GETTYSBURG, Pa. - In the five years the Gettysburg College football team has run its Spread Wing offense, there has been no shortage of explosive offensive performances.
The 2009 season was no exception, with the Bullets enjoying a three-week stint ranked No. 1 in Division III in total offense before finishing fourth.
Coming in the midst of that stretch – and checking in at No. 10 on Gettysburg's top-10 moments of 2009-10 – was a record-breaking 59-14 drubbing of Juniata College on Homecoming.
Armed with equally dangerous passing and rushing games, the Bullets stuck to the ground on this day while playing through a steady rain. And why pass it when you can rush for a school-record 525 yards, with THREE players topping 100 yards, and eight touchdowns?
Leading the charge was junior tailback Jamel Mutunga, who tied a school record with five rushing TDs while finishing with 129 yards on the ground. Classmate Anthony DeSalva contributed a career-high 144 yards – nearly doubling his previous best – while senior quarterback Matt Flynn posted his second career 100-yard rushing game, scrambling for 124 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries. Even backup QB Kyle Whitmoyer got into the act, running for 64 yards and a couple of TDs on six rushes in the fourth quarter.
All of the offense made for a busy day for junior kicker Mike Barrett, who tied additional school records for extra points attempted and made by going 8-for-8. He also booted a field goal and finished with 11 points.
After scoring on four of their first five drives – including a 99-yard march for their second TD – the Bullets built a 28-14 halftime lead, then settled any doubt by outscoring the Eagles 31-0 in the second half.
Awards were aplenty in the week following the game. Mutunga captured both Centennial Conference and ECAC Division III Southwest Region offensive player of the week honors, while the offensive line of sophomore tackle James Monreale, senior guard Mike Smith, junior center Dan DiStefano, senior guard Alex Bonder, and junior tackle Kyle DiVito earned a spot on the D3football.com national Team of the Week.
While Gettysburg's rushing exploits grabbed the headlines, one significant event did occur by the result of a pass. Flynn broke the Centennial Conference record for career passing yards, one of numerous records attained during a remarkable career as a four-year starter.
