Bullets to Host Muhlenberg in Centennial Showdown
From the Gettysburg College Website:
Football to Host Muhlenberg in Centennial Showdown
The Game
In an intriguing matchup that features the Centennial Conference’s top-ranked offensive (Gettysburg) and defensive (Muhlenberg) teams, the Bullets and Mules will face off in the 72nd meeting between the two teams and the Centennial Conference opener for Muhlenberg. Gettysburg holds a 41-29-1 lead in the all-time series that dates back to 1907. However, Muhlenberg has won six of the last seven meetings, including a 54-14 victory last season. Gettysburg has played only two teams (Franklin & Marshall, 92 games; Dickinson, 72 games) more than it has played Muhlenberg.
Home, Sweet Home
Gettysburg has enjoyed incredible success at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium recently. Last year, the Bullets posted a perfect 5-0 record on their home turf, and after defeating Lebanon Valley in their home opener this season, they have won their last nine home games dating back to 2005. The Bullets have not lost at home since falling 41-20 to Rochester on Sept. 17, 2005.
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 29th season as head coach, he has a 143-138-5 (.509) career record.
Last Time Out
The Bullets opened their Centennial Conference schedule in style last Friday night, racing out to a 28-0 lead en route to a 41-10 victory over Johns Hopkins University at Homewood Field in Baltimore. Gettysburg held a 461-224 advantage in total yards and limited the Blue Jays to 74 yards rushing. Senior tailback Tom Sturges rushed for 148 yards and one touchdown on 31 carries while sophomore quarterback Matt Flynn registered an outstanding all-around game, rushing for a career-high 119 yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yarder, on just eight carries. He also threw for 128 yards and one touchdown on 7-of-14 passing. Freshman halfback Charles Curcio added a 6-yard touchdown run for Gettysburg while Ricky Manigat caught his team-leading third touchdown pass of the season. Senior linebacker Harold Barton led the Bullet defense with 11 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, while junior kicker Josh Huson scored 11 points for the Bullets. He was a perfect 5-for-5 on extra-point attempts while knocking through a pair of field goals, including a 42-yarder, the second longest of his collegiate career.
Muhlenberg registered a dominating performance in its home opener a week ago, blanking Union College 34-0 as the Mules posted their second consecutive shutout to open the season. Two weeks ago, Muhlenberg topped the College of New Jersey on the road, 15-0. The Mules held the Dutchmen to 87 total yards, 15 rushing yards, and three first downs, with two in the final 30 seconds. Muhlenberg also forced four turnovers. Junior tailback John DeLuca led the Mules with a career-high 122 yards rushing on 22 carries while junior quarterback Eric Santagato ran for a pair of touchdowns. He also threw for 156 yards on 15-of-22 passing.
Last Season’s Game
Muhlenberg scored 40 unanswered points to break a 14-14 halftime tie and down Gettysburg, 54-14, in a game played in gusting winds at Scotty Wood Stadium. Leading 21-14 heading into the fourth quarter, the Mules scored three rushing touchdowns, 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 he ran 16 times for 72 yards and three more scores. Tailback John DeLuca ran nine times for 102 yards and a touchdown, and fullback Matt Johnson had 94 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Tailback Tom Sturges led Gettysburg with 82 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries while linebacker Harold Barton led all players with 15 tackles.
Lighting up the Scoreboard
After scoring 41 or more points in two of their first three games, the Bullets are leading the Centennial Conference in numerous offensive categories, including rushing offense (249.0), total offense (454.0), and scoring offense (32.7). Gettysburg is also second in the Centennial in pass offense (205.0).
With Honors
Senior tailback Tom Sturges and senior linebacker Harold Barton have each earned Centennial Conference Player of the Week honors in the early going this season. Sturges was named the Centennial’s co-offensive player of the week on Sept. 2 following his 220-yard rushing, four-touchdown performance in Gettysburg’s season-opening 49-25 win against Lebanon Valley. It was the eighth time in his career that Sturges earned Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. Barton was honored as the conference defensive player of the week this past week following his 11-tackle performance in the Bullets’ 41-10 victory at Johns Hopkins.
Off and Running
Once again, senior tailback Tom Sturges is leading the Centennial Conference in rushing with 147.3 yards per game. Last season, Sturges finished as the conference rushing champion with 1,141 rushing yards.
Climbing the Charts
Sturges, who has rushed for 3,184 yards for his career, is currently ranked fifth on the Bullets’ career rushing yards list. With 129 more yards, he can move past Ray Condren for fourth all-time at Gettysburg. He became the school’s fifth 3,000-yard rusher at Hampden-Sydney on Sept. 8. Gettysburg’s 2,000-yard rushing club is listed below:
Player Years Att. Yds.
