GETTYSBURG, Pa.  – Coming off its first win of the season, the Gettysburg College football team will seek its second win in a row when it travels to Susquehanna University for a Centennial Conference meeting this Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Gettysburg knocked off previously unbeaten Juniata College last Saturday, holding the Eagles to just 89 yards rushing in a 31-17 decision in front of the Homecoming crowd. It was a well-balanced effort by the Bullets with 516 total yards of offense to go with seven sacks, the latter marking the team's best total in nearly six years.
 
"I thought both sides of the ball contributed a great deal that game," said Head Coach Barry Streeter, who climbed into a tie for seventh on the active wins list with 179. "We only gave up 252 yards, we had seven sacks, and we had two takeaways. On the other side of the ball, we had 500-plus yards and 31 first downs.
 
"That was a good team we beat," Streeter added. "There are obviously things in all three phases we need to work on, but it was good to get the win."  
 
The Crusaders enter the weekend without a win, but not for lack of effort. Susquehanna had an upset in mind when it tackled No. 13 Johns Hopkins University two weeks ago, but each of the Crusaders' final two drives ended with turnovers in Blue Jay territory on the way to a 27-20 loss. Last week, Susquehanna held a 28-9 lead over Dickinson College at the start of the fourth quarter before the Red Devils rallied for the game's final 20 points.
 
The rushing attack has been on opposite sides of the spectrum for Gettysburg and Susquehanna. The Bullets rank second in the conference with over 220 yards per game, while the Crusaders sit last with just over 97 yards per game. Gettysburg has yet to allow a player to reach 100 rushing yards in a game and it heads into the weekend second only to Muhlenberg College among conference schools allowing only 113.7 rushing yards per outing.
 
Offense has not been an issue in three prior meetings between these two squads. In each outing, the teams have combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense. Gettysburg won last season's shootout 42-28 on Homecoming at Shirk Field.
 
Streeter's team his heading in the right direction, but the Bullets head coach also knows it only takes a few mistakes to even the playing field. Eliminating turnovers and penalties are key objectives for the Orange and Blue this weekend.
 
"Our responsibility is to prepare and be ready to play when the time comes," said Streeter. "That's what we have to do as a team. Don't worry about who you're playing because I can tell you right now they're all good."
 
OPENING KICKOFF
Gettysburg heads into today's game hoping to pick up its second consecutive victory, while Susquehanna has its sights set on winning its first game of the year.
 
GAME COVERAGE
Saturday's game will feature live stats and live video provided by Susquehanna University. Live stats can be found here: http://www.gosusqu.com/sports/fball/2014-15/boxscores/20140927_wni5.xml. Live video can be accessed here: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/susquehanna/.
 
THE COACHES
Barry Streeter enters his 36th season at the helm of Gettysburg's football program. Streeter is the longest-tenured active coach in Division III and his 179 wins tie him for seventh among active coaches. Streeter has led Gettysburg to three Centennial Conference championships (1983-85) and he has twice been named CC Coach of the Year. In 1985, he led the Bullets to the only undefeated season in school history (9-0-1) and an appearance in the national semifinals.
 
Steve Briggs is in the midst of his 25th season at Susquehanna. He has led the Crusaders to a 125-118 record during his tenure and he is the program's winningest coach. Briggs led Susquehanna to the Liberty League title in 2009 – the program's last year prior to joining the Centennial Conference. In 1991, he guided the Crusaders to an 11-2 record and a berth in the national semifinals.
 
THE SERIES
It has been 117 years since Gettysburg and Susquehanna first met on the football field. After playing seven times from 1897 to 1922, the series was put on hold until the Crusaders joined the Centennial Conference in 2010. The Bullets have won three of four meetings since the renewal of the series.
 
