Centennial Conference News

As promised, The Centennial Conference has finally published their weekly release!

Congratulations to Matt Flynn , Josh Jerrold and Charles Curcio for their recognition on this week's Centennial Conference Honor Roll for their performances in Saturday's game at Muhlenberg.

For more, read this week's Centennial Conference Release which includes a look ahead to this Saturday's home game vs. Ursinus.

Ursinus Week

Well, I've been waiting for the Centennial Conference to release their weekly report but at last check it wasn't on their Website yet. I'll post another update when I find it!

In the meantime, let's start this week's preview with a look at Ursinus College as outlined in the D3Football.com Kick-off Edition:

Ursinus Bears

Last playoff appearance: 2006
Last year: 7-3, 5-3 CC
Last conference title: 1996
2007 NCAA ranking, total offense: 158
2007 NCAA ranking, total defense: 21
Wins increase from 06-07: Minus-1
Preseason ranking: 78 of 239
Players who started camp: 90
Head coach: Peter Gallagher, eighth year, 31-40
Starters returning: 9 (three offense, five defense, one specialists)

Position battle to watch: Most anywhere on offense. With only three starters returning, there will be plenty of new faces on offense. The only positions that seem safe are quarterback (with senior Nicholas Dye, 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns in '07), one receiver (with junior Shea Wisler, 23 catches, 442 yards and three scores) and tight end (junior Carl School, three catches, 51 yards, two touchdowns). The biggest challenge may be finding a whole new line, which graduated two All-Conference players.

Pressure is on: The skill players' hands. Ball security was a major issue for the Bears in 2007. They fumbled the ball 25 times -- 2.5 per game -- and lost possession 15 times. Combined with the quarterbacks' 14 interceptions, that's an unusually high 29 giveaways. Only a ball-hawking defense kept the turnover margin at a more respectable, but still below average, -5.

Where did he come from? Gallagher hopes Eikeem Barron can become a force for the secondary. Like the offense, the defensive backs were hurt by graduation. All-Conference defensive back Ryan VanWright is among those who must be replaced. Barron entered camp with the inside track as becoming the team's starting strong safety.

Their season will be defined by: The game against Muhlenberg. A year ago, the two teams entered the Week 8 game with one combined loss, and the Mules cruised to a 31-7 victory. If the game is as notable this year as it was last year -- and Muhlenberg is a strong favorite in the Centennial -- that means the Bears will have undergone a rather short rebuilding.

Predicted record: 3-7, 3-5

Capsule: This Ursinus football team won't be like last year's, not with so much of the offense and the secondary gone. Even a player that was expected back won't be returning: Running back Aaron Harper, fifth in the conference with 767 yards rushing, has left the program, but Gallagher would not disclose the reasons for Harper's departure. The defense is in slightly better shape, with five returning starters to a unit that ranked second in total defense in 2007.

Flynn Reaches 4,000 Passing Yards, but Bullets Fall at No. 7 Muhlenberg

Following are reports from yesterday's game at Muhlenberg.

First, from the Gettysburg College Website:

Flynn Reaches 4,000 Passing Yards, but Bullets Fall at No. 7 Muhlenberg

Box Score

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Muhlenberg College scored on five of its last six possessions and the No. 7 Mules won on homecoming, capturing their 14th consecutive regular season game in a 42-21 Centennial Conference win over Gettysburg Saturday afternoon at Scotty Wood Stadium.

Eric Santagato threw for 245 yards on 17-of-27 passing to lead Muhlenberg (3-0, 1-0 CC), which won its CC opener. Phil Cresta caught eight passes for 128 yards while John DeLuca added 134 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 27 carries for the Mules.

Muhlenberg never trailed after jumping to a 21-0 halftime lead and led by no less than two touchdowns the rest of the way.

Gettysburg (0-4, 0-2 CC), playing a ranked opponent for the first time in three years and a top-10 opponent for the first time in nine years, received 259 yards on 21-of-33 passing from junior quarterback Matt Flynn (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional). Flynn also became just the second player in school history to reach 4,000 career passing yards, as he achieved the milestone late in the game. He now has 4,011 yards, trailing only Dennis Flaherty ’01 on the all-time list. Flaherty passed for 5,136 yards from 1997-2000.

Junior wing Ricky Manigat (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) grabbed seven passes for 56 yards while sophomore receiver Gavin Jablonski (Allenwood, N.J./Wall) had five receptions for 59 yards. Junior tight end A.J. Perrotti (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) caught two passes for a career-high 97 yards while senior tailback Nick McConnell (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) rushed for a pair of touchdowns.

The game got off to an inauspicious start for the Bullets, who were called for a holding penalty while receiving the opening kickoff. After going three-and-out, a short punt and a 24-return gave the Mules the ball at the Gettysburg-24. Then on the next play, DeLuca found a hole and raced down the sideline and into the end zone, making it a 7-0 just 1:25 into the game.

The Bullet defense dug in from there, however, holding Muhlenberg to one first down on its next five possessions and forcing a three- or four-and-out on the final four drives of that stretch. On their second possession, the Mules appeared to have rushed for a first down on a fake punt, but the play was called back to a holding penalty.

On Muhlenberg’s fourth possession, senior defensive end Josh Jerrold (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury East) came up with his fourth sack of the year, an eight-yard hit seconds before the end of the first quarter that gave the Bullets the ball on downs.

Including DeLuca’s 24-yard touchdown run, Gettysburg held the Mules to 60 total yards on 15 plays in the opening quarter.

After forcing Muhlenberg to punt for the third time, the Bullets received great field position, as a 13-yard return from sophomore Charles Curcio (Hammonton, N.J./St. Joseph) gave his team the ball at the Mule-29. But the Bullets were hit with a holding penalty on the first play of the drive, and three plays later they went for it on fourth-and-four at the Muhlenberg-23. However, Flynn’s pass was broken up by Mark Accomando, and Gettysburg came away empty-handed.

The Bullets came up with one more stop in the opening half, getting another three-and-out when senior linebacker Terence Hartigan (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) made an open-field tackle at the Muhlenberg-29 on third-and-seven to stop DeLuca four yards shy of the first down, prompting the Mules fourth punt of the half.

Gettysburg was held to a three-and-out before the Mulenberg offense caught fire. After taking over at the Mule-32 with 6:27 on the clock, a pair of big plays jumpstarted the hosts. On the first two plays of the drive, Santagato hit Joe Caporoso with a 17-yard pass before DeLuca broke of 26-yard run to Bullet-25. Two plays later, Erik Snyder hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0 with 4:36 to go in the half.

After forcing the Bullets to punt for the sixth time in the half, the Mules needed just 2:01 to go 66 yards on eight plays, with DeLuca leaping into the end zone from 1 yard out. Michael Katz’ third straight extra point gave Muhlenberg a 21-0 lead with 50 seconds showing.

The Bullets threatened to score inside the final minute of the half, as a 15-yard run by sophomore Jamel Mutunga (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air), who finished with 60 yards on 12 carries, gave the Bullets the ball at the Gettysburg-45 before Flynn connected with sophomore Brian Betley (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape) for a 31-yard pass to the Muhlenberg-9 on the next play. However, Flynn threw the pass beyond the line of scrimmage, resulting in a penalty. Flynn followed up with a 14-yard run to the Mule-44 with five seconds left, but his Hail-Mary pass on the final play of the half was intercepted in the end zone.

Gettysburg got on the scoreboard on its first possession of the second half, driving 91 yards on an 11-play drive that lasted 4:51. Perrotti put the Bullets into Mule territory when he snared a tipped pass down the left sideline, and the 43-yard completion gave Gettysburg the ball at the 30-yard line. Three plays later, Manigat grabbed a pass in the middle of the field and took it to the Mule-1 before Mutunga plowed in for his third touchdown of the season. Senior Josh Huson’s extra point cut the deficit to 21-7 with 7:09 left in the third quarter.

Muhlenberg answered with an 11-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that ate up 6:17. During the march the Mules went 3-for-3 on third downs and scored on a third-and-12. After scrambling out of trouble, Santagato found Edward DeRisi open in the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown pass to give the Mules a 28-7 advantage with 40 ticks showing in the third quarter.

Gettysburg pulled to within 14 twice more, but each time the Mules responded with a touchdown. McConnell capped a 12-play, 74-yard drive when he scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 11:30 left to make it 28-14, but Santagato hit Cresta in stride in the end zone from 33 yards out to give the Mules a 35-14 lead with 7:49 to go.

Another long Flynn-to-Perrotti pass gave the Bullets – this one a 54-yarder – put the Bullets at the Muhlenberg-13, and three plays later McConnell scored on another 1-yard touchdown run. Huson’s third and final PAT gave pulled the visitors to within 35-21 with 6:38 showing.

The Mules converted a third-and-11 on their final drive to halt any chance of a Bullet rally, with Santagato hitting Cresta with an 11-yard pass to the Gettysburg-48. On the next play, he found Cresta again, launching a deep ball into the end zone to set the final score with 4:51 left.

Sophomore cornerback Tairi Mobley (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown), making his first collegiate start, led the Bullet defense with 10 tackles while Hartigan made eight stops, including 1.5 for loss.

Gettysburg returns home next Saturday, when it hosts Ursinus College at 1 p.m. in another Centennial Conference showdown.

From the Muhlenberg College Website:

Football begins defense with 42-21 win

Gettysburg may have had a large supply of Bullets on its sideline, but Muhlenberg had more weapons on the field and began defense of its 2007 Centennial Conference championship with a 42-21 Homecoming win.

The victory extended the Mules’ regular-season winning streak to 14 games, tying the second longest in CC history.

