Complete Game Notes

OPENING STATEMENTS
The Bullets search for their first victory of the season as they take on the defending Centennial Conference champion Muhlenberg College Mules this afternoon. Today's game marks the CC opener for Muhlenberg.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Gettysburg leads Muhlenberg 41-31-1 in the all-time series that dates back to 1907. The Mules have captured eight of the last nine meetings, including the last three. Gettysburg's last win in the series was a 10-3 victory here at the Battlefield in 2005.

LAST MEETING
Muhlenberg scored on five of its last six possessions and the seventh-ranked Mules won on Homecoming in a 42-21 victory over Gettysburg at Scotty Wood Stadium. Eric Santagato threw for 245 yards on 17-of-27 passing to lead Muhlenberg while Phil Cresta caught eight passes for 128 yards. John DeLuca added 134 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 27 carries. 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 received 259 yards on 21-of-33 passing from Matt Flynn while Ricky Manigat grabbed seven passes for 56 yards. Tight end #A.J. Perrotti caught two passes for 97 yards while tailback Nick McConnell# '09rushed for a pair of touchdowns.

LAST TIME OUT
Gettysburg played its Centennial Conference opener at Johns Hopkins University and lost by a score of 41-23 last Friday night. Senior Andrew Kase rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Blue Jays, who outscored the Bullets 17-0 to start the game and pushed their advantage to as much as 38-3 early in the second half. Junior tailback Jamel Mutunga led the Bullets, rushing for a season-high 131 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries.

Coming off its bye week, Muhlenberg scored a 17-7 upset over 22nd-ranked Union College in Allentown a week ago. With the score tied 7-7 at halftime, sophomore Chase Nadell put the Mules on top for good when he returned the second-half kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. Muhlenberg blanked the Dutchmen in the second half and held Union to 218 total yards, including just 77 on the ground. Freshman Terrence Dandridge led the Mules with 112 yards rushing on 24 carries.

THE GETTYSBURG OFFENSE
The Bullets had their string of three consecutive games of reaching 500 total yards snapped in their loss to Johns Hopkins last week, but the Orange & Blue still managed 361 yards of offense against the Blue Jays. For the season, Gettysburg leads the Centennial Conference in both total offense (497.7 ypg) and are second in both passing offense (310.7 ypg) and rushing offense (187.0). Among the Division III leaders, the Bullets rank 14th in total offense, 15th in passing offense, and 37th in scoring offense (36.0 ppg). Senior quarterback Matt Flynn leads the conference and ranks 12th in Division III in total offense (328.3 ypg) and is the CC's second-leading passer (305.0 ypg). Three different players have caught at least 11 passes, including junior receiver Brian Betley (19 rec, 196 yds), junior wing Charles Curcio (14 rec, 160 yds), and senior wing Ricky Manigat (11 rec, 143 yds, 2 TD). Senior tight end #A.J. Perrotti# has added eight catches for 168 yards and three touchdowns. Junior tailback Jamel Mutunga has rushed for 339 yards and three touchdown while Flynn has contributed a pair of TD runs.

THE GETTYSBURG DEFENSE
The Bullets featured a new look on defense last week, with three freshmen - defensive end Ben Zepnick and linebackers Wes Taylor and Andrew Stout - making their first collegiate start. Sophomore Joe Delaney, who has started at both linebacker and safety this season, leads the team with 27 tackles and two interceptions while junior defensive lineman Sebastian Sullivan has made 24 stops, including 2.0 for loss and one sack along with a forced fumble. Senior linebacker Tim Widdoes has also enjoyed a strong start, making 23 hits, one interception, and one forced fumble. Junior cornerback John Dickerson leads the Bullets with three passes defended on a pair of breakups and an interception.

THE GETTYSBURG SPECIAL TEAMS
Gettysburg's special teams have been highlighted by the play of junior Brian Betley, who is averaging a conference-leading 41.1 yards on 10 punts. Junior kicker Mike Barrett has gone 11-for-12 on extra points and booted his first collegiate field goal last week, sending through a 24-yarder. Junior Charles Curcio has handled the bulk of the Bullets kick return duties and has averaged 18.4 yards on 16 returns.

THE MUHLENBERG OFFENSE
Graduation claimed four all-conference players from the Mules on the offensive side of the ball, including Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year, tailback John DeLuca, and the conference's fourth all-time leading passer in Eric Santagato. This season, Muhlenberg features a trio of starting freshman, including quarterback Justin Kreamer, tailback Terrence Dandridge, and right guard Garrett Bisbing. Dandridge has rushed for 232 yards and one touchdown in the early going while Kreamer has thrown for 279 yards and one TD. The team's remaining eight offensive starters are juniors and seniors. Returning as the team's top receiver is senior Phil Cresta, a First Team All-Centennial Conference selection last season who has already made 13 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.

THE MUHLENBERG DEFENSE
Muhlenberg also lost four all-conference selections to graduation on defense, including Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year, linebacker Mike Rathbun. However, senior cornerback Cameron Ahouse returns after earning First Team All-Centennial Conference accolades last season while senior linebacker Frank Emmett and junior linebacker Scott Gavin are back after capturing Second Team All-CC honors. Through their first two games, the Mules are leading the conference in nearly every defensive category, including scoring defense (10.5 ppg), rushing defense (78.5 ypg), pass defense (161.0 ypg), and total defense (239.5 ypg). Emmett and junior linebacker Patrick McDonough lead the team with 11 tackles apiece while Gavin and junior linebacker Andy Curley have made nine hits apiece. Curley leads the team with 1.5 sacks.

THE MUHLENBERG SPECIAL TEAMS
The Mules return Second Team All-Centennial Conference selection, junior Michael Katz, at kicker, and he is 3-for-3 on extra points and 1-for-2 on field goals thus far. Junior Jason LoPipero has punted nine times for average of 35.3 yards while sophomore Steve Nissley has averaged 13.0 yards on four punt returns. Senior Codie Bender has returned three kickoffs for a 9.7-yard average while sophomore Chase Nadell returned his only kickoff for an 87-yard touchdown against Union.

THE COACHES
Gettysburg is coached by Barry Streeter, who enters his 31st year at the helm of the Bullets. With 152 career victories, Streeter ranks 11th among active Division III coaches in wins. He is also 32nd on the all-time Division III coaches wins list. Streeter is Gettysburg's longest tenured and all-time winningest football coach.

Muhlenberg is coached by Mike Donnelly, who enters his 13th season in 2009. With a career record of 82-48, he is the all-time winningest coach in program history. He has coached the Mules to back-to-back Centennial Conference titles.

WHAT ARE THOSE PATCHES FOR?
In support of Coach to Cure MD, Gettysburg's coaching staff will be wearing patches on their left arm during Saturday's game. Coach to Cure MD is a national charity project put forth by the American Football Coaches Association to raise awareness and research funding to cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the most prolific genetic killer diagnosed in childhood. Thousands of college football coaches in all levels will join together in this initiative on Saturday.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
While setting career Gettysburg records in every major passing category over the last two years, senior quarterback Matt Flynn has been ascending the Centennial Conference all-time charts as well. He is now third in conference history in total offense (6,963), fourth in touchdown passes (44), fifth in passing yards (6,122), and sixth in pass completions (451).