LAST MEETING
Gettysburg turned in 21 unanswered points over the second and third quarters to pick up a 42-28 victory over Susquehanna on Homecoming. With the score tied 14-14 in the second quarter, Gettysburg tailback Kyle Wigley (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) busted out a career-long 63-yard carry for a touchdown. Aden Twer '14 caught a pair of touchdown heaves by Zach Miller (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand), including a 73-yarder to make it 35-14 with 6:11 left in the third quarter. The Bullets polished off the win with a 21-yard pass from Fred Caruso (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name) to Alec Pacelli (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand). The two teams combined for 1,090 yards of offense in the contest. Wigley finished with 135 yards on the ground, while Twer racked up 135 yards through the air. Tommy LeNoir '14 also finished with over 100 yards, tallying 119 and a touchdown out of his four catches. Miller tossed for 298 yards and three scores. Cody DiAmore '14 and Michael Pennella (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater Raritan) each posted 16 tackles, while Drew Winters (Midlothian, Md./Mountain Ridge) added a pair of sacks. Merle Moscarello rushed for 176 yards and quarterback Cam Olson threw for 308 and a pair of scores to pace Susquehanna.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Gettysburg knocked off previously unbeaten Juniata 31-17 on Homecoming at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium. The Bullets held the Eagles off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, while posting a pair of scores to seal the win. Gettysburg out-gained Juniata 516-252 in the contest and held the Eagles to just 89 yards on the ground. The Bullets also racked up seven sacks – its best total in nearly six years. The Orange and Blue gained 304 yards on the ground with junior Kyle Wigley leading the way with 99 on 17 carries. Junior Travis Andrews (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) turned in a career-high 71 yards on 10 carries, while senior Fred Caruso carried the ball 14 times for 70 yards. Senior Nick Ulassin (Branchburg, N.J./Somerville) converted a pair of red zone rushes. Senior Zach Miller completed 14-of-25 passes for 212 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Junior Brandon Sparks (New Hope, Pa./Central Bucks East) reeled in two catches for 48 yards and a TD, while Caruso turned in 46 yards on a pair of receptions. Sophomore Michael Pennella led the defensive effort with 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks. 
 
GETTYSBURG OFFENSE
Gettysburg has displayed a balanced offensive plan through its first four games. The Bullets rank third in the conference in total offense at 418 yards per game, averaging 199 through the air and 219 on the ground. The team is coming off its best outing rushing the ball as it piled up 304 yards on 68 carries against Juniata. Gettysburg accumulated 31 first downs against Juniata and it has jumped to the top spot in the conference with 74 first downs this season. A well-balanced run game features five players averaging 18 yards or better this fall. Senior Fred Caruso leads the way with just over 63 yards per game with junior Kyle Wigley a close second at 58.3. Senior Zach Miller has been solid with an average of over 200 yards passing per outing and five passing touchdowns. Four of those scoring heaves have gone to junior Brandon Sparks, who leads all conference wide receivers in scoring.
 
GETTYSBURG DEFENSE
Gettysburg held Juniata to just 252 total yards and only 89 yards rushing. The Bullets logged seven sacks against the Eagles, marking the team's best total since notching the same total against Ursinus on Oct. 4, 2008. Gettysburg has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this season and the team is currently second in the conference in rushing defense with only 113.7 yards per game. The Bullets have been solid on third-down conversion defense, allowing only 13 first-downs in 42 attempts (31 percent). Sophomore Michael Pennella ranks second in the conference in both tackles for a loss (5.5) and sacks (3.5). He also leads the team with 24 total tackles. Sophomore Joseph Vegso (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple-Newtown) has posted 23 tackles and four tackles for a loss. Sophomore Chris Miller (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) has recorded two sacks and four tackles for a loss, while junior Brian Calatozzo (Sewell, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) has an interception and four pass break-ups to his credit.
 
GETTYSBURG SPECIAL TEAMS
Gettysburg's kicking game is starting to build momentum. Junior Robby Fay (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) averaged 37.5 yards in his two punts against Juniata, bringing his season average up to 33.7. Sophomore Garrett Long (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) converted his first collegiate field goal against the Eagles and is now 6-for-6 on extra points. Long is also averaging 56.1 yards on kickoffs and booted a pair of touchbacks against Juniata. Senior Fred Caruso continues to handle the majority of kick/punt returns, fielding eight kickoffs for an average of 19.6 yards and taking seven punt returns for an average of 13.9 yards.
 
SCOUTING SUSQUEHANNA
Susquehanna has not gone down easy despite its 0-3 start to the season. After falling to Lycoming College in the opener, the Crusaders have put each of their Centennial foes to the test. After pulling to within a touchdown of nationally-ranked Johns Hopkins, Susquehanna turned the ball over on each of its final two possessions in Blue Jay territory, including a fumble inside the 10-yard line with just over a minute to go. Susquehanna looked like it was about to clinch its first win of the season after jumping out to a 28-9 lead over Dickinson to start the fourth quarter, but the Red Devils had other plans, scoring the next 20 points to capture a 29-28 decision. Freshman quarterback Nick Crusco is tied for second in the conference with 203.3 passing yards per game and his five touchdowns tie him for third. Junior Tim Wade paces the team with 212 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Junior linebacker Jim Barry paces the defense and ranks second in the conference with 37 tackles (23 solo). 
 
COACH TO CURE MD
The Bullets and Crusaders are participating in