Paul Smith 1996-99 881 5,205
Dwayne Marcus 1991-94 690 3,852
Scott Dudak 1978-81 736 3,774
Ray Condren 1981-84 667 3,312
Tom Sturges 2004-07 710 3,184
Shannon Forsythe 1992-95 497 2,747
Paul Martin 1982-85 398 2,053
Double Threat
Sophomore quarterback Matt Flynn, who ranks second in the Centennial Conference with 197.0 passing yards per game, posted his first career 100-yard rushing game against Johns Hopkins last Friday. Gaining 119 yards on eight carries, he became the first quarterback at Gettysburg to rush for 100 yards since Joe Gossweiler ’05 ran for 108 against Waynesburg in 2003. His second touchdown run was a 50-yarder, the team’s longest play from scrimmage this season, that gave the Bullets a 41-3 lead early in the fourth quarter. Flynn is currently second on the team in rushing with 47.7 yards per game.
Sharing the Wealth
Gettysburg has had nine different receivers catch a pass already this season, with four players grabbing at least seven receptions. Sophomore halfback Ricky Manigat leads the team with 175 yards receiving and three touchdowns on 12 catches while senior tailback Tom Sturges has made eight receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown. Junior receiver Alex Penta and senior receiver Matt Welsh have each caught seven balls, with Welsh snaring a pair of touchdowns.
Heavy Hitter
Senior linebacker Harold Barton currently leads the Bullets and ranks second in the Centennial Conference with 11.0 tackles per game. He moved into 10th on Gettysburg’s career tackles list on Friday at Johns Hopkins. The school’s top-10 list is as follows:
Player Years Tackles
Ryan Moore 1998-2001 430
Hayes Reilly 1978-81 374
Grant Acker 2001-04 333
Miguel Yanes 1982-85 306
Kevin Schmidt 1991-94 303
Kevin Gurski 1994-97 293
Jeff DeLisi 1992-95 264
Richard Swartz 1978-79 262
Cliff Mason 1999-2002 259
Harold Barton 2003- 253
Giving it the Boot
Junior kicker Josh Huson has enjoyed a solid season at kicker over the Bullets’ first three games this season. He has drilled all 13 of his extra-point attempts and is 2-for-4 on field goals with a season-long 42-yarder. Huson currently ranks second in the Centennial Conference in kicking scoring with 19 points.
Scouting Muhlenberg
The Mules enter today’s game riding a nine-quarter shutout streak, dating back to last season. Muhlenberg leads the Centennial Conference in nearly every defensive category, including scoring defense (0.0), pass defense (97.5), and total defense (89.0). Also, thanks in large part to their conference-leading 11 sacks for 70 yards, the Mules have held their opponents to negative rushing yards for the season, yielding a Centennial-best -8.5 yards per game. Senior linebacker Dustin Good leads the team with 14 tackles, including 3.0 for loss and 2.0 sacks. Senior defensive end Chris Musselman is second among the Mules with 10 tackles, but he has gotten to the quarterback for a conference-leading 4.0 sacks for 30 yards lost. Junior safety David Mazzola has made both of Muhlenberg’s interceptions. Offensively, junior tailback John DeLuca leads the Mules with 103.0 rushing yards per game while junior quarterback Eric Santagato has thrown for 164.5 yards per game on 24-of-32 passing.
Muhlenberg is coached by Mike Donnelly, who is 63-44 in his 11th season with the Mules. The winningest coach in Muhlenberg history, he led the Mules to their first three NCAA tournament appearances from 2002-04.
Coaches Corner
Barry Streeter on the Key to Gettysburg’s Win Over Johns Hopkins
“I think the most important thing was [the Bullets] were really focused and layed it on the line playing on the road. The mental toughness, the focus, and the leadership were the things that we really stressed.”
On His Team’s First-Half Performance, When the Bullets Outscored the Blue Jays 31-3 and Held a 291-36 Advantage in Total Yards
“In our conference, anyone can beat anyone, so it’s critical to get off to a good start. Being able to finish is key as well, but to get started that way is big.”
On the Play of Quarterback Matt Flynn, Who Ran For Over 100 Yards and Two Touchdowns
“We’ve always known that he has good feet and is a good runner, but it was probably the best game he’s had since he’s been here with his reads.”
On the Play of the Bullet Defense, Which Did Not Allow A Touchdown Until the Fourth Quarter, When the Score was 41-3
“They were able to keep turning the ball back to the offense with a lot of three-and-outs early. I think we tackled a lot better, and a lot of that is focus.”
On Muhlenberg’s Defense, Which Has Opened the Season With Two Straight Shutouts
“They’re a good blitzting team, and they’re strong and physical. Our ability to adjust up front and stay physical with them is going to be critical.”
