GETTYSBURG, Pa. – With 14 returning starters, the Gettysburg College football team will take to the gridiron with an experienced unit as it embarks on its 2010 season in the highly-competitive Centennial Conference (CC).

Gettysburg, which brings back six starters on offense and eight on defense, is coming off a 3-7 (3-5 CC) season. However, that record is deceiving, as all but one of the team's losses were by 10 points or less, and four were decided by less than a touchdown.

In the Centennial Conference Preseason Poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors, the Bullets were picked to finish ninth among 10 teams. 

“We have quite a few returning players who have played a lot on both sides of the ball, so I think our depth is going to be strong,” said head coach Barry Streeter, who enters his 32nd year at the helm. 

The Bullets posted one of the top offensive seasons in school history a year ago, setting a program record and finishing fourth in Division III with 4,931 yards of total offense. The team also broke a school record for all-purpose yards (6,127) and led the Centennial Conference in both scoring offense (34.2 ppg) and total offense for the second year in a row. A veteran core returns, including first-team all-conference and all-region tailback Jamel Mutunga. However, the Bullets must replace record-setting quarterback Matt Flynn '10. 

The Orange and Blue is coming off a tough season defensively; however, an experienced group returns from a team that held a pair of opponents to only a field goal. Six of the team's top-eight tacklers are back from a year ago, including junior safety Joe Delaney, who posted 86 hits. 

The Bullets special teams units remain virtually intact with the return of all three of their primary players. 

“I think we could have a really good team,” said Streeter. “It's just going to be a day-to-day process of how well we mesh together.” 

The Bullets schedule is relatively similar to its 2009 docket, with the change of only one opponent. Susquehanna University entered the conference as an associate member in football, and to make room for the Crusaders, Gettysburg dropped non-conference opponent Hampden-Sydney College from its schedule. 

For the 10th season in a row, the Bullets will open with Lebanon Valley College, their only non-conference date of the year. After an early bye week, Gettysburg hosts defending conference champion Johns Hopkins University in its Centennial and home opener. After hitting the road for Muhlenberg College, the Bullets have back-to-back home games, starting with its Homecoming date with Ursinus College followed by a match-up with Moravian College. 

Gettysburg plays two straight road games at Juniata College and Dickinson College before playing two of its last three contests at home. The team hosts Susquehanna – its first game against the Crusaders since 1922 – and visits McDaniel College before wrapping up at home against Franklin & Marshall College. 

Offense
Although the Bullets have some holes to fill on offense, the cupboard is far from bare for offensive coordinator Kevin Burke's Spread Wing set. 

The team's top two running backs return from a unit that finished second in the Centennial Conference in rushing (218.9 ypg) a year ago, and its top two receivers also return. In addition, five offensive lineman who started at some point last season are back. 

Quarterback
Perhaps the biggest question mark surrounding the team this season is at quarterback, where Flynn leaves some huge shoes to fill. Last year Flynn capped a remarkable career in which he set nearly every school record for passing and helped the team set a handful of single-season school records, including total offense, all-purpose yards, passing yards, and pass completions. 

This season, three returning Bullets will battle for time under center in junior Kyle Whitmoyer and sophomores Erick Lapice and Kody Smith. 

Whitmoyer played sparingly as the backup last season, completing 3-of-6 passes for 28 yards, but enjoyed a solid performance in his longest outing of the year. Playing the fourth quarter of a blowout against Juniata, he rushed for 64 yards and a pair of touchdowns on six carries. 

Smith and Lapice did not appear in any varsity games last year but performed during spring ball. 

The decision as to who starts in Week One may take some time, according to Streeter. 

“We'd really like to get it settled as early as we can, since none of them has much experience,” he said. “But if they're all doing well, there's no reason to pick one of them too soon. If they're on the same page as [the coaching staff] and they're making good reads and good decisions, there's no reason to rush it.” 

Tailback
The team should be exceptionally strong on the ground with the return of Mutunga and senior Anthony DeSalva.

Mutunga, who enters the season ranked eighth in school history in rushing yards, finished second in the Centennial Conference with 1,015 yards last year. He also scored 16 touchdowns, and his 14 rushing TDs fell just one shy of the school record. DeSalva gained more playing time as the season progressed and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. He racked up 144 yards in the Juniata game and ran for a pair of touchdowns for the season. 

Wide Receiver/Tight End
The Bullets are equipped with their top receiver from last season in senior Brian Betley, who grabbed a team-leading 40 catches for 588 yards and four touchdowns. He enters the season ranked sixth in school history in receiving yards and ninth in receptions. 

The second receiver spot could be filled by either sophomore Kyle Davis or senior Eddie Pinkerton. Davis caught three passes for 69 yards last year while Pinkerton had three catches for 33 yards. In addition, a highly-talented crop of five freshmen could also push for playing time. 

Gettysburg faces the challenge of replacing a highly-productive tight end with the graduation of A.J. Perrotti '10, who finished with 501 yards receiving and a team-best five touchdown catches last season. Among the players who will compete for the starting job include junior Dennis Bazow, junior Mack Krush, and sophomore Matt Brophy. 

Wing Back
At wing, senior Charles Curcio will lead the way as a three-year starter. 

