Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Muhlenberg ended the game on a 21-0 run and handed Gettysburg a 35-10 setback in a Centennial Conference (CC) football match-up Saturday afternoon at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.

The Mules (4-2, 3-2 CC) outgained the Bullets 366-295 and held Gettysburg to 69 rushing yards. The Bullets entered the game ranked ninth in Division III in total offense and 16th in rushing but fell over 200 yards shy of their season average in both catetgories.

Senior receiver Aden Twer (Jenkintown, Pa./Jenkintown) caught four passes for 85 yards and a touchdown for Gettysburg (3-3, 2-3 CC). His final catch of the day gave him 100 for his career, placing into a three-way tie with Brian Betley '11 and Bill McGowan '70 for fourth in school history.

Junior quarterback Zach Miller (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) threw for 197 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on 17-of-33 passing while sophomore tailback Kyle Wigley (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) rushed for 63 yards on 13 carries.

Kevin Van Laar rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries for the Mules while Nick Palladino completed 15 of 23 passes for 162 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Cody Geyer, the reigning Centennial Conference Special Teams Co-Player of the Week, returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown one game after returning a punt 82 yards.

Sophomore linebacker Kodie McNamara (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) made 15 tackles to lead the Bullet defense while senior linebacker Cody DiAmore (Haddon Heights, N.J./Bishop Eustace) and freshman linebacker Chris Miller (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) made 11 stops apiece.

Cornerback Andrew Ominus registered 13 tackles while Gene Blanco added 10 for the Mules.

Sophomore Robby Fay (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) averaged 42.0 yards on nine punts for Gettysburg.

Senior Peter Fessenden (New York, N.Y./Proctor Academy [N.H.]) returned the opening kickoff 36 yards to the Gettysburg-46, and the Bullets would march to the Mule-5. But a 22-yard field goal attempt by junior Matt Perkins (Whitehouse Station, N.Y./Hunterdon Central) sailed just wide right.

The Mules responded with a 12-play, 80-yard drive, culminating in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Palladino to Michael Long, making it 7-0 with 8:03 left in the opening quarter.

Gettysburg would punt on its next two possessions, but a long pass sparked the Bullets on their first scoring drive. Miller found Twer with a deep ball down the left sideline, resulting in a 55-yard pickup that placed the ball at the Muhlenberg-17. Five plays later, Twer made an outstanding catch in the back left corner of the end zone, just getting a foot down as the Bullets pulled even at 7-7 with 13:59 remaining in the opening half.

The Orange and Blue were poised to take the lead when, on the first play of the ensuing possession, senior cornerback Hugo Nolasco (Fanwood, N.J./Westfield) stepped in front of a Palladino pass at the Mule-35. But the drive stalled at the 4-yard line, and Perkins missed a 21-yard field goal.

The Mules took the lead for good when Geyer took a punt on his own 27-yard line, reversed fields, and raced untouched down the left side of the field for his 73-yard scoring return, making it 14-7 with 7:04 on the clock.

The last three possessions of the half would end in punts, and the Mules took their seven-point lead into the intermission.

Muhlenberg started at its own 3-yard line to start the second half before going three-and-out. The Bullets took over at the Mule-35, and seven plays later Fay kicked a 32-yard field goal to make it 14-10 with 11:15 to go in the third quarter.

The Mules missed a 41-yard field goal on their next drive but would score a touchdown on three of their last five possessions, with Van Laar completing all three scoring drives with a 2-yard touchdown run. In the meantime, the Bullets punted on their next four possessions before their last two drives ended with an interception and a turnover on downs.

Van Laar's first TD capped a 10-play, 84-yard march, making it 21-10 with 23 seconds left in the third quarter. The Mules started their final two scoring drives in Gettysburg territory, first going 46 yards on nine plays following a punt to push their lead to 28-10 with 4:54 to play. Chris Flynn then returned an interception 42 yards to the Bullet-16 before Van Laar made five straight carries, capped by his final touchdown that set the final score with 1:04 remaining.

Gettysburg returns home next Saturday, when it takes on 14th-ranked Johns Hopkins University at 1 p.m. in another Centennial Conference affair.