GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg held off a late Susquehanna rally to earn its first Centennial Conference victory of the season, topping the Crusaders 42-28 at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium during Homecoming weekend Saturday afternoon.

Much like the previous two meetings between the two teams at Gettysburg, the game did not lack in offensive firepower, as the two sides combined for 1,090 yards. In 2011, Susquehanna won 56-55 in a game that featured 1,123 yards, and one year earlier the Bullets rallied to win 61-50 when 1,162 yards were generated.

The Bullets (2-2, 1-2 CC) never trailed after scoring on their possession of the game, though Susquehanna (0-4, 0-3 CC) would tie it twice in the first half.

Senior receiver Aden Twer (Jenkintown, Pa./Jenkintown) caught seven passes for 135 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Gettysburg while passing Charles Curcio '11 and moving into third on the school's career receiving yards list, upping his total to 1,753 yards. Senior wing Tommy LeNoir (Bear, Del./Red Lion Christian Academy) caught four passes for 119 yards and a touchdown while junior Zach Miller (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) completed 18 of 24 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore tailback Kyle Wigley (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) led the Bullet ground game, posting his third 100-yard game of the year with 135 yards and a touchdown. LeNoir also returned three kickoffs for 90 yards.

Senior linebacker Cody DiAmore (Haddon Heights, N.J./Bishop Eustace) and freshman linebacker Michael Pennella (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) made 16 tackles apiece to lead Gettysburg defensively while junior defensive end Drew Winters (Midlothian, Md./Mountain Ridge), making his first collegiate start, posted eight tackles and 2.0 sacks. Sophomore cornerback Brian Calatozzo (Sewell, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) registered 10 tackles and an interception.

Merle Moscarello rushed for 176 yards for the Crusaders while Cam Olson threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Denzell Walker caught five passes for 96 yards, and Adrian Bernard led all players with 20 tackles, including 5.0 for loss.

Gettysburg led 35-14 with 6:11 remaining in the third quarter following a 73-yard Hail Mary from Miller to Twer. But Susquehanna rallied with 14 unanswered points and had the ball with a chance to pull even when it took over at the Crusader-34 following a strip-sack by Bernard. But the Crusaders ended up going four-and-out, choosing to go for the first down when facing a fourth-and-3 at the 41. Pennella broke up a pass over the middle, and five plays later junior Fred Caruso (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name) put the game away for the Bullets. Just before taking a hit, Caruso lofted a 21-yard halfback option pass to junior Alec Pacelli (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) down the left sideline to set the final score with 5:53 remaining.

Susquehanna's final drive was snuffed out at the Gettysburg 10-yard line, where junior safety Gordon Prince (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) came up with an interception.

The Crusaders went for it on fourth down on six occasions for the game, including the game's opening drive which died at the Bullet-32. Susquehanna finished the afternoon 2-for-6 on fourth downs.

On the ensuing possession, Miller found LeNoir over the middle, who broke away for a 46-yard touchdown reception as the Bullets took a 7-0 lead with 10:33 left in the opening quarter.

Susquehanna answered on its next drive when Colin Buckley made a diving catch in the end zone with 5:30 on the clock. Then late in the quarter, the Bullets again took over on downs before junior Eddie Hutchins (Weston, Conn./Weston) scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 14-7 with 13:47 to go in the first half.

The Crusaders tied it again when a 19-yard touchdown pass from Olson to Pat Murtha made it 14-all with 8:59 showing. However, Gettysburg went in front to stay after Wigley broke through the line, dodged several defenders, outraced the secondary for a 63-yard touchdown run to take a 21-14 lead with 8:36 left in the half.

The Bullets scored on their first two drives of the second half to push their lead to 35-14. Miller connected with Twer on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 11:07 on the third-quarter clock before finding him again for a 73-yarder, which extended Twer's school record for career touchdown receptions to 21.

Moscarello made it 35-21 when he ran for a 5-yard touchdown with 3:33 left in the third quarter before a 17-play, 92-yard Susquehanna drive ended with a Tim Wade 5-yard touchdown run with 10:58 left in the game, pulling the Crusaders within seven and setting up the Bullets' late touchdown and defensive stand.

Gettysburg returns to action next Saturday when it visits McDaniel College at 1 p.m. in a Centennial Conference tilt.