Complete Game Notes

OPENING STATEMENTS
Gettysburg will look to close out its 2009 season on a high note as it visits Franklin & Marshall in a Centennial Conference match-up. The game will feature the top-two ranked passing offenses in the conference, with F&M averaging 302.1 yards per game and the Bullets putting up 275.4 yards per game through the air.

GAME COVERAGE
Fans unable to attend Saturday's game can follow along through livestats, or live streaming video (pay-per-view) by visiting http://livestats.prestosports.com/godiplomats/.

ALL-TIME SERIES
F&M leads the extremely close all-time series 44-43-7, but the Bullets have captured two of the last three meetings. The home team has won each of the last four meetings, with F&M claiming the last win by a visiting team with their 38-20 win in Gettysburg in 2004.

LAST MEETING
Gettysburg rushed for 299 of its 434 yards in the first half and the Bullets closed their 2008 season with a bang, running away with a 54-21 victory at the Battlefield. Gettysburg had two players go over 100 yards rushing in the first half alone, when the Bullets outscored the Diplomats 33-7 in a furious driving rain. Tailback Nick McConnell '09 ran for 111 of his career-high 181 yards in the opening half while tailback Jamel Mutunga posted 123 of his then-career high 144 yards over the opening 30 minutes. The two finished with two rushing touchdowns apiece. Jeff Hogan came on in the second half to throw for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15-of-24 passing for F&M while George Eager caught five passes for 64 yards and a TD.

LAST TIME OUT
Freshman Nick DeLuca kicked a 20-yard field goal as time expired and McDaniel College spoiled Gettysburg's Senior Day, defeating the Bullets 22-20 at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium last Saturday. DeLuca's kick erased a valiant Gettysburg comeback, as the Bullets rallied from a 19-7 halftime deficit and went ahead 20-19 after a 2-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Matt Flynn to junior receiver Brian Betley with 4:00 left. Flynn completed 13-of-29 passes for 192 yards and a pair of TDs while setting the Centennial Conference career record for total offense. Betley caught five passes for 92 yards and both of Flynn's touchdowns while junior tailback Jamel Mutunga added 90 yards rushing and a TD for the Bullets.

Franklin & Marshall was eliminated from contention to gain the Centennial Conference's automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament with its 51-13 loss at Johns Hopkins University on Saturday. Tailback Andrew Kase led the Blue Jays with 202 yards rushing and three touchdowns as Hopkins held the Diplomats to 259 yards of total offense, 116 below F&M's season average. The Blue Jays finished with 507 yards. Sophomore John Harrison threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns on 27-of-41 passing for F&M but was sacked six times and threw a pair of interceptions. Junior Mike Deutch caught eight passes for 95 yards for the Dips.

THE GETTYSBURG OFFENSE
Gettysburg, which enters Saturday's game ranked third in Division III in total offense (498.3 ypg), has utilized a balanced rushing and passing attack this season. The Bullets have rushed for 222.9 yards per game, a mark that ranks 27th in the nation, while throwing for 275.4 yards per game, good for 29th in Division III. Gettysburg's 35.4 points per game leads the Centennial Conference and ranks 31st in the nation. Senior quarterback Matt Flynn will put the finishing touches on a record-breaking season and career after passing for 2,451 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions this season. He has also rushed for 321 yards and four touchdowns and ranks 15th in Division III in total offense (308.0 ypg) and 22nd in passing offense (272.3 ypg). Six different Bullets have grabbed at least 20 catches, junior receiver Brian Betley leading the way with 37 receptions for 527 yards and four TDs. Junior wing Charles Curcio has added 30 catches for 403 yard and four touchdowns while junior receiver Gavin Jablonski has contributed 29 catches for 401 yards and one TD. Senior tight end #A.J. Perrotti has caught 27 balls and leads the team with five TD receptions while senior wing Ricky Manigat# has added 24 catches for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Junior tailback Jamel Mutunga has pitched in with 20 receptions, 236 yards, and two touchdowns. On the ground, Mutunga has piled up 912 yards (101.3 ypg), good for second in the conference and 41st in Division III. He has also run for 13 touchdowns - two shy of the single-season school record. Junior tailback Anthony DeSalva has added 350 yards and two touchdowns.

THE GETTYSBURG DEFENSE
The Bullet defense is coming off a strong second-half performance against McDaniel in which it came up with six straight stops before the Green Terror's game winning drive. Senior linebacker Tim Widdoes enters Saturday's game leading the Bullets and the Centennial Conference in tackles (85) while sophomore linebacker Joe Delaney has added 75 hits, a mark that ranks third among the conference leaders. Junior defensive lineman Sebastian Sullivan has registered an outstanding season, posting 72 tackles, including 8.5 for loss, to go with 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Junior linebacker Bryan DiSabato leads the team with four interceptions.