The biggest offensive weapon was the three-headed monster of seniors Eric Santagato and John DeLuca and junior Phil Cresta. Santagato finished 17-of-27 for 245 yards, tying a career high with four touchdowns, and did not throw an interception. DeLuca gained 134 yards on 27 carries to move into 12th place on the CC all-time list with 2,842 career yards. Cresta caught a career-high eight passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, moving over 1,000 receiving yards for his career.

Going against the top offense in the CC, the fifth-ranked Mules (3-0, 1-0) shut out Gettysburg (0-4, 0-2) in the first half, opening up a 21-0 lead. The game got off to a shaky start for the Bullets, as they were called for a holding penalty on the opening kickoff, went three-and-out an offense, then had a short punt that senior Brandon Doyle returned to the 24-yard line.

On Muhlenberg’s first play from scrimmage, DeLuca ran 24 yards for a quick touchdown just 1:25 into the game.

The score remained 7-0 for most of the first half. Gettysburg had its best chance to score after pinning the Mules inside their own 5 with a punt. The Bullets got the ball back at the Muhlenberg 29, but a fourth-down pass from the 23 was broken up by sophomore Mark Accomando.

The Mules went 58 yards in four plays to double their lead on Santagato’s 19-yard pass to senior Erik Snyder with 4:36 left in the half.

Muhlenberg held Gettysburg without a first down and regained possession with 2:51 on the clock. Consecutive completions of 12 and 21 yards by Santagato to Cresta put the ball at the 1, and DeLuca carried over with 49.4 seconds left to complete the eight-play TD drive.

Each team scored three touchdowns in the second half as the offenses took over, but the Bullets never got closer than two scores. Santagato threw a scoring strike of 19 yards to senior Edward DeRisi after escaping a sack in the backfield, and found Cresta on similar 33- and 35-yard touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

The Mules finished with 442 total yards in beginning a season with three straight 30-point efforts for the first time since 2000. Muhlenberg has scored at least 30 points in eight of its last nine regular-season games (and put up 29 in the other).

Accomando recorded a career-high seven tackles and two pass breakups. Junior Frank Emmett also made seven stops, including two for loss, and senior Matt Rathbun intercepted a pass for the second straight week.

Click here for box score.
Click here for complete stats.

From The Harrisburg Patriot-News:

DIVISION III: MUHLENBERG 42, GETTYSBURG 21

D-3 power outscores Gettysburg

Sunday, September 28, 2008

From staff reports

ALLENTOWN - Quarterback Matt Flynn reached a Gettysburg College milestone Saturday, but Muhlenberg did most of the damage in a 42-21 Centennial Conference football victory.

Muhlenberg (3-0, 1-0), ranked seventh nationally in Division III, scored on five of its last six possessions to win its 14th consecutive regular-season game.

Eric Santagato threw for 245 yards and John DeLuca picked up 134 yards on the ground for the Mules.

For Gettysburg (0-4, 0-2), Flynn become the second player in school history to pass for 4,000 career yards. The junior from Northfield, N.J., completed 21 of 33 passes for 259 yards.

Tailback Nick McConnell (Cedar Crest) scored a pair of touchdowns for the Bullets, but they could never close the gap after falling behind 21-0 at the half.

From the Allentown Morning Call:

Mules jump on Bullets early, win 42-21

Extend Centennial Conference winning streak to 14 games.

By Bradley A. Huebner Special to The Morning Call

September 28, 2008

Muhlenberg College scored on its first play of the game then twice late to preserve a lead en route to a convincing 42-21 Homecoming win over Gettysburg on Saturday at Scotty Wood Stadium's Frank Marino Field.

The victory pushed the Mules to 3-0 and extended their Centennial Conference winning streak to 14, tied for second all-time with Dickinson (1987-88), 16 behind McDaniel (1997-99).

Ranked fifth nationally in Division III, Muhlenberg showed that its defense, while young, remains talented. The Mules limited the Bullets' high-powered offense, which had been averaging a league-best 436 yards per game, to 21 points, none in the first half when Muhlenberg jumped ahead 21-0.

''We prepared for them just like we did last year [when Muhlenberg escaped a close contest],'' said junior defensive end Frank Emmett, one of four Mules with seven tackles and one of two with a pair of tackles for loss. ''Coach Donnelly strategized perfectly for them. We know how explosive they can be.''

Muhlenberg set the tone offensively right away. After Brandon Doyle returned Gettysburg's first punt 24 yards to the Bullets' 24, running back John DeLuca rushed right for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead. DeLuca chiseled his way to 134 yards on 27 carries. He scored on runs of 24 and 1 yard to stake the hosts to a 21-0 halftime lead over the Bullets (0-4).

In the second half, after Gettysburg pulled to within 21-7, it started stacking the box with seven, eight and even nine defenders to stop DeLuca.

Muhlenberg adjusted by twice calling their ''Indiana'' play, a play-action fake to DeLuca that freezes the safety. Twice in the second half, quarterback Eric Santagato hit receiver Phil Cresta for touchdowns, one from 33 yards and another from 35.

They turned a potentially competitive 28-14 contest into a 42-21 romp.

''I knew the safety was biting on the play-action fake,'' said Cresta, a 6-3, 190-pound junior who also was 8-3 as a pitcher for the Mules' baseball team. ''I knew if Eric led me enough it would be the same result.''

Santagato finished the day 17-for-27 for 245 yards and four touchdowns.

Playing against Gettysburg and intrepid quarterback Matt Flynn, Muhlenberg could not score too many points. Flynn completed 21 of 33 passes for 259 yards. The Mules sacked him three times, however, and intercepted him twice.

By the time Flynn found his comfort zone in the second half, it was too late.

Gettysburg scored on a 68-yard drive in just 3:32, then again on a 63-yard drive in just 1:03 in the fourth quarter to pull to within 35-21 with 6:38 left.

''They make you play assignment-perfect football,'' Muhlenberg coach Mike Donnelly said of Gettysburg and its four-receiver spread attack. ''They have a legitimate quarterback and they run all those options. They're just outstanding on offense.''

Muhlenberg wasn't so bad, either, with 442 yards against a defense that has given up 155 points in four losses. The Mules answered the Bullets' late surge with a six-play, 72-yard drive, capped by Cresta's second touchdown. That came after Cresta caught an 11-yard pass on third-and-11 two plays earlier to sustain the drive.

Bullets Prepare for Showdown with No. 7 Muhlenberg

The following preview was taken from the Gettysburg College Website:

Football Prepares for Showdown with No. 7 Muhlenberg

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

The Game
For the first time in three years, Gettysburg plays a ranked opponent as it travels to Allentown, Pa. to take on No. 7 Muhlenberg College, the defending Centennial Conference champion, on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Bullets are seeking their first victory of the season against the Mules, who will be playing their Centennial Conference opener. Gettysburg last played a ranked team on Oct. 14, 2005, falling 14-0 to No. 18 Johns Hopkins, and the Bullets haven’t played a top-10 opponent since their 44-0 loss to No. 7 McDaniel in 1999.

Game Coverage
An audio broadcast of Saturday's game is available at http://www.muhlenberg.edu/wmuh/realaud.html. Also, livestats are available at http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/livestats/xlive.htm.

Series Notes
Gettysburg leads Muhlenberg 41-30-1 in the all-time series that dates back to 1907. However, the Mules have captured seven of the last eight meetings, including the last two. Gettysburg last defeated Muhlenberg in 2005, winning 10-3 at home. The Bullets are seeking their first victory in Allentown since 1996.

Last Time Out
Andrew Kase rushed for 173 yards and tied a school record with four touchdown runs as Johns Hopkins spoiled Gettysburg’s homecoming, topping the Bullets 49-37 in the Centennial Conference opener for both teams on Saturday. The Bullets trailed by as much as 18 in the second half before pulling to within five (42-37) after a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. However, the Blue Jays put the game away with a late touchdown of their own. Junior quarterback Matt Flynn threw for a career-high 337 yards and four touchdowns on 26-of-39 passing to lead the Bullets. Junior wing Ricky Manigat caught eight passes for 96 yards, both career-highs, while sophomore receiver Brian Betley had a career-high five receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore wing Charles Curcio added four catches for a career-high 86 yards and two TDs and finished with 178 all-purpose yards. Sophomore tailback Jamel Mutunga recorded his second-straight 100-yard rushing game for the Bullets, racking up a career-high 119 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries.

Coming off their bye week, Muhlenberg went on the road to defeat Union College, 31-14, in a non-conference outing. Senior quarterback Eric Santagato was responsible for all four of the Mules touchdowns, throwing for two and rushing for two. Senior John DeLuca added 134 yards on 30 carriers for the Mules, who broke out to an early 14-0 lead after forcing turnovers on each of Union’s first two possessions. Sophomore linebacker Scott Gavin intercepted a pass on the second play of the game for Muhlenberg before junior defensive end Jake Floyd forced a fumble with a second on the third play of the Dutchmen’s second drive. The Mule defense finished with seven sacks and held Union to 43 yards rushing.

Last Season’s Game
Chris Swenson blocked a 33-yard field goal attempt by Josh Huson with 34 seconds left, and Muhlenberg held on to defeat the Bullets 14-13 in a defensive showdown in Gettysburg last season. Gettysburg’s defense held the Mules to 67 yards rushing and 222 total yards, while Muhlenberg, which trailed 10-0 at the half, limited the Bullets to 78 yards passing and 246 total yards. The two teams combined to go just 2-for-25 on third downs and 11 of the first 12 drives resulted in a punt. Tailback Tom Sturges ’08 finished with 88 yards and one touchdown on 25 carriers for Gettysburg while John DeLuca carried the ball 27 times for 87 yards. Eric Santagato completed 13 of 21 passes and had a hand in each of Muhlenberg’s touchdowns, posting a 9-yard touchdown pass and a 2-yard touchdown run.

