Box Score

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – Sophomore David Prizzia kicked a 21-yard field goal in overtime and Hampden-Sydney College scored 22 unanswered points to rally from a 35-21 halftime deficit and defeat Gettysburg 46-43 in another Bullets-Tigers shootout at Fulton Field at Lewis Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Bullets trailed 43-35, however, with 4:55 left when senior Matt Flynn (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional), who threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns, drove Gettysburg (0-2) on a game-tying five-play, 80-yard drive. Senior wing Ricky Manigat (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) broke loose down the left sideline for a 58-yard touchdown reception before Flynn hit junior wing Charles Curcio (Hammonton, N.J./St. Joseph) in the back right corner of the end zone to tie the game 43-43 with 3:10 left.

After Hampden-Sydney (2-0) turned the ball over on downs at the Gettysburg-39, the Bullets had a chance to win it in the closing seconds, but the Tigers blocked their second field goal of the game, snuffing out a 37-yard attempt from junior Mike Barrett (Selinsgrove, Pa./Lewisburg). Michael Ware returned it 16 yards before being tackled near midfield. With one second on the clock, the Tigers elected to take a knee, sending the game to bonus football and marking Gettysburg's first OT game since their 42-35 double-overtime loss to Hampden-Sydney exactly 11 years ago.

Hampden-Sydney won the overtime coin toss and chose to play defense first. Then on third-and-19, Flynn had his pass intercepted by Trevor Ikwild. The Tigers took over, and after driving to the Bullet-4, head coach Marty Favret sent out Prizzia on a fourth-and-short to kick the game-winner.

Flynn, who finished 25-of-37 with one interception, was nearly flawless in the opening half, completing 14 of 15 passes for 237 yards and two TDs. He increased his school record career passing yards total to 5,969 and moved into fifth on the Centennial Conference's all-time list, passing John Guglielmo (Johns Hopkins, 5,637, 1989-93) and Bill Meekings (Franklin & Marshall, 5,640 yards, 1990-93).

Junior tailback Jamel Mutunga (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) led the Bullets on the ground, rushing for 117 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries. Senior tight end #A.J. Perrotti# (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) posted career-highs of four receptions for 135 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown catch on Gettysburg's first play from scrimmage, while junior receiver Brian Betley (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape) grabbed seven catches for 71 yards. Manigat made four receptions for 76 yards and a pair of TDs while Curcio totaled 161 yards of total offense, with 126 coming on kick returns and 39 coming on four catches.

Senior Corey Sedlar threw for 522 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions on 36-of-56 passing for Hampden-Sydney. Sophomore Sean Cavanaugh caught nine passes for 195 yards and two scores while sophomore Kirk Rohle rushed 22 times for 113 yards and one touchdown.

Hampden-Sydney out-gained Gettysburg 661-552. Gettysburg has now totaled over 500 yards of total offense and scored at least 42 points in its last three games, dating back to last season.

The Bullet defense forced six turnovers and intercepted five passes, tying for its most INTs since a 61-6 win over Averett in 2001. Gettysburg threw only one interception and had no fumbles.

The game marked the third time in the last five years that the two teams combined for over 80 points, as Hampden-Sydney also won 45-40 last season and 56-40 in 2005.

After forcing Hampden-Sydney to punt on its first possession, Gettysburg scored on its first play when Flynn and Perrotti hooked up on their 80-yard catch and run. It was Gettysburg's longest pass play since Nick Nocar '04 hit Bryan Wheatly '05 with an 85-yard touchdown grab in a 27-20 win over McDaniel College on Oct. 11, 2003, and it was the second time in as many years that the Bullets scored on their first offensive play. Last season, Flynn threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to David Rodriguez '09 on the team's first play in a 48-41 win over Moravian.

The Tigers answered with a pair of touchdowns late in the quarter, taking a 14-7 lead with 3:10 left after Sedlar scoring strikes of 41 and 9 yards. Curcio then pulled Gettysburg even when he ran it in from five yards out less than a minute into the second quarter.

Hampden-Sydney reclaimed the lead (21-14) on a 3-yard Rohle touchdown run, but the Bullets closed the half with 21 unanswered points. Flynn tied the game on a 1-yard run with 9:35 to go before Gettysburg turned a pair of interceptions into 14 points.

First, senior linebacker Tim Widdoes (Newark, Del./St. Mark's) intercepted a pass at the Tiger-46, leading to a 22-yard touchdown run by Mutunga with 4:19 on the clock. Barrett missed the extra point, but after sophomore safety Joe Delaney (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) picked off a pass at the Bullet-9 with 2:35 on the clock, Flynn took the Bullets on a 91-yard, nine-play scoring drive in just 2:14. The march was fueled by an acrobatic 27-yard catch from Betley and a 44-yard run by Mutunga that put the Bullets at the Tiger-15. Six plays later, Flynn found Manigat for a four-yard TD reception, then ran it in himself for the two-point conversion, giving the Bullets their 35-21 lead at the break.

Gettysburg had a pair of excellent scoring opportunities early in the second half but came away empty-handed on both occasions. On their second possession of the half, the Bullets set up at their own 42 following a Tiger fumble that was forced by junior linebacker Bryan DiSabato (Cedarhurst, N.Y./Lawrence), who was making his first collegiate start, and recovered by junior defensive tackle Sebastian Sullivan (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt). But eight plays later the Tigers blocked a 31-yard field goal attempt from Barrett.

On the ensuing possession, DiSabato came up big again, picking off a pass and returning it 22 yards to the Tiger-18. But after driving to the Hampden-Sydney-6, a false start and a sack pushed the Bullets back to the 20-yard line, and Barrett missed wide right on a 37-yard field goal attempt.

After an interception by junior cornerback John Dickerson (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) on the next possession put the Bullets at their own 6-yard line, Gettysburg was forced to punt from deep in its own end zone. But the ball slipped out of punter Betley's hands and out the back of the end zone for a safety. The Tigers added a touchdown on the final play of the quarter on a 30-yard catch-and-run from Kyle Vance to make it 35-30.

Sedlar continued the Tigers comeback in the fourth quarter, connecting with Cavanaugh for a 14-yard touchdown with 10:10 to go and hitting Rohle with a 9-yard TD toss with 4:59 showing. After a failed two-point conversion on Cavanaugh's catch, Prizzia kicked an extra point following Rohle's grab to make it 43-35, setting up Flynn's late drive.

Delaney led the Bullets with 10 tackles while Widdoes and junior cornerback Tairi Mobley (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown) each made nine stops. Mobley also made his second career interception. Senior linebacker Andrew Sellers made a game-high 13 tackles for Hampden-Sydney.

Gettysburg returns to action on Friday, when it plays its Centennial Conference opener at Johns Hopkins University starting at 7 p.m.