Curcio was the Bullets second-leading receiver last season, hauling in 36 passes for 501 yards and four touchdowns. Also the team's primary return specialist, he enters the season ranked sixth in school history in all-purpose yards (3,647). 

At the other wing position, junior John Pesce appears to be the favorite to replace three-year starter Ricky Manigat '10. Although he saw limited action last season, Pesce rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown on three carries against Lebanon Valley. 

Senior Greg Namrow will also compete for a starting job.

Offensive Line
On the line, the Bullets bring back both of its starting tackles as well as its starting center from a unit that paved the way for a prolific offense. 

Leading the way is junior left tackle James Monreale, a two-year starter who was named Second Team All-Centennial Conference last season. Senior right tackle Kyle DiVito is also back after starting the last seven games of the year in 2009 while classmate Julius Jackson returns after an injury-shortened junior campaign in which he started the first three games. Sophomore Jake Treinish provides the team with an additional option at tackle. 

At center, senior Dan DiStefano started every game in 2009 and should return to the lineup once again. His backup from a year ago, senior Matt Grujich, also returns. 

Although the Bullets lost both of their starting guards to graduation, junior Kyle Reutter comes back after performing well in his only two starts last season. 

Other players who, following spring ball, emerged as frontrunners at guard include junior Walter Ackermann, junior Tom Piccirillo, and sophomore Jim Bennett. 

Defense
Although the Bullets defense faced its share of challenges a year ago in its newly-implemented 4-4 scheme, Streeter remains optimistic heading into the 2010 season. 

“We had a tough go at it [in 2009], but I was really encouraged this spring at how well they responded to some things that we gave them,” said Streeter. “We saw significant improvement in our secondary, with players that we already had there and players that were moved over from offense. I feel like we made adjustments to use our talent the best.” 

Under defensive coordinator Shaun Weaver, the Bullets will employ a multiple-40 system. 

Defensive Line
On the defensive line, Gettysburg will showcase a mix of veterans and new faces. 

At defensive end, senior Matt Coffey comes back after starting every game and finishing with 26 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks. A host of additional Bullets will vie for playing time, including sophomore Ben Zepnick, junior Chris Douthett, sophomore Mark Wojcik, and junior Gabe Gallante. Of the three, Zepnick saw the most action last season, starting five games and finishing with 14 tackles. 

Competition will also be strong at tackle, where a large number of players could challenge for playing time. Junior Chad Bucur moves over from end after posting 18 tackles over eight starts last year. Sophomore Joe Ventresca is also among the contenders for a starting role after playing all 10 games and making 14 tackles last season. Senior Matt Dietz adds additional experience after making 24 stops over 10 games played in 2009. 

Linebacker
The Bullets feature a deep crew at linebacker, where a number of players could step in. Coming out of spring practice, a trio of players appear to be fighting for the two starting jobs at inside backer in sophomore Wes Taylor, junior Don Murphy, and sophomore Larry DelViscio. Taylor has the most experience of the three following an impressive freshman season in which he started the final eight games and finished fourth on the team with 67 tackles. 

At outside linebacker, three players could be in the hunt for one job in senior Bryan DiSabato, sophomore Mark Covington, and sophomore Justin Dhyani. Of the three, only DiSabato saw significant time last fall, when he started nine games, was sixth on the team with 40 tackles, and led the squad with four interceptions. 

The bandit/strong safety spot could be filled by junior Peter Hak, who is moving over from free safety. After missing the early part of the season with an injury, he finished with 35 tackles while starting the final six games. Junior George Schmidt, a transplanted tailback, played well in the spring and could also compete for playing time. 

Defensive Back
Competition is also wide-open in the secondary, with a medley of returners and underclassmen pushing for playing time. 

After spending last season at linebacker, Delaney will likely move to free safety, where he played during the spring. A two-year starter, Delaney was second on the team in tackles last year. Junior Mac Drane and sophomore Drew Olsen also had good springs and could challenge for playing time. 

At cornerback, senior Tairi Mobley returns as one of the team's most experienced defensive backs. A two-year starter, he was fifth among the Bullets with 42 tackles and third on the squad with three interceptions last season. 

Junior #D.J. Thompson turned in a highly-impressive spring season at corner and could also compete for starting duties. Other players who will be in the mix include juniors Luke Johnson#, Tyler Fasanella, and Rob Pennella, who started seven games and made 37 tackles last year. 

Special Teams
The special teams unit is in good hands with the return of senior Mike Barrett, Betley, and Curcio. 

The team's place-kicker last season, Barrett finished as the Bullets second-leading scorer, converting 39-of-41 PATs and 5-of-12 field goals for 54 points. Betley captured first-team all-conference honors at punter in 2009 after leading the conference with 37.7 yards per punt. Curcio took all but two of the team's punt returns and the majority of the squad's kickoff returns and finished with a team-leading 135.6 all-purpose yards per game, a mark that ranked third in the Centennial Conference. 

Centennial Conference Preseason Football Poll
1. Johns Hopkins, 154 pts. (11)
2. Franklin & Marshall, 145 (7)
3. Ursinus, 126 (1)
4. Susquehanna, 107 (1)
5. Dickinson, 99
6. Muhlenberg, 90
7. McDaniel, 57
8. Moravian, 52
9. Gettysburg, 51
10. Juniata, 19 

First-place votes in parentheses