Flynn Eyes School TD Record
After his four-TD peformance against Johns Hopkins last week, junior quarterback Matt Flynn moved into third on Gettysburg’s career touchdown passes list. He has now thrown for 29 career TDs, just three behind Jim Ward ’66 for second and four behind Dennis Flaherty’s ’01 school record of 33. Flynn also ranks second on the Bullets career charts for pass completions (275), passing yards (3,752), and is third in pass attempts (549).

More on Flynn
Not only is Flynn leading the Centennial Conference in passing (223.7 ypg), but he is also tops in the conference and 37th in Division III in total offense (260.0 ypg). A two-way threat, he is averaging 36.3 yards rushing per game. His 337-yard passing performance against Johns Hopkins marked the first time a Bullet quarterback surpassed 300 yards since Hunter McMillan ’08 threw for 404 yards against Hampden-Sydney in 2005.

Lighting up the Scoreboard
Once again, Gettysburg’s Spread Wing offense is leading the Centennial Conference in numerous categories. The Bullets lead the league in total offense (436.0 ypg), pass offense (246.7 ypg), and third-down conversions (47.6%) and are ranked second in first downs (47).

Scouting Gettysburg
The Bullets have received outstanding balance from their offense thus far, scoring the same number of rushing and receiving touchdowns (six apiece). Sophomore Jamel Mutunga has led the Gettysburg ground game with 89.3 yards per game and two touchdowns while senior Nick McConnell had added 43.3 yards per game and an additional TD. Junior quarterback Matt Flynn has thrown for 223.7 yards per game and five touchdowns this season and has rushed for 36.3 yards per game and a TD. Nine different Bullets have caught a pass this season, with junior wing Ricky Manigat leading the way with 15 receptions for 170 yards. Sophomore wing Charles Curcio has added nine catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns while sophomore receiver Brian Betley has hauled in eight passes for 167 yards and a pair of TDs. Defensively, junior defensive end Josh Jerrold has recorded 3.0 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss. Freshman safety Joe Delaney leads the team with 30 tackles while senior linebacker Dean Staley has made 28 stops.

Head of the Class
With his 27-20 win over Moravian last season, Gettysburg head coach Barry Streeter picked up his 78th Centennial Conference victory, making him the all-time winningest coach in conference history. He passed former Franklin & Marshall coach Tom Gilburg, who won 77 games from 1983-2002. Streeter has gone 80-82-3 in Centennial play since the inception of the conference in 1983.

More on Streeter
Streeter is also 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 a 1995 to take over the career wins lead. Now in his 30th season as head coach, he has a 147-145-5 (.503) career record.

Scouting Muhlenberg
With their win over Union last week, the Mules upped the regular season winning streak to 13. Muhlenberg has received outstanding defense and leads the Centennial Conference in both rushing defense (68.0 ypg) and pass defense (134.0 ypg). The Mule offense, ranked second in scoring (32.5 ppg), is led by senior tailback John DeLuca, the current Centennial Conference rushing leader at 150.5 ypg. Through the team’s first two games, senior quarterback Eric Santagato has passed for 422 yards and five touchdowns while throwing just one interception. He has completed 61.7% of his passes. His favorite target has been junior Phil Cresta, who has caught 12 passes for 227 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Senior linebacker Matt Rathbun leads a defense that has racked up 9.0 sacks, posting a team-leading 16 tackles to with 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, and an interception.

Muhlenberg is coached by Mike Donnelly, now in his 12th year at the helm. He has accumulated a career record of 74-45 and was named the D3football.com regional coach of the year last season after directing the Mules to their first undefeated regular season in the 106-year program history.

Next Week
Gettysburg returns to action next Saturday, when it hosts Ursinus College in another Centennial Conference game starting at 1 p.m. during Family Weekend.

Muhlenberg Week Previews

Today we will start to look ahead to Saturdays road game at Muhlenberg. The following was taken from the D3Football.com Kick-off Edition:

Muhlenberg Mules

Last playoff appearance: 2007
Last year: 11-1, 8-0 CC
Last conference title: 2007
2007 NCAA ranking, total offense: 78
2007 NCAA ranking, total defense: 3
Wins increase from 06-07: Plus-6
Preseason ranking: 8 of 239
Players who started camp: 101
Head coach: Mike Donnelly, 11th year, 72-45
Starters returning: 17 (ten offense, six defense, one specialists)

Position battle to watch: Defensive end. The Mules must replace departed seniors Chris Musselman and Chris Swensen, both of whom were first-team All-Conference. Among those in the running are juniors Ewan Wright and Frank Emmett, but two more juniors may fight for playing time. Jake Floyd has spent time at fullback and the defensive line, but could find a permanent home on the latter. Jeremiah Lachaud impressed Donnelly with his work in the Mules' nickel package, and the coach hopes Lachaud can develop into an every-down player.

Pressure is on: Well, no individual. Expectations were high and the Mules were the preseason pick to finish at the top of the conference, so there is inherent pressure on the team already.

Where did he come from? Though John DeLuca had an excellent season in 2007 -- second in the Centennial with 1,645 rushing yards and first with 17 all-purpose touchdowns -- Donnelly said that many people don't know much about DeLuca and his potential.

Their season will be defined by: The season opener against Wilkes. The two teams had scrimmaged for 11 years, but will now face each other in a meaningful game. The Colonels are just two years removed from an 11-1 season (they dropped to 4-6 in '07, though four losses came by less a touchdown) and are picked fourth in this year's MAC preseason poll.

Predicted record: 10-0, 8-0

Capsule: Muhlenberg's dominating run to the 2007 Centennial title has not hindered expectations for this season. Donnelly plans to combat that by reminding his players that, at the moment, there's only one thing they can control: how they practice. Focusing on the small things -- down to the next rep -- will take care of the bigger things, Donnelly believes. But with 17 starters back, including four All-Conference performers, it's easy to appreciate the Mules' talent. After the graduation of Gettysburg's Tom Sturges, senior John DeLuca now appears to be the top running back in the conference. If there is a hole, it may be at linebacker, where two All-Conference players graduated.

Centennial Conference News

Congratulations to Matt Flynn and Charles Curcio for their recognition on this week's Centennial Conference Honor Roll for their performances in Saturday's game vs. Johns Hopkins.

For more, read this week's Centennial Conference Release which includes a look ahead to this Saturday's roadtrip to Muhlenberg.

Blue Jays Fly By Bullets on Homecoming, 49-37

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Blue Jays Fly By Bullets on Homecoming, 49-37

Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Andrew Kase rushed for 173 yards and tied a school record with four touchdown runs as Johns Hopkins University spoiled Gettysburg’s homecoming, topping the Bullets 49-37 in the Centennial Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at a sunny Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.

The Blue Jays (3-0, 1-0 CC) stayed undefeated with the win while Gettysburg (0-3, 0-1 CC) lost its third straight to open the season. It was also just the second time in the last seven years that the Bullets lost their homecoming game.

Junior quarterback Matt Flynn (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) threw for a career-high 337 yards and four touchdowns on 26-of-39 passing to lead the Bullets. Junior wing Ricky Manigat caught eight passes for 96 yards, both career-highs, while sophomore receiver Brian Betley (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape) had a career-high five receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore wing Charles Curcio (Hammonton, N.J./St. Joseph) added four catches for a career-high 86 yards and two TDs and finished with 178 all-purpose yards.

Sophomore tailback Jamel Mutunga (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) recorded his second-straight 100-yard rushing game for the Bullets, racking up a career-high 119 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries.

Hewitt Tomlin completed 18 of 31 passes for 260 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Johns Hopkins passing attack while Tucker Michels caught seven passes for 96 yards.

It was the second straight shootout for the Bullets, who lost 45-40 to Hampden-Sydney a week ago in which the team teams combined for 1,118 yards of total offense. This week, Gettysburg and the Blue Jays combined for 1,006 total yards, with the Bullets holding a 509-497 edge.

Johns Hopkins took the lead for good on a 26-yard halfback option pass from Dan Crowley to Nick Fazio with 6:26 left in the opening half, making it a 28-21 game. A 25-yard field goal from senior Josh Huson (McLean, Va./McLean) drew the Bullets to within 28-24 at the half, but the Blue Jays pulled away in the second half, scoring the first two touchdowns in the third quarter to open up an 18-point advantage Gettysburg was unable to overcome.

Although the first half was dominated by offense, it actually started with a Gettysburg goal line stand. On the opening drive, the Blue Jays marched 72 yards and set up with a first-and-goal at the Bullet-4. After a three-yard gain on second down, Hopkins had two opportunities to punch it in, but were denied on the run twice. Kase was stuffed on third down before Tomlin was stood up by a host of defenders, including senior defensive end Conor Quinn (Rockville, Md./Richard Montgomery).

An offensive display was in store for the remainder of the half. After the Bullets were forced to punt on their first possession – their only punt of the half – the Blue Jays went 75 yards on 11 yards before Kase ran it in from 2 yards out with 2:08 left in the first quarter, making it 7-0. It was only the start for Kase, who rushed for 116 of his yards in the opening half.

The Bullets answered right back, going 71 yards on six plays, with Curcio catching a pass over the middle and racing down the right sideline for a 48-yard touchdown reception.

Gettysburg took the lead when freshman Brandon Payne (New Castle, Del./William Penn) forced a fumble on the kickoff, and junior Bruce Evans (Atlantic City, N.J./Saint Augustine Prep) pounced on it at the Hopkins-22. Two plays later – the first play of the second quarter – Flynn hit Curcio in the middle of the end zone for a 22-yard scoring strike, making it 14-7.