Football to Host Muhlenberg in Centennial Showdown
The Game
In an intriguing matchup that features the Centennial Conference’s top-ranked offensive (Gettysburg) and defensive (Muhlenberg) teams, the Bullets and Mules will face off in the 72nd meeting between the two teams and the Centennial Conference opener for Muhlenberg. Gettysburg holds a 41-29-1 lead in the all-time series that dates back to 1907. However, Muhlenberg has won six of the last seven meetings, including a 54-14 victory last season. Gettysburg has played only two teams (Franklin & Marshall, 92 games; Dickinson, 72 games) more than it has played Muhlenberg.
Home, Sweet Home
Gettysburg has enjoyed incredible success at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium recently. Last year, the Bullets posted a perfect 5-0 record on their home turf, and after defeating Lebanon Valley in their home opener this season, they have won their last nine home games dating back to 2005. The Bullets have not lost at home since falling 41-20 to Rochester on Sept. 17, 2005.
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 29th season as head coach, he has a 143-138-5 (.509) career record.
Last Time Out
The Bullets opened their Centennial Conference schedule in style last Friday night, racing out to a 28-0 lead en route to a 41-10 victory over Johns Hopkins University at Homewood Field in Baltimore. Gettysburg held a 461-224 advantage in total yards and limited the Blue Jays to 74 yards rushing. Senior tailback Tom Sturges rushed for 148 yards and one touchdown on 31 carries while sophomore quarterback Matt Flynn registered an outstanding all-around game, rushing for a career-high 119 yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yarder, on just eight carries. He also threw for 128 yards and one touchdown on 7-of-14 passing. Freshman halfback Charles Curcio added a 6-yard touchdown run for Gettysburg while Ricky Manigat caught his team-leading third touchdown pass of the season. Senior linebacker Harold Barton led the Bullet defense with 11 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, while junior kicker Josh Huson scored 11 points for the Bullets. He was a perfect 5-for-5 on extra-point attempts while knocking through a pair of field goals, including a 42-yarder, the second longest of his collegiate career.
Muhlenberg registered a dominating performance in its home opener a week ago, blanking Union College 34-0 as the Mules posted their second consecutive shutout to open the season. Two weeks ago, Muhlenberg topped the College of New Jersey on the road, 15-0. The Mules held the Dutchmen to 87 total yards, 15 rushing yards, and three first downs, with two in the final 30 seconds. Muhlenberg also forced four turnovers. Junior tailback John DeLuca led the Mules with a career-high 122 yards rushing on 22 carries while junior quarterback Eric Santagato ran for a pair of touchdowns. He also threw for 156 yards on 15-of-22 passing.
Last Season’s Game
Muhlenberg scored 40 unanswered points to break a 14-14 halftime tie and down Gettysburg, 54-14, in a game played in gusting winds at Scotty Wood Stadium. Leading 21-14 heading into the fourth quarter, the Mules scored three rushing touchdowns, 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 he ran 16 times for 72 yards and three more scores. Tailback John DeLuca ran nine times for 102 yards and a touchdown, and fullback Matt Johnson had 94 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Tailback Tom Sturges led Gettysburg with 82 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries while linebacker Harold Barton led all players with 15 tackles.
Lighting up the Scoreboard
After scoring 41 or more points in two of their first three games, the Bullets are leading the Centennial Conference in numerous offensive categories, including rushing offense (249.0), total offense (454.0), and scoring offense (32.7). Gettysburg is also second in the Centennial in pass offense (205.0).
With Honors
Senior tailback Tom Sturges and senior linebacker Harold Barton have each earned Centennial Conference Player of the Week honors in the early going this season. Sturges was named the Centennial’s co-offensive player of the week on Sept. 2 following his 220-yard rushing, four-touchdown performance in Gettysburg’s season-opening 49-25 win against Lebanon Valley. It was the eighth time in his career that Sturges earned Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. Barton was honored as the conference defensive player of the week this past week following his 11-tackle performance in the Bullets’ 41-10 victory at Johns Hopkins.
Off and Running
Once again, senior tailback Tom Sturges is leading the Centennial Conference in rushing with 147.3 yards per game. Last season, Sturges finished as the conference rushing champion with 1,141 rushing yards.
Climbing the Charts
Sturges, who has rushed for 3,184 yards for his career, is currently ranked fifth on the Bullets’ career rushing yards list. With 129 more yards, he can move past Ray Condren for fourth all-time at Gettysburg. He became the school’s fifth 3,000-yard rusher at Hampden-Sydney on Sept. 8. Gettysburg’s 2,000-yard rushing club is listed below:
Player Years Att. Yds.
