshman quarterback Matt Flynn is 50th in passing efficiency at 133.48, while senior halfback Dusty Green (Idaville, Pa./Bermudian Springs) ranks 45th in scoring with 7.5 points per game. Barton in also 44th with 10.1 tackles per game. Other Bullets have cracked the top-100 as well. Junior linebacker James Holubowich (Mineola, N.Y./Mineola) ranks 62nd with 9.4 tackles per game, and sophomore kicker Josh Huson is 68th with an average of 0.6 made field goals. Sturges is 61st with a 22.9 kickoff return average, and junior cornerback Adam Fulmer (Halifax, Pa./Halifax) is 97th with 1.14 passes defended per game. As a team, the Bullets rank 23rd in rushing (207.3 yards per game) and 43rd in total offense (366.5 yards per game).
Green Means Go
Senior halfback Dusty Green has come up big in the 2006 season. He is the Centennial Conference's leading scorer with a career-high 10 touchdowns; seven receiving (more than 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. Against Ursinus on Oct. 21, 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. Last weekend at Muhlenberg, he caught a 21-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-8 to cap the Bullets' opening drive and give them a 7-0 lead. Overall, Green has 383 yards rushing on 51 carries, and he leads the team with 451 receiving yards on a team-high 30 catches. Green now has 157 carries for 818 yards and 63 catches for 769 yards, leaving him 182 rushing yards and 231 receiving yards from reaching 1,000 in both categories.
Red-Zone Round-up
Gettysburg ranks at the top of the conference in red-zone scoring and fourth in red-zone defense. Once the Bullets have crossed the opponent's 20-yard-line this season, they have converted 20 of 25 attempts (80.0 percent), including 15 touchdowns, to lead the conference. Opposing offenses have not been as successful, converting 21 of 32 tries. The Bullet defense has an interception, three fumble recoveries and five forced turnovers on downs inside its 20.
Making the Stops
Gettysburg has four players among the top seven tacklers in the Centennial Conference. Senior linebacker Harold Barton is third with 10.1 stops per game. Junior linebacker James Holubowich and junior safety Kyle Luciano (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph's by-the-Sea) are fourth and fifth, respectively, with 9.4 and 9.2 stops per game. Sophomore safety David Rodriguez (Fort Belvoir, Va./Bishop Ireton) rounds out the group in seventh with 7.9 tackles per game. Barton (44th) and Holubowich (62nd) and Barton (63rd) are among the national top-100. Luciano, who missed the first four games of the season with an injury, is tied for seventh on the team with 37 total takedowns.
At a Loss for Yards
The Bullets have made 51 tackles for losses totaling 206 yards this season, including nine tackles for 29 yards in losses against Muhlenberg. Senior defensive end Stevenson Foote (Huntingtown, Md./Calvert) leads the team with 9.0 tackles for 36 yards in losses. Senior linebacker Harold Barton has 8.5 tackles for loss, and junior linebacker James Holubowich has 7.5. Foote is tied for fourth in the conference, while Barton and Holubowich are tied for sixth and 10th, respectively. With 5.0 sacks for 22 yards, Barton is tied for third in the conference.
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 (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem) (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 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 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 50 yards per game over the second-best team and rank 23rd in the nation with 207.3 yards per game. Gettysburg has the CC's most prolific offense, averaging 366.5 yards per game and is tied for the conference lead with 10 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 140-136-5 (.507) career record.
Scouting Dickinson (7-1, 4-0 CC)
Dickinson opened the season with a 14-0 shutout of Juniata at Biddle Field on Sept. 2. The Red Devils followed that with a trip to Hobart to face a team that is currently 7-0 and ranked 14th in the nation by d3football.com. In that game, it took an 80-yard drive capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass with 1:06 to play to beat the visitors. Since then, Dickinson has ripped off six straight wins, none by more than 14 points and none closer than last week's 22-21 comeback win at Hampden-Sydney. The Red Devils needed two fourth-quarter scores to pull out the victory. The team ranks among the national top-50 in four categories; kickoff return average (10th - 24.55 yards per return), rushing defense (16th - 68.1 rushing yards per game), scoring defense (43rd - 14.6 points per game) and total defense (49th - 254.3 total yards per game). They have achieved quite a balance as well, ranking second in the Centennial Conference in scoring offense, scoring defense, passing offense, rushing offense and kick return average. Senior quarterback Matt Torchia is 127-of-203 for 1,272 yards, 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He is also the team's third-leading rusher with 78 carries for 197 yards and four touchdowns. Torchia ranks first in the conference in completion percentage (62.6), passing efficiency (134.36 - 48th in the nation) and fewest interceptions thrown by regular starters. He is also second in passing yardage and passing touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Chris McInerney has been on the other end of most of Torchia's scoring passes, hauling in seven among his 32 catches for 417 yards. He also has a rushing touchdown and a kick return touchdown to rank second in the CC with nine touchdowns for 54 points. With a 33.3-yard kickoff return average, McInerney ranks fourth in the nation. He is also ranked in the national top-100 in scoring, all-purpose yards and punt return average. Junior running back Michael D'Amico is third in the conference with 74.6 rushing yards per game. He has 597 yards and a touchdown on 118 carries. On defense, the Red Devils are just as good. Junior linebacker Eric Dube, who set a school record with 20 tackles at Hampden-Sydney last week, is tied for the conference lead and for 15th in the nation with 11.6 tackles per game. He is 19th among all Division III defenders with 1.9 tackles for loss and 44th with 1.9 tackles for loss per game. Dube has a conference-best 15.0 tackles for losses of 39 yards. Dickinson boasts six of the conference's top-10 sack totals and ranks first as a team with 31.
Coach's Corner
Streeter on the Muhlenberg Game "We need to learn to play in a pressure-filled game. I thought we were going to win that game when we went to the fourth quarter with the wind at our backs and only down 21-14. In the third quarter, they got great field position because of the wind and put one in, but we had them on their six yard line at the end of the third, so they were going to have to turn around and go into the wind. Offensively we started pressing to make something happen, to do something extra, and we got away from our assignments."
Streeter on Spencer Davidson's Diving Catch to Set Up the Game-Tying Touchdown
"He's got the best hands of anybody we have, and that is not to take anything away from the other guys. He is a quiet leader that does everything you ask of him. I can't say enough about him. That catch didn't shock me. If it's near him, he is going to go after it."
Streeter on the Fake Punt to Hunter McMillan at Muhlenberg
"They knew we were going to fake it somehow. We had thought about it, but I said, "Let's punt," but then they called time out thinking we were going to fake it. So I said, "What the heck? Let's fake it.' Hunter did a nice job with it. That was a big play because we were in their territory down by two touchdowns. I felt we were going to take it in and score, but then we fumbled it on the next play."
Streeter on How the Muhlenberg Loss Changes The Bullets' Mindset
"It changes the mindset in that there is a statistical possibility (to win the CC title, instead of controlling our own destiny). Obviously this is a rivalry, but we need to reestablish our credibility and respect. We've got to play in a pressure-filled game and just do it. We are going to start winning those games either this year or next year. Our players just have to make the decision to do it."
Streeter on the Gettysburg-Dickinson Rivalry
"The Dickinson series has been an interesting one. When I first came here as the head coach, we kind of dominated it for awhile. Then it turned, and they dominated for awhile. We've had some tight ones, some real good games. I really respect (Dickinson head coach) Darwin (Breaux). He was on my staff in '85. We've got a good relationship."
posted by Pat McConnell | 8:11 AM
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