Kase tied it up for the Blue Jays with a 5-yard touchdown run before Gettysburg went back on top when Flynn launched a 60-yard touchdown pass deep down the right side to Betley, making it 21-14 in favor of the Bullets with 12:28 left in the half. The Blue Jays came back with an 11-play, 69-yard drive that ate up 5:10, and Kase scored his third touchdown of the game from 2 yards out to make it a 21-21 game with 7:17 showing.

Johns Hopkins then capitalized on a Gettysburg turnover, recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. A.J. Safi jarred the ball loose from freshman Ryan Hinton (Florham Park, N.J./Hanover Park) with a vicious hit, and Mike Todisco fell on the pigskin at the Bullet-26. Three plays later, Tomlin fired a lateral to the left flank to Crowley, who lobbed a pass the opposite way to a wide-open Fazio on the right side of the field. Fazio jogged in the final 10 yards for the score, making it 28-21 with 6:26 left in the half.

The Bullets put together a 14-play, 55-yard drive with Huson capping the march with his field goal that deflected off a defender’s fingers before bouncing off the left upright and the crossbar before falling through, making it 28-24 at the half.

Another turnover proved to be costly for the Bullets at the start of the second half. Chris Baldwin made his third interception of the season for the Blue Jays and returned it 33 yards to the Gettysburg-45. Eight plays later, Kase scored his fourth touchdown, this one from 1 yard out as Hopkins extended its lead to 35-24.

After forcing a Bullet punt, the Blue Jays went on another scoring drive, this time moving 59 yards on 10 plays before Tomlin hooked up with David Rokeach for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 3:17 left in the third quarter to make it 42-24.

Gettysburg came up with its first defensive stop of the second half early in the fourth quarter, and on the first play after a Blue Jay punt, Mutunga broke off a 38-yard rush to the Hopkins-43. Five plays later, Flynn found junior wing Michael McInerney (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J./Saint Joseph Regional) in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown pass. Huson’s fourth PAT made it 42-31 with 12:35 left.

After forcing a second straight punt, Gettysburg took over at the Bullet-17 and marched the rest of the field on an 83-yard drive. Mutunga appeared to have run up the middle for a 17-yard touchdown run, lunging over the goal line as he was dragged down, but he was ruled down at the 1-yard line. But he bulled in for the score one play later. However, Flynn’s two-point conversion was incomplete, and Gettysburg trailed 42-37 with 7:44 to go.

The Bullets needed a stop on the Blue Jays ensuing possession, but a big 45-pass from Tomlin to Crowley put Hopkins at the Gettysburg-11. Two plays later, Tomlin gave the Jays some breathing room, connecting with Michels for a 12-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline, setting the final score with 5:22 left.

Gettysburg turned the ball over on downs on its final drive, and the Blue Jays ran out the final 1:49.

Sam Eagleson finished with a game-high 12 tackles for Johns Hopkins while senior linebacker Dean Staley (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) and freshman safety Joe Delaney (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) made 11 tackles apiece. Senior defensive end Josh Jerrold (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury East) also had seven tackles, including 2.0 for loss and one sack.

The Bullets return to action next Saturday, when they visit No. 6-ranked Muhlenberg College in another Centennial Conference showdown starting at 1 p.m.

Now for the Johns Hopkins perspective. The following is taken from their Website:

Kase, Tomlin Lead Hopkins Past Gettysburg, 49-37

Kase Ties JHU Record With Four Rushing Touchdowns in Victory

Box Score

GETTYSBURG, PA - It was Homecoming at Gettysburg on Saturday and the Johns Hopkins offense put on a show for the alumni as junior running back Andrew Kase (Wyomissing, PA/Wyomissing) rushed for 173 yards and tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns and freshman Hewitt Tomlin (Jackson, TN/Trinity Christian) threw for 260 yards and two more scores as the Blue Jays knocked off the Bullets, 49-37, in the Centennial Conference opener for both teams. The win improves Hopkins' record to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the Centennial, while Gettysburg falls to 0-3 overall and 0-1 in the league. The win is the fourth straight for the Blue Jays dating back to last season.

Hopkins led 28-24 at the half and took control with back-to-back touchdowns in the third quarter. A Chris Baldwin (Southampton, NJ/Bishop Eustace) interception on Gettysburg's first drive of the second half set the Blue Jays up at the Gettysburg 45. Eight plays and a pair of third-down conversions later Kase went in from a yard out to extend the lead to 35-24. It was that touchdown that tied the JHU single-game school record for rushing touchdowns.

After forcing the Bullets to punt for the first time on their next possession, Tomlin directed a nifty 10-play, 59-yard drive that he capped with a 16-yard touchdown pass to junior David Rokeach (Colonie, Ny/Christian Brothers Academy) on a third-and-11 play. The Blue Jays converted three third-down opportunities on the drive, including a 12-yard run by Kase on a third-and-six near midfield. Rokeach's touchdown gave the Blue Jays what appeared was a comfortable 42-24 lead entering the final quarter.

The Bullets had other ideas and sliced the 18-point deficit to five with a pair of touchdowns in the first 7:16 of the fourth quarter. A 12-yard touchdown pass from Matt Flynn (Northfield, NJ/Mainland) to Mike McInerney (Hasbrouch Heights, NJ/St. Joseph) made it 42-31 with 12:35 to play and a one-yard run by Jamel Mutunga (Bel Air, MD/Bel Air) just under five minutes later made it 42-37. Flynn's pass on the two-point attempt after Mutunga's touchdown sailed out of the back of the end zone.

Needing a time-consuming drive to put the game away, the Blue Jays instead went for the knockout punch and needed just five plays to go 60 yards in 2:15 to seal their sixth win in their last seven road games. Tomlin hit sophomore Dan Crowley (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) on a 45-yard pass on the second play of the drive and hit Tucker Michels (Allendale, NJ/Northern Highlands) from 12 yards out three plays later to make it 49-37.

The frenetic pace started right away as the Blue Jays led 7-0 after Kase's two-yard touchdown run capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive late in the first quarter. That lead lasted for less than three minutes as the high-octane Bullet offense got untracked and needed just 1:53 to answer. Charles Curcio (Hammonton, NJ/St. Joseph) caught the first of his two touchdowns in a span of 26 seconds - a 48-yard screen pass from Flynn - to pull the Bullets even and added a 22-yard scoring reception two plays later after Gettysburg recovered a fumble on the kickoff after his first touchdown.

The Blue Jays scored three of the next four touchdowns to take a 28-21 lead with just over six minutes remaining in the first half. Kase, who ended the first half with 116 yards and three touchdowns, sandwiched scoring runs of five and two yards around a 60-yard touchdown pass from Flynn to Brian Betley (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) to make it 21-21 with 7:17 remaining before halftime.

Kase's second touchdown, which came on a sprint to the corner of the end zone on fourth-and-goal, capped an 11-play, 69-yard drive to knot the game.

A great open-field tackle by freshman A.J. Safi (Allentown, PA/Salisbury) on the ensuing kickoff forced a fumble that the Blue Jays came up with at the Gettysburg 26-yard line. Three plays later head coach Jim Margraff pulled out a trick play as Tomlin fired a lateral to Crowley, who in turn through all the way back across the field to a wide open Nick Fazio (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) inside the five yard line and Fazio easily scored the touchdown that gave the Blue Jays the lead for good at 28-21.

A Josh Huson (McLean, VA/McLean) 25-yard field goal with 1:12 remaining in the first half cut the deficit to 28-24 and Gettysburg had the first possession of the second half, but Baldwin's interception ignited the two-touchdown surge for the Blue Jays, who improve to 3-0 for the fifth time in seven years with the win.

Kase is the first Johns Hopkins running back to rush for four touchdowns in a game since 1990 and his 173-yard effort is the second-best of his career. He is just the fourth player to rush for four touchdowns in a game at Johns Hopkins and he jumped to 13th on JHU's career rushing list as he now has 1,653 yards in his career. Tomlin's 260 yards passing are the most by a Johns Hopkins freshman since Margraff threw for 269 against then Western Maryland in 1978. His 260 yards are the third-most ever by a Johns Hopkins freshman.

Michels had seven receptions for 96 yards and the one score, while sophomore D.J. Hartigan (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) added five receptions for 53 yards. Crowley threw the one touchdown and added three receptions for 67 yards as the Blue Jays rolled up 286 yards through the air and 211 on the ground.

Flynn was 26-of-39 for a career-high 337 yards with the four touchdown passes and Mutunga added a career-high 119 yards rushing and the one touchdown to fuel a Gettysburg offense that rolled up 509 yards of total offense.

The 49-point effort is the third-highest for the Blue Jays in the 36-game series with Gettysburg and marks the third straight game JHU has scored 34 or more points. This is the first time Johns Hopkins has scored 34 or more points in three straight games since early in the 2000 season.

Johns Hopkins will return to action next Saturday when the Blue Jays play at Moravian. The Greyhounds improve to 3-0 on the year with a 23-16 win at Lebanon Valley earlier today.