THE GETTYSBURG SPECIAL TEAMS
In his last time out, junior punter Brian Betley enjoyed a fine outing, as just one of his seven punts were returned by McDaniel for a total of zero yards. He is currently tied for the conference lead in punt average (37.7). Junior kicker Mike Barrett knocked through both of his extra points last Saturday and is leading the Centennial in PAT percentage (94.7). Leading the Bullets return game this season has been junior Charles Curcio, who is averaging 6.9 yards per punt return and 18.7 yards per kickoff return. He ranks fourth in the conference in all-purpose yards (139.2).

THE F&M OFFENSE
Franklin & Marshall has enjoyed outstanding success with its passing game this season, leading the conference and ranking 17th in Division III with 302.1 yards per game. Sophomore quarterback John Harrison has led the way, leading the conference and ranking 14th in the nation with 294.7 yards passing per game while tossing a conference-record 28 touchdowns. Senior George Eager has done the bulk of the damage on the receiving end, catching 69 passes for 881 yards and 11 TDs, while junior Jay Ridinger (37 catches, 462 yards, 5 TDs) and sophomore John Kaschak (33 catches, 340 yards, 3 TDs) are also threats. The Diplomats rank last in the Centennial in rushing, averaging just 60.4 yards per game. Kaschak leads the team with 37.6 yards per game and six rushing TDs.

THE F&M DEFENSE
The Diplomats enter Saturday's game leading the Centennial Conference in pass defense, yielding just 167.0 yards per game through the air. F&M, which ranks third in the conference with 26 sacks, has been led by freshman linebacker Sam Massaro, who has made 70 tackles, including 4.0 sacks, and three interceptions. Junior linebacker Shane Gray has added 39 tackles, including 7.0 for loss and 3.0 sacks, while sophomore defensive end C.T. Marsh has made 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Sophomore cornerback Ty Savastio has added 39 tackles, three interceptions, and a team-leading six pass breakups.

THE F&M SPECIAL TEAMS
Eager doubles as the team's kick returner and ranks second in the conference with his 25.4-yard average. He has brought back two kickoffs for touchdowns. Sophomore Jarrell Diggs handles the Dips punt return duties and has averaged 7.2 yards per return. F&M has attempted only three field goals all season, with freshmen Devin Hunter and Mike Shin combining to go 2-for-3. Freshman punter Brian Prater has averaged 33.7 yards per attempt.

THE COACHES
Gettysburg is coached by Barry Streeter, who enters his 31st year at the helm of the Bullets. With 155 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.

The Diplomats are led by John Troxell, who is finishing his fourth year at F&M. He previously served as an assistant coach at Lafayette College.

THE FLYNN WATCH
Although senior quarterback Matt Flynn has set a truckload of Gettysburg and Centennial Conference records throughout his career, there are still more records within reach for the four-year starting signal-caller. Flynn, who has started 37 straight games, can break the Gettysburg single-season touchdown pass record with his next TD strike, and he can break conference single-season marks for total offense with 149 yards and passing yards with 259 yards. However, potentially standing in the way of the conference single-season passing yards record is F&M quarterback John Harrison, who comes into Saturday's game needing only 58 yards to break the same mark.

Other records Flynn has broken include career passing yards (Gettysburg and CC), career total offense (Gettysburg and CC), career completions (Gettysburg), single-season passing yards (Gettysburg), single-season total offense (Gettysburg), single-season completions (Gettysburg), single-game passing yards (Gettysburg and CC), single-game touchdown passes (Gettysburg and CC), and single-game total offense (Gettysburg and CC),

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Several other Bullets have also broken into Gettysburg and Centennial Conference top-10 lists this season. Junior wing Charles Curcio has moved up to sixth in conference history in kick returns yards, seventh in school history in all-purpose yards, seventh in school history in receptions, and ninth in school history in receiving yards. Also breaking into Gettysburg's career top-10 lists are senior wing Ricky Manigat, who is fifth in career receptions and 10th in receiving yards; junior receiver Brian Betley, who is seventh in receiving yards; senior linebacker Tim Widdoes, who is tied for sixth in tackles; and junior tailback Jamel Mutunga, who is tied for eighth in rushing TDs.

TEAM RECORDS FALL
Gettysburg's potent passing game has also resulted in numerous single-season school records at the team level, including passing yards, pass completions, receiving yards, pass receptions, and all-purpose yards. The Bullets can tie additional single-season Gettysburg marks with one touchdown pass, eight pass attempts, and 59 yards of total offense.