Muhlenberg Week
Following is the first in a series of posts leading up to Saturday's game against Muhlenberg.
From the D3Football.com 2007 Kickoff Preview Edition:
Muhlenberg Mules
Last playoff appearance: 2004
Last year: 5-5, 2-4 CC
Last conference title: 2004
Wins increase from 05-06: Plus-2
Preseason ranking: 108 of 238
Head coach: Mike Donnelly, 11th year, 61-44
Starters returning: 14 (five offense, nine defense, zero special teams)
Position battle to watch: Fullback. Sophomore Matt Boland (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) appeared in six games last year and was a reliable receiving target out of the backfield (nine catches, 60 yards, 1 TD). While Boland is the incumbent, the Mules have several other young fullbacks - like junior Bobby Weir and soph Jake Floyd - who could make the competition interesting.
Pressure is on: The secondary. Head coach Mike Donnelly is happy with this unit; all four starters return, including all-conference second-teamer Brandon Doyle and Cameron Ahouse, an honorable mention pick, and the Mules were second in the league in passing defense. But Donnelly wants to see more big plays; he said he saw plenty of pass break-ups last year, but wants to see more turnovers recovered this year.
Where did he come from? Senior offensive tackle Patrick Calves played in three games last year, but makes an even bigger impact off the field by participating with The Second Mile, a youth-based program that helps more than 100,000 youngsters across Pennsylvania develop self-esteem and life skills. The Second Mile was founded in 1977 by former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
Their season will be defined by: The first game, a non-conference matchup with TCNJ. Donnelly wants to see his team start the season off quickly; they'll have two non-conference games before leading into their Centennial schedule. But the coach quickly adds that circling one game on the schedule could quickly backfire. "We try really hard not to point to one game," Donnelly said, "because if you do, and you happen to lose that, what happens to the rest of the season?"
Predicted record: 5-5, 4-4
Capsule: Two seasons ago, the Mules were ranked ninth in Division III in total defense; they slipped to 36th in 2006, but should trend higher in 2007. All nine starters return, and all-conference-caliber players are back at every level. Defensive end Chris Musselman was second in the Centennial Conference with 8.5 sacks in 2006 and was voted all-conference; linebackers Dustin Good and Tom Tarsitano, both second-team all-conference, combined for 122 tackles and 6.5 sacks; bookend corners Brandon Doyle and Cameron Ahouse were all-conference as well, and Ahouse tied for the conference lead with five interceptions. Can the offense keep pace? Half of the starters return, including all-conference center Mike Nolan. But head coach Mike Donnelly has high hopes for his passing game, particularly the contribution from the tight ends. Incumbent senior Matt Johnson moved from running back, while junior Matt Smith has superb size (6-foot-6, 250 pounds). Donnelly believes that with this talent, the Mules may well utilize two tight end sets frequently on third down. Junior quarterback Eric Santagato will need a better season for the Mules to succeed, however. Though he threw for better than 1,500 yards, Santagato had only five touchdowns against 17 interceptions, though he did score nine rushing touchdowns.
From the D3Football.com 2007 Kickoff Preview Edition:
Muhlenberg Mules
Last playoff appearance: 2004
Last year: 5-5, 2-4 CC
Last conference title: 2004
Wins increase from 05-06: Plus-2
Preseason ranking: 108 of 238
Head coach: Mike Donnelly, 11th year, 61-44
Starters returning: 14 (five offense, nine defense, zero special teams)
Position battle to watch: Fullback. Sophomore Matt Boland (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) appeared in six games last year and was a reliable receiving target out of the backfield (nine catches, 60 yards, 1 TD). While Boland is the incumbent, the Mules have several other young fullbacks - like junior Bobby Weir and soph Jake Floyd - who could make the competition interesting.
Pressure is on: The secondary. Head coach Mike Donnelly is happy with this unit; all four starters return, including all-conference second-teamer Brandon Doyle and Cameron Ahouse, an honorable mention pick, and the Mules were second in the league in passing defense. But Donnelly wants to see more big plays; he said he saw plenty of pass break-ups last year, but wants to see more turnovers recovered this year.
Where did he come from? Senior offensive tackle Patrick Calves played in three games last year, but makes an even bigger impact off the field by participating with The Second Mile, a youth-based program that helps more than 100,000 youngsters across Pennsylvania develop self-esteem and life skills. The Second Mile was founded in 1977 by former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
Their season will be defined by: The first game, a non-conference matchup with TCNJ. Donnelly wants to see his team start the season off quickly; they'll have two non-conference games before leading into their Centennial schedule. But the coach quickly adds that circling one game on the schedule could quickly backfire. "We try really hard not to point to one game," Donnelly said, "because if you do, and you happen to lose that, what happens to the rest of the season?"
Predicted record: 5-5, 4-4
Capsule: Two seasons ago, the Mules were ranked ninth in Division III in total defense; they slipped to 36th in 2006, but should trend higher in 2007. All nine starters return, and all-conference-caliber players are back at every level. Defensive end Chris Musselman was second in the Centennial Conference with 8.5 sacks in 2006 and was voted all-conference; linebackers Dustin Good and Tom Tarsitano, both second-team all-conference, combined for 122 tackles and 6.5 sacks; bookend corners Brandon Doyle and Cameron Ahouse were all-conference as well, and Ahouse tied for the conference lead with five interceptions. Can the offense keep pace? Half of the starters return, including all-conference center Mike Nolan. But head coach Mike Donnelly has high hopes for his passing game, particularly the contribution from the tight ends. Incumbent senior Matt Johnson moved from running back, while junior Matt Smith has superb size (6-foot-6, 250 pounds). Donnelly believes that with this talent, the Mules may well utilize two tight end sets frequently on third down. Junior quarterback Eric Santagato will need a better season for the Mules to succeed, however. Though he threw for better than 1,500 yards, Santagato had only five touchdowns against 17 interceptions, though he did score nine rushing touchdowns.
posted by Pat McConnell | 6:10 AM
3 Comments:
appreciate your info on this site.Do you know who won Bullets JV game monday? Thanks Bullets fan.
Thanks for the compliment and the question about the JV game. I have an unofficial final score of Bullets 34 Dickinson 7. If I can confirm the correct score, I'll post it on the blog.
Go Bullets!!!
Pat
Another huge game this week with the Mules.I think key to the game has to be our D, we have to be intense and fly to the ball.The Mules are obvious strong on D.I hope our O can outscore them,in what I think could be a shootout. Any thoughts? Go Bullets
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