Friday Notes and News

First off, this is from The Centennial Conference "Friday Tailgate":

Johns Hopkins (2-0) at Gettysburg (0-2)
Video: Pay-per-View. Radio: none. Live Stats: Yes

The Bullets lead the all-time series, 20-13-2 ... Hopkins has won six of the last seven games at the Battlefield, but Gettysburg won the last meeting in 2006 ... Hopkins freshman QB Hewitt Tomlin completed 19-of-39 passes for 195 yards and three TDs vs. Randolph-Macon ... RB Andrew Kase had 95 yards rushing and scored the game-winning touchdown in the 3rd overtime ... Hopkins is 4-for-4 in red zone scoring this season ... DB Chris Baldwin and LB Colin Wixted are 1-2 in the CC in tackles ... Gettysburg amassed 475 yards of total offense, but surrendered 643 to the high-powered Hampden-Sydney "O" ... the 1,118 combined yards is the third-highest single-game total in Centennial history, while the 40 points in the third-highest total by a team in a loss in CC annals ... P Brian Betley leads the Conference with a 40.8 yard average ... DB Joe Delaney and LB Tim Widdoes are 2-4 in the CC in tackles.

The following was taken from today's Harrisburg Patriot-News:

JOHNS HOPKINS AT GETTYSBURG:
After losing its season opener at Lebanon Valley, Gettysburg piled up plenty of offense in its home opener, but still lost to Hampden-Sydney 45-40 Saturday. The Bullets (0-2) will open Centennial play by hosting unbeaten Johns Hopkins (2-0) in a 1 p.m. game Saturday. Gettysburg tailback Nick McConnell (Cedar Crest) cut Hampden-Sydney's margin to five with a late TD in the closing minutes, but the visitors covered the ensuing onside kick, preventing the Bullets from having a shot at the winning score.

Johns Hopkins-Gettysburg Football Notes

The following preview was taken from the Johns Hopkins Website:

Johns Hopkins-Gettysburg Football Notes

Blue Jays, Bullets Meet for 36th Time - JHU Looking for Fifth 3-0 Start in Last Seven Years

Sept. 17, 2008

Johns Hopkins-Gettysburg Football Notes in PDF Format

The Game: Johns Hopkins (2-0) hits the road for the second of three straight road games as the Blue Jays travel to Gettysburg (0-2). This is the Centennial Conference-opener for both teams.

A Look Back: Johns Hopkins erased an early 14-0 deficit and knocked off Randolph-Macon, 39-31, in triple overtime last Saturday in Ashland, Virginia. Gettysburg rolled up 40 points and 475 yards of total offense, but dropped a 45-40 decision at home against Hampden-Sydney.

The Coaches: Johns Hopkins is coached by Jim Margraff `82, who is in his 19th season as the head coach at Homewood. Margraff is JHU's all-time leader in games won (113) and coached (185) and he enters the game with a career record of 113-69-3 (.619). More information about Jim Margraff can be found on the second page of this week's game notes.
The Dean of Centennial Conference head coaches, Barry Streeter is now in his 29th season as the head coach at Gettysburg. Streeter sports an all-time record of 147-144-5 and has guided the Bullets to three Centennial Conference Championships. He is the all-time winningest coach in league history (by victories) with an 80-81-3 all-time record in Centennial Conference games.

Captain, My Captain: In a vote of his teammates, junior running back Andrew Kase was selected to serve as the team captain for the Blue Jays this season. According to records in the Johns Hopkins Sports Information Office, he is the first player to serve as a solo captain for the Blue Jay football team since 1983 (Francis Mullan).

On This Date: Johns Hopkins has played four previous games on September 20 and sports a 2-2 record in those four games. The Blue Jays have won two straight games played on this date, including a 24-0 win against Randolph-Macon (2003) in their last outing on September 20.

Road Openers: Johns Hopkins ran its winning streak to eight games in road-openers with last week's 39-31 triple overtime victory at Randolph-Macon. The Blue Jays last lost their first road game of the season in 2000, when they fell to Washington & Lee (32-19).

Road Warriors: Last week's win at Randolph-Macon was JHU's fourth straight win away from Homewood Field and improved the Blue Jays' record to 5-1 in road games since the start of the 2007 season. JHU's only loss on the road since the start of last season was a tough 28-21 setback at eventual league champion Muhlenberg last September. JHU is 27-10 on the road since the start of the 2001 season.

September Reign: Johns Hopkins is 23-9 in the month of Septmeber since the start of the 2000 season and 34-14 since the start of the 1995 season.

Streaking: Since the start of the 2002 season the Blue Jays sport a 47-19 (.712) record. Taking it back farther the Blue Jays are 53-22 (.707) since the start of the 2001 season and 58-27 (.682) since the begininng of the 2000 season. The 58 wins the Blue Jays have amassed this decade are already the most wins in a decade in school history. The previous record of 55 wins came in the 1990s.

Working Overtime: The 39-31 overtime win at Randolph-Macon was JHU's first overtime game since a 21-14 win at Washington & Lee in the 2002 season-opener (one overtime period). The Blue Jays are also now 2-2 all-time in overtime and all four extra-session games the Blue Jays have played in their history have been on the road.

Centennial Openers: Johns Hopkins has been one of the most successul teams in the Centennial Conference in league openers as the Blue Jays have won 14 of their last 17 Centennial openers and are 14-4 under head coach Jim Margraff in CC lid lifters. JHU's record in Centennial openers before Margraff took over in 1990 was 1-6 and JHU's overall record in such games (15-10) ranks as the second-best in league history. Only Franklin & Marshall, which fashions a 17-8 all-time record in Centennial-openers, sports a better record than Johns Hopkins.

In the Zone: Johns Hopkins was by far the most effective offensive team in the Centennial Conference in the red zone during the 2007 season. The Blue Jays finished the year 25-of-27 (92.6%) on the year with 17 touchdowns and eight field goals to their credit. The Blue Jays are a perfect 4-of-4 on trips to the red zone through two games and are now 29-of-31 (.935) since the start of the 2007 season.

34+: Johns Hopkins scored 34 points in the season-opening win against St. Lawrence (34-3) and added 39 in last week's triple overtime victory against Randolph-Macon (39-31). This marks the first time Johns Hopkins has scored 34 points or more in back-to-back games since posting back-to-back wins against Rochester (34-17) and Kean (35-17) to open the 2004 season. JHU has not scored 34 or more points in three straight games since early in the 2000 season.

Seven's Heaven: Since the beginning of the 2003 season the Blue Jays are 38-12 when scoring more than seven points and 0-5 when they have been held to seven points or less.

Defense Strikes Again: Freshman Tyler Brown returned a fumble 22 yards for a touchdown last week after sacking Randolph-Macon quarterback Brandon Braner late in the third quarter. That gives the Blue Jays four defensive touchdowns in two games this season and six non-offensive touchdowns in the last three games dating back to last season (five defensive and one kickoff return).

It's All Academic: Johns Hopkins has earned 26 CoSIDA Academic All-District selections since 2003. JHU's 26 selections in that time are more than the other CC football-playing schools combined (22). Taking it back even farther, Johns Hopkins has earned 52 CoSIDA Academic All-District selections since 1991. During that time the other CC football-playing schools have combined for exactly 52 selections as well.Johns Hopkins has had at least three players earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors every year since 2001.

Bullets, Blue Jays Set to Clash in Homecoming Duel

The following Homecoming Game preview is taken from the Gettysburg College Website:

Bullets, Blue Jays Set to Clash in Homecoming Duel

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Conference Opener
Saturday’s game marks the start of a new season of sorts for both Gettysburg (0-2) and Johns Hopkins (2-0), as the two squads play their Centennial Conference opener this afternoon. Gettysburg has captured two of its last three conference openers, including a 41-10 victory at Johns Hopkins last season and a 20-17 win over McDaniel in 2005. The Blue Jays are seeking their first win in a conference opener since 2005, when they defeated Dickinson 35-14.

Game Coverage
A live webcast of Saturday's game, with Josh Scheinblum '10 calling the action, is available on a pay-per-view basis at http://www.gettysburgsports.com/member/bridge.asp?url=/member/aa_signup.aspx.

Welcome Home!
Gettysburg is holding its Homecoming festivities this weekend, and at halftime of Saturday’s game, the newest members of College’s Hall of Athletic Honor will be recognized before they are officially inducted later in the evening. The 2008 HOAH class will consist of Frieda Behrens Wyant ’95 (cross country, track & field), Jason Dell ’95 (wrestling), Jacquie Gatti Truluck ’94 (women’s basketball, softball), Stan Gray ’77 (baseball, football), and Jack Hathaway ’59 (men’s basketball, men’s soccer).

Series Notes
Gettysburg leads Johns Hopkins 20-13-2 in the all-time series that dates back to 1911. The Bullets have won each of the last two meetings following an 11-game winning streak by the Blue Jays from 1995-2005. Prior to that, Gettysburg had won 16 of the 17 meetings from 1949-94.

Home, Sweet Home
Gettysburg has enjoyed outstanding success at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium in recent history, winning 11 of their last 14 games at home. The Bullets were 3-2 on their home turf last season after going 5-0 in 2006 and 4-1 in 2005.

Last Time Out
Gettysburg piled up 475 yards of total offense, including 260 on the ground, but came up short in a 45-40 loss to Hampden-Sydney in the Bullets home opener last Saturday. Gettysburg trailed by as much as 12 late in the game but cut it to five following a 1-yard touchdown run from senior tailback Nick McConnell with 1:35 left. But the Tigers smothered the ensuing on-side kick to seal their victory. Sophomore tailback Jamel Mutunga led Gettysburg’s rushing attack, tying a career-high with 114 yards and one touchdown in his second collegiate start. The Bullets also received a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown by sophomore cornerback John Dickerson and a 22-yard touchdown pass from sophomore holder Billy Giannone to junior tight end A.J. Perrotti on a faked field goal.

