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.