Paul Smith 1996-99 881 5,205
Dwayne Marcus 1991-94 690 3,852
Scott Dudak 1978-81 736 3,774
Ray Condren 1981-84 667 3,312
Tom Sturges 2004-07 710 3,184
Shannon Forsythe 1992-95 497 2,747
Paul Martin 1982-85 398 2,053
Double Threat
Sophomore quarterback Matt Flynn, who ranks second in the Centennial Conference with 197.0 passing yards per game, posted his first career 100-yard rushing game against Johns Hopkins last Friday. Gaining 119 yards on eight carries, he became the first quarterback at Gettysburg to rush for 100 yards since Joe Gossweiler ’05 ran for 108 against Waynesburg in 2003. His second touchdown run was a 50-yarder, the team’s longest play from scrimmage this season, that gave the Bullets a 41-3 lead early in the fourth quarter. Flynn is currently second on the team in rushing with 47.7 yards per game.
Sharing the Wealth
Gettysburg has had nine different receivers catch a pass already this season, with four players grabbing at least seven receptions. Sophomore halfback Ricky Manigat leads the team with 175 yards receiving and three touchdowns on 12 catches while senior tailback Tom Sturges has made eight receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown. Junior receiver Alex Penta and senior receiver Matt Welsh have each caught seven balls, with Welsh snaring a pair of touchdowns.
Heavy Hitter
Senior linebacker Harold Barton currently leads the Bullets and ranks second in the Centennial Conference with 11.0 tackles per game. He moved into 10th on Gettysburg’s career tackles list on Friday at Johns Hopkins. The school’s top-10 list is as follows:
Player Years Tackles
Ryan Moore 1998-2001 430
Hayes Reilly 1978-81 374
Grant Acker 2001-04 333
Miguel Yanes 1982-85 306
Kevin Schmidt 1991-94 303
Kevin Gurski 1994-97 293
Jeff DeLisi 1992-95 264
Richard Swartz 1978-79 262
Cliff Mason 1999-2002 259
Harold Barton 2003- 253
Giving it the Boot
Junior kicker Josh Huson has enjoyed a solid season at kicker over the Bullets’ first three games this season. He has drilled all 13 of his extra-point attempts and is 2-for-4 on field goals with a season-long 42-yarder. Huson currently ranks second in the Centennial Conference in kicking scoring with 19 points.
Scouting Muhlenberg
The Mules enter today’s game riding a nine-quarter shutout streak, dating back to last season. Muhlenberg leads the Centennial Conference in nearly every defensive category, including scoring defense (0.0), pass defense (97.5), and total defense (89.0). Also, thanks in large part to their conference-leading 11 sacks for 70 yards, the Mules have held their opponents to negative rushing yards for the season, yielding a Centennial-best -8.5 yards per game. Senior linebacker Dustin Good leads the team with 14 tackles, including 3.0 for loss and 2.0 sacks. Senior defensive end Chris Musselman is second among the Mules with 10 tackles, but he has gotten to the quarterback for a conference-leading 4.0 sacks for 30 yards lost. Junior safety David Mazzola has made both of Muhlenberg’s interceptions. Offensively, junior tailback John DeLuca leads the Mules with 103.0 rushing yards per game while junior quarterback Eric Santagato has thrown for 164.5 yards per game on 24-of-32 passing.
Muhlenberg is coached by Mike Donnelly, who is 63-44 in his 11th season with the Mules. The winningest coach in Muhlenberg history, he led the Mules to their first three NCAA tournament appearances from 2002-04.
Coaches Corner
Barry Streeter on the Key to Gettysburg’s Win Over Johns Hopkins
“I think the most important thing was [the Bullets] were really focused and layed it on the line playing on the road. The mental toughness, the focus, and the leadership were the things that we really stressed.”
On His Team’s First-Half Performance, When the Bullets Outscored the Blue Jays 31-3 and Held a 291-36 Advantage in Total Yards
“In our conference, anyone can beat anyone, so it’s critical to get off to a good start. Being able to finish is key as well, but to get started that way is big.”
On the Play of Quarterback Matt Flynn, Who Ran For Over 100 Yards and Two Touchdowns
“We’ve always known that he has good feet and is a good runner, but it was probably the best game he’s had since he’s been here with his reads.”
On the Play of the Bullet Defense, Which Did Not Allow A Touchdown Until the Fourth Quarter, When the Score was 41-3
“They were able to keep turning the ball back to the offense with a lot of three-and-outs early. I think we tackled a lot better, and a lot of that is focus.”
On Muhlenberg’s Defense, Which Has Opened the Season With Two Straight Shutouts
“They’re a good blitzting team, and they’re strong and physical. Our ability to adjust up front and stay physical with them is going to be critical.”
posted by Pat McConnell | 7:20 AM
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