Johns Hopkins is coming off a thrilling 39-31 triple-overtime victory at Randolph-Macon a week ago. Junior running back Andrew Case scored on a 3-yard run on the Blue Jays third overtime possession, and Hopkins was forced to go for two per the NCAA two-point conversion rule in the third OT. Freshman quarterback Hewitt Tomlin then found sophomore tight end Brian Hopkins for the conversion pass. Sophomore safety Mike Mahon sealed the Blue Jays victory when he intercepted a pass in the end zone on Randolph-Macon’s ensuing possession. Tomlin finished the day with 195 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions on 19-of-39 passing while Kase totaled 95 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries. Hopkins fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter but got back into it with a 21-0 run over the second and third quarters.

Last Season’s Game
Gettysburg raced out to a 28-0 lead and never looked back, defeating Johns Hopkins University 41-10 on a Friday night in Baltimore. Tailback Tom Sturges ’08 rushed for 148 yards on 31 carries while quarterback Matt Flynn ran for a career-high 119 yards and two touchdowns on just eight attempts, marking the first time a Gettysburg quarterback rushed for 100 yards in four years. Flynn also completed 7 of 14 passes for 128 yards and an additional touchdown. Gettysburg held a 461-224 advantage in total yards and held the Blue Jays to 74 yards on the ground. Running back Phil Roberts led Johns Hopkins with 64 yards on 14 carries.

Rule Changes
The NCAA has instituted two clock rule changes this year. The play clock will now start at 40 seconds from the moment the previous play is blown dead; however, a 25-second clock will be used if play is stopped for an administrative purpose, such as after a timeout or at the start of a quarter. Also changing is the start of the game clock after out-of-bounds plays - the game clock will now start when the ball is marked ready for play, not when it’s snapped (except in the final two minutes of play). Other rule changes this season include banning horsecollar tackles, the elimination of the five-yard facemask penalty, and the elimination of the sideline warning (it’s now a five-yard penalty with no warning). Finally, the penalty for a kick-off out of bounds has been changed to give the receiving team the ball 30 yards from the spot of the kick-off.

Scouting Gettysburg
The Bullets, who have led the Centennial Conference in numerous offensive categories in recent years, have flexed their muscle again in the early going this season, ranking third in conference in both total offense (399.5 ypg) and rushing offense (198.0 ypg). Sophomore Jamel Mutunga has led the Bullets ground game, averaging 74.5 yards per game while senior Nick McConnell has posted 62.5 yards per outing. Both players are averaging over 4.5 yards per carry. Flynn, who has thrown for 334 yards on 25-of-50 passing, has connected with seven different receivers this season, and junior wing Ricky Manigat leads the way with 74 yards on seven catches. The Bullets have also received solid play from their punters, as sophomore Brian Betley and freshman Rob Pennella have combined to average a Centennial Conference-leading 38.7 yards per punt. Freshman safety Joe Delaney leads Gettysburg’s defense with 19 tackles while junior linebacker Tim Widdoes has recorded 18 stops.

Gettysburg is coached by Barry Streeter, who is the all-time winningest coach in Centennial Conference history with 80 victories in league play. With an overall career record of 147-144-5, he is also Gettysburg's all-time winningest coach and is 10th among active coaches by victories in Division III.

Scouting Johns Hopkins
The Blue Jays are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2005. In their season opener, the Jays defeated St. Lawrence 34-3 in Baltimore. Despite yielding a 641-447 advantage in total yards, Hopkins has outscored its opponents 73-34, thanks in large part to their Centennial Conference-leading +6 turnover margin. The Blue Jay defense has accounted for nine forced fumbles and six interceptions and have turned four turnovers into touchdowns. Senior safety Chris Baldwin, who leads the team with 22 tackles, has accounted for three of those touchdowns, scoring on both of his interceptions and his only fumble recovery. Junior running back Andrew Case has scored Hopkins only two rushing touchdowns and is averaging 80.5 yards rushing per game while four different players have caught the Blue Jays four touchdown passes. Sophomore kicker Alex Lachman has been perfect thus far, going 8-for-8 on PATs and making his only field goal attempt.

Johns Hopkins is coached by Jim Margraff, who is 113-69-3 in his 19th season at the helm. He is the third-winningest coach in Centennial Conference history with a 72-47-2 mark in league games.

Next Week
Gettysburg returns to action next Saturday, when it pays a visit to defending Centennial Conference champion Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa. Kickoff is set for 1:00.

Johns Hopkins Week

As we prepare to enter the Centennial Conference portion of our schedule, following is the first in this weeks' series of previews of the upcoming Conference opener with the Johns Hopkins Bluejays.

The following was taken from the D3Football.com Kick-off Edition:

Johns Hopkins Blue Jays

Last playoff appearance: 2005
Last year: 4-6, 3-5 CC
Last conference title: 2005
2007 NCAA ranking, total offense: 165
2007 NCAA ranking, total defense: 81
Wins increase from 06-07: Minus-1
Preseason ranking: 53 of 239
Players who started camp: 88
Head coach: Jim Margraff, 19th year, 111-69-3
Starters returning: 20 (11 offense, seven defense, two specialists)

Position battle to watch: Quarterback, again. Michael Murray started nine games in 2007, but could face challenges from Max Islinger, among others. Margraff said he hopes to have the starter decided before camp breaks and has little interest in a platoon.

Pressure is on: Linebackers Colin Wixted and A.J. Albert. Both were starters for much of last season, Wixted as a sophomore and Albert as a freshman. But most of the players around them will be new, and it will be up to Wixted and Albert to keep the defense moving.

Where did he come from? Sophomore wide receiver D.J. Hartigan arrived at Hopkins in a knee brace, the result of knee surgery that Hartigan underwent during the spring of his senior year in high school. He didn't play as a freshman, but Margaff is hoping he can be a factor this season.

Their season will be defined by: The Centennial Conference opener at Gettysburg on Sept. 20. Because of all the new faces, Margraff likened the Blue Jays' nonconference games (home against St. Lawrence, on the road against Randolph-Macon) as preseason games. He hopes the young players will be up to speed by the time Hopkins meets the Bullets.

Predicted record: 4-6, 3-5

Capsule: Margraff takes heart in the fact that two seasons ago, Muhlenberg went 3-7. The Mules took off last season with a conference title and a win in the playoffs. The lesson: Dramatic turnarounds are possible. If such a rebound is to happen for the Blue Jays, it will likely be led by the offense, which returns 10 of its 11 starters, including all five linemen. The unit must improve from last year, when Hopkins was eighth in the conference in total offense. Having a proven kicker will help. Alex Lachman was first-team All-Conference and hit the longest field goal of anyone in the conference (44 yards). The challenge will come in a defense that was in the middle of the road statistically, but returns just four starters.

Game Photos

Be sure to check out Bill Dowling's Website for the excellent photos he took during this past Saturday's game. 121 football pictures, 22 cheerleader pictures, and 42 band pictures.

We appreciate your great work Bill!

Go Bullets!!!

Centennial Conference News

Congratulations to Jamel Mutunga and John Dickerson for their recognition on this week's Centennial Conference Honor Roll for their performances in Saturday's game vs. Hampden-Sydney.

For more, read this week's Centennial Conference Release which includes a look ahead to this Saturday's Homecoming contest vs. Johns Hopkins.

Go Bullets!!!

Bullets Drop Shootout in Home Opener, 45-40

Following are some recaps from yesterday's game pulled from around the Web.

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Bullets Drop Shootout in Home Opener, 45-40

Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Josh Simpson rushed for 190 yards and four touchdowns while Corey Sedlar threw for 424 yards and a pair of TDs on 29-of-38 passing as Hampden-Sydney College spoiled Gettysburg’s home opener, topping the Bullets 45-40 in an offensive slugfest Saturday afternoon at a hot and humid Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.

The Gettysburg-Hampden-Sydney series has featured numerous shootouts in recent history and Saturday’s contest was no different. The two teams combined for 1,118 yards of total offense, with the Tigers out-gaining the Bullets 643-475.

With the game tied 21-21 at the half, Hampden-Sydney (2-0) took the lead for good on a Simpson 1-yard touchdown run with 11:29 left in the third quarter. The Tigers pushed their lead to as much as 12 late in the game, but the Bullets (0-2) pulled to within five with 1:35 remaining following a 1-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Nick McConnell (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest). However, Gettysburg failed to recover the ensuing onside kick and with no timeouts left, the Bullets were unable to stop the Tigers from running out the rest of the clock.

McConnell, one of four Bullets to score a rushing touchdown, finishing with 52 yards on 13 carries while sophomore tailback Jamel Mutunga (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) tied a career-high with 114 yards on 21 carries and an additional TD. Junior quarterback Matt Flynn (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) (seven carries, 63 yards) and sophomore wing Charles Curcio (Hammonton, N.J./St. Joseph) (three carries, 22 yards) also rushed for one touchdown apiece.

Flynn finished with 164 yards through the air on 12-of-21 passing while sophomore Gavin Jablonski (Allenwood, N.J./Wall) grabbed four passes for 76 yards. Junior tight end A.J. Perrotti (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) added three receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Sedlar made exceptional use of a deep receiving corps, hitting 11 different players with his passes. Simpson was also the team’s leading receiver, snaring eight passes for 95 yards to finish with 285 all-purpose yards.

Sedlar was on fire in the early going, completing his first 13 passes to help stake the Tigers to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. However, his 14th pass was picked off by sophomore cornerback John Dickerson (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional), who returned it 43 yards down the left sideline, making it 14-14 with 10:38 left in the opening half.

Prior to Dickerson’s pick – the first of his collegiate career – Curcio put the Bullets on the scoreboard with his 6-yard touchdown run, kicking off a 21-0 Gettysburg run. Midway through the quarter, the Bullets drove to the Tiger-22, where the drive stalled. But that’s where Gettysburg reached into its bag of tricks, as sophomore holder Billy Giannone (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) hit Perrotti with a 22-yard touchdown pass on a fake 39-yard field goal attempt, giving Gettysburg its only lead of the game at 21-14 following senior Josh Huson’s (McLean, Va./McLean) third extra point. It was the first collegiate touchdown pass for Giannone and the first career TD reception for Perrotti.

The Tigers put together a quick nine-play, 77-yard drive just before the end of the half, with Sedlar connecting with tight end Connor Oliver for an 11-yard touchdown strike with 16 ticks showing to pull the visitors even at the break.

After Simpson’s go-ahead score early in the second half, Mutunga pulled the Bullets to within one midway through the third quarter, punching it in from 1-yard out. However, Huson pushed the PAT wide right after Gettysburg was called for a false start, tacking on an extra five yards on the attempt.

Hampden-Sydney then gave itself some breathing room with a 10-0 spurt. Simpson bulled in for his third 1-yard touchdown with 2:25 left in the third quarter before T.C. Stevens knocked through a 33-yard field goal with 9:32 to go in the game to push the Tigers advantage to 38-27.

After a HSC kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Bullets the ball at their own 40, Gettysburg needed only five plays to march 60 yards to paydirt. Highlighting the drive were a pair of big runs by Flynn, including a 19-yard scamper that had an additional nine yards tacked on due to a personal foul for a late hit out of bounds that moved the ball to the Tiger-9. On the next play, Flynn sprinted up the middle and into the end zone, making it a 38-33 game with 7:58 to go. Flynn’s two-point conversion pass attempt was intercepted by safety Thomas Hovis.

The Bullets nearly caught a break on the ensuing Hampden-Sydney drive, when receiver Kyle Vance caught a deep ball over the middle but fumbled at the Gettysburg-11. The Bullets pounced on the loose ball, but officials ruled Vance to be down, resulting in a first down following the 47-yard play. Four plays later, the Tigers went for it on a fourth-and-1 at 2-yard line, and Sedlar dropped off a 2-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Morgan, giving Hampden-Sydney a 45-33 lead with 4:45 on the clock.

Gettysburg drove deep into Tiger territory on its next possession, getting a big 37-yard pass from Flynn to Perrotti, but safety Bill Doody quelled the threat when he intercepted Flynn at the Hampden-Sydney-13. However, the Bullets forced the Tigers to go three-and-out, and after the team used up its final two timeouts, sophomore Anthony DeSalva (Redding, Conn./Joel Barlow) got a hand on a Tiger punt. The ball sputtered to a stop at the Hampden-Sydney 35, giving the Bullets new life.

Giannone then came on at quarterback and hit Jablonski right away with a 29-yard pass to the Tiger-6. McConnell took the next three hand-offs, the last resulting in his touchdown that set the final score following Huson’s fourth PAT. It was also his first collegiate touchdown.

Freshman safety Joe Delaney (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) led Gettysburg’s defense with 13 tackles while junior linebacker Tim Widdoes (Newark, Del./St. Mark’s) made 12 stops.

The Bullets return home next Saturday, when they host Johns Hopkins University in their Centennial Conference opener during Homecoming weekend.

Now, from the Hampden-Sydney Website:

CLUTCH PLAYS LATE SPUR H-SC IN 45-40 VICTORY

Tigers use key performances from unheralded players to down Gettysburg

Game Box Score

GETTYSBURG, PA (September 13, 2008)–Expectations of the Tiger football team were both met and exceeded in Hampden-Sydney’s 45-40 victory over feisty Gettysburg College on Saturday afternoon.

Hampden-Sydney fans have become rather accustomed to premier production from offensive stalwarts Corey Sedlar (Richmond, VA/Mills Godwin) and Josh Simpson (Richmond, VA/Mills Godwin). On Saturday at Musselman Stadium in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Sedlar turned in a mammoth performance, throwing for 424 yards and two touchdowns on 29-of-38 accuracy, while Simpson again was ultra effective with the ball in his grasp tallying 190 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries in addition to corralling eight passes for 95 yards.

Perhaps unexpected, but certainly not lost in the shuffle, were some clutch performances at key junctures by several Tiger role players.

Down the stretch, the Tigers (2-0) needed three big plays from three lesser known members of their roster to hold off the Bullets (0-2).

With Hampden-Sydney clinging to a 38-33 lead and needing a big play at its own 42-yard line with 7:53 remaining in the game, freshman wide out Kyle Vance (Onley, VA/Broadwater Academy) put the Tigers in prime position at the Bullets’ 11-yard line with a 47-yard, over-the-shoulder catch of a Sedlar bomb.

Four plays later, the Tigers converted on fourth-and-one from the Gettysburg two-yard line when Sedlar faked to Simpson and found T.J. Morgan (Chesterfield, VA/Manchester) in the short flat. Morgan collected the Sedlar delivery and bullied his way into the end zone to extend Hampden-Sydney’s lead back to double digits, 45-33, with 4:45 remaining.

On Gettysburg’s ensuing possession, junior safety Bill Doody (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Cardinal Gibbons) stepped in front of Bullets’ quarterback Matt Flynn’s toss down the right sideline for a critical interception, halting Gettysburg’s rebuttal at the Tiger 13-yard line.

Those three plays exemplified the type of team effort utilized by the Tigers all afternoon, and were three big reasons that Hampden-Sydney now enters week three of the season unblemished.

Hampden-Sydney appeared to be on their way to a rout in the early going, jumping out to a 14-0 lead with 14:35 to play in the first half courtesy of two short Simpson touchdown plunges. After Gettysburg closed within 14-7 following a Charles Curcio six-yard run with 10:38 to play, Sedlar committed his only mistake of the contest, throwing an errant swing pass in the direction of Simpson that was picked off by the Bullets’ John Dickerson and returned 43 yards for the tying score.

Five minutes later, the Bullets used a page from Marty Favret’s playbook, perfectly executing a fake field goal that resulted in a 22-yard A.J. Perrotti touchdown reception from holder Billy Giannone, giving Gettysburg their only lead of the afternoon, 21-14.

Hampden-Sydney regained possession of the football, trailing by seven, with 1:30 left before the half. Sedlar connected with Travis Wertz (Boyds, MD/Damascus) for 21 yards to the Tiger 44-yard line, then with Simpson for 23 yards several plays later to the Bullets’ 22 before capping the nine-play, 77-yard drive with an 11-yard TD toss to tight end Connor Oliver (Richmond, VA/Deep Run), knotting the score at 21 at half.

The Tigers’ defense held Gettysburg on its first possession of the second half and Simpson added his third touchdown of the game by way of a one-yard rumble to put Hampden-Sydney back in front, 28-21, with 11:29 remaining in the third quarter. Gettysburg drew within one on a Jamel Matunga one-yard run three minutes later, but Hampden-Sydney responded with an impressive 12-play, 70 yard drive and took a 35-27 lead on Simpson's fourth and final touchdown jaunt of the contest, another one-yard plunge.

A T.C. Stevens (Alton, VA/Halifax) 33-yard field goal extended the Hampden-Sydney advantage to 38-27 with 9:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Gettysburg answered quickly, going 60 yards in just five plays and 1:34 on its next possession, cutting the deficit to five, 38-33, following Flynn's nine-yard touchdown run.

That set the stage for Hampden-Sydney's unsung heroics.

Vance, who did not see action in Hampden-Sydney's opening week victory, came up huge when he outran single coverage and settled under Sedlar's pass on Hampden-Sydney's next possession, slowing down just enough to pull down the football and swing the momentum back into the Tigers' favor.

Simpson tried unsuccessfully to reach the end zone on Hampden-Sydney's next three plays, and after a Gettysburg timeout before the fourth-and-one from the two, Morgan made his second reception of the game count in the pressure situation.

Doody, who registered a team-high 11 tackles, read Flynn to perfection minutes later, ranging smoothly to his right and cradling the pass attempt to give Hampden-Sydney the all-important possession with 3:33 remaining and a 12-point lead.

Hampden-Sydney amassed 643 yards of total offense and held a 5:08 advantage in time of possession. The explosive offensive performance was highlighted by the contributions of many, as 11 different Tigers registered at least one reception. Oliver hauled in four passes for 77 yards and that touchdown while junior Craig Warnement (Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Catholic) caught three balls for 61 yards.

Defensively, Thomas Hovis (Richmond, VA/St. Christopher's) made seven stops in addition to a fumble recovery while Trevor Ikwild (Philomont, VA/Loudoun Valley) also notched seven tackles from his linebacker position.

Flynn turned in a great performance for Gettysburg, completing 12-of-21 passes for 164 yards and rushing seven times for 59 yards and a touchdown. Mutunga led the way on the ground for the Bullets with 115 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries while Gavin Jablonski caught four passes for 76 yards.

The Tigers will return to action in their home opener on Saturday, September 20 as they host the Monarchs of King's College. Kick-off is scheduled for 1 pm. Fans can tune into the live broadcast of Tiger football at 12:45 pm on 95.7 WFLO-FM or by accessing the live webcast at www.hsc.edu/athletics/football.

Friday Previews

First, here's some tidbits about this weekend's action from the Centennial Conference's "The Friday Tailgate":

Hampden-Sydney at Gettysburg, 1:00
Video: Gettysburg pay-per-view. Radio: WFLO-FM. Live Stats: Yes.
The Bullets and the Tigers meet for the 21st time in a series that dates to 1982 ... H-SC holds a 13-7 advantage with wins in nine of the last 10 contests ... Gettysburg's only victory in that stretch came in 2006 (28-20) at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium ... the Bullets are 11-2 at home since 2006 ... Gettysburg's opened the year with a 19-13 loss at Lebanon Valley ... QB Matt Flynn is now second on the career passing yardage list at G'burtg with 3,251 yards ... Hampden-Sydney started with a 33-23 win at North Carolina Wesleyan ... TB Josh Simpson piled up 338 all-purpose yards and scored four TDs, while QB Corey Sadler threw for 270 yards and two scores.

From today's Harrisburg Patriot-News:

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY AT GETTYSBURG:
Gettysburg will attempt to snap back from a 19-13 season-opening loss at Lebanon Valley. Hampden-Sydney, meanwhile, opened with a 33-23 win at North Carolina Wesleyan. Last season in Hampden-Sydney, Va., the host Tigers rolled to a 33-0 halftime lead and coasted home for a 54-7 win over Gettysburg. Gettysburg junior QB Matt Flynn moved to second on the Bullets' all-time passing list with 3,251 yards and 25 TDs on a 188-yard, one-touchdown performance against Lebanon Valley. Senior running back Nick McConnell (Cedar Crest) had a career-high 73 yards on 14 carries against the Dutchmen.

Bullets to Face Hampden-Sydney in Home Opener

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Football to Face Hampden-Sydney in Home Opener

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Home Opener
Gettysburg plays its 2008 home opener on Saturday as it hosts the Hampden-Sydney College Tigers in a non-conference affair. The Bullets have won their last three home openers, topping Lebanon Valley (49-25) last season, Hampden-Sydney (28-20) in 2006 and Lebanon Valley (34-27) in 2005. The Bullets have not lost their home opener since their 59-16 loss to the Tigers in 2004.

Game Coverage
A live audio/video webcast of Saturday’s game is available at http://www.gettysburgsports.com/member/bridge.asp?url=/member/aa_signup.aspx on a pair-per view basis. Josh Scheinblum ’10 will call the action. Livestats will also be available at http://sidearmstats.com/gettysburg/football/xlive.htm.

Series Notes
Hampden-Sydney holds a 13-7 lead in the all-time series that dates back to 1982 and has won nine of the last 10 meetings. Gettysburg’s only win over Hampden-Sydney since 1998 was a 28-20 victory in 2006, the last time the two teams met in Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium. Prior to that game, the Tigers had won the previous eight meetings. The home team won the first seven games of the series before the Bullets won 25-7 at Hampden-Sydney in 1995.

Home, Sweet Home
Gettysburg has enjoyed incredible success at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium in recent history, winning 11 of their last 13 games at home. The Bullets were 3-2 on their home turf last season after going 5-0 in 2006 and 4-1 in 2005.

Last Time Out
Despite a stirring second-half comeback, the Bullets were unable to overcome a 19-0 deficit and dropped its season-opener at Lebanon Valley, falling 19-13 last Saturday in a non-conference showdown. Gettysburg moved 70 yards on a pair of long passing plays in the final minute to move to the LVC-25, but the Bullets next four passes into the end zone were incomplete. Gettysburg scored its first points of the season on a 3-yard touchdown run from junior wing Ricky Manigat with 7:28 left in the third quarter, and a 26-yard touchdown pass from junior Matt Flynn to sophomore Brian Betley pulled the Bullets to within six. Flynn threw for 170 yards on 13-of-29 passing while Betley caught three passes for 77 yards. Senior Nick McConnell came off the bench to rush for a career-high 73 yards on 14 carries, and sophomore defensive tackle Sebastian Sullivan led the defense with a career-high nine tackles.

On the strength of a phenomal day from senior tailback Josh Simpson, Hampden-Sydney opened its season with a 33-23 victory at North Carolina Wesleyan on Sunday in a non-conference outing in a game that was pushed back one day due to Tropical Strom Hanna. Simpson, who piled up 338 all-purpose yards and scored four touchdowns, gave the Tigers the lead for good when his 4-yard touchdown run made it 19-16 with 8:14 left in the opening half. Simpson hauled in a 65-yard touchdown pass 2:20 before the end of the half to give the Tigers a 26-16 lead at the break, and after his team yielded a third-quarter touchdown, he set the final score with a 17-yard touchdown run 21 seconds into the final quarter. Simpson finished the day with 185 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries and caught 10 passes for 153 yards and an additional TD. Senior quarterback Corey Sedlar threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-39 passing but was also intercepted five times. Junior linebacker Andrew Sellers led the Tiger defense with seven tackles as Hampden-Sydney limited the Battling Bishops to 57 yards rushing.

Last Season’s Game
Hampden-Sydney jumped out to a 33-0 halftime lead, capped by a 39-yard Hail-Mary touchdown pass on the final play of the half, and the Tigers defeated Gettysburg 54-7 in Hampden-Sydney. Corey Sedlar led the Tigers with 258 yards and four touchdowns on 23-of-34 passing while Drew Smith caught eight passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. Matt Flynn threw for 198 yards on 20-of-40 passing for Gettysburg while Tom Sturges ’08 rushed for 74 yards. The Tigers led just 7-0 at the end of the first quarter before breaking out with 40 points over the second and third quarters. Turnovers proved to be costly for the Bullets, as four of their five giveaways led to Hampden-Sydney touchdowns. The Tigers did not commit a turnover. Gettysburg defensive end Conor Quinn led all players with 11 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and one sack, while William Riggenbach made eight stops for Hampden-Sydney.

Rule Changes
The NCAA has instituted two clock rule changes this year. The play clock will now start at 40 seconds from the moment the previous play is blown dead; however, a 25-second clock will be used if play is stopped for an administrative purpose, such as after a timeout or at the start of a quarter. Also changing is the start of the game clock after out-of-bounds plays - the game clock will now start when the ball is marked ready for play, not when it’s snapped (except in the final two minutes of play). Other rule changes this season include banning horsecollar tackles, the elimination of the five-yard facemask penalty, and the elimination of the sideline warning (it’s now a five-yard penalty with no warning). Finally, the penalty for a kick-off out of bounds has been changed to give the receiving team the ball 30 yards from the spot of the kick-off.

With Honors
Gettysburg returns four players who were named to the All-Centennial Conference Team last year. Senior kicker Josh Huson and senior defensive end Josh Jerrold were named to the second team while senior guard Lou Mastrini and senior defensive end Conor Quinn were honorable mention selections.

Head of the Class
With his 27-20 win over Moravian last season, Gettysburg head coach Barry Streeter picked up his 78th Centennial Conference victory, making him the all-time winningest coach in conference history. He passed former Franklin & Marshall coach Tom Gilburg, who won 77 games from 1983-2002. Streeter has gone 80-81-3 in Centennial play since the inception of the conference in 1983.

More on Streeter
Streeter is also 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 30th season as head coach, he has a 147-143-5 (.507) career record.

Movin’ On Up
Junior quarterback Matt Flynn moved into second on Gettysburg’s career passing yardage list against Lebanon Valley last week. He now has 3,251 yards and trails only Dennis Flaherty ’01, who racked up 5,136 yards from 1997-2000. The top-five are listed at right.

Player Years C-A-I Yds TDs
Dennis Flaherty 1997-2000 368-808-47 5136 33
Matt Flynn 2006- 237-489-19 3251 25
Jim Ward 1963-65 230-466-16 3174 32
Herb Ruby 1967-69 253-557-37 3002 24
Brett Gipe 1981-83 174-375-28 2680 26

Scouting Hampden-Sydney
Hampden-Sydney is coming off an 8-3 season in which it also won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), going 5-1 in conference play. The Tigers, who lost 45-17 to Wesley in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs, have now won their last five regular season games, dating back to last season. The team returns 22 starters from last year including Simpson, who owns a plethora of school and ODAC records. He is the conference’s all-time leader in points (342), total touchdowns (56), and rushing touchdowns (46) and last year he set school and ODAC records for points (164) and rushing touchdowns (21) in a season. The Tigers placed 10 players on the the All-ODAC team in 2007.

Hampden-Sydney is coached by Marty Favret, the 2007 ODAC Coach of the Year who is 55-27 in his ninth season with the Tigers. His teams have won eight or more games in five of the last six seasons, and his 2003 squad led the nation in scoring (47.2 ppg). In addition, his 2005 team was the Division III leader in total offense (525.2 ypg).

From the Hampden-Sydney Website:

Gettysburg Welcomes Tigers to Musselman Stadium on Saturday(September 10, 2008)

GETTYSBURG, PA--Hampden-Sydney and Gettysburg College will do battle for the 21st time on Saturday when the Tigers invade Musselman Stadium in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Hampden-Sydney is coming off of a 33-23 victory over defending USA South champion North Carolina Wesleyan while Gettysburg will look to rebound from a tough 19-13 loss at Lebanon Valley in week one. The Tigers lead the all-time series 13-7 and downed the Bullets 54-7 last season at Lewis C. Everett Stadium. Hampden-Sydney's last visit to Pennsylvania was not as fruitful, however, as Gettysburg dealt the Tigers a 28-20 defeat in 2006, the Bullets' first victory in the series since 1997. Expect this year's duel to be tight once again, as the Tigers and Bullets have a history of close contests; in the season opener of the 1996 season, Hampden-Sydney outlasted Gettysburg 17-10 in the first-ever regular season overtime game in the history of DIII football. Tiger fans have several ways to catch the gridiron action on Saturday. Starting at 12:45 pm, fans can tune into 95.7 WFLO-FM or access the Windows Media live webcast provided on the H-SC Football website. Gettysburg is offering video webcasting through their athletics site and live stats to allow fans to follow the action play-by-play. Kick-off is scheduled for 1 pm.

Hampden-Sydney Football Game Notes
95.7 WFLO-FM Live Webcast
Video Webcast courtesy of Gettysburg College
Live Stats courtesy of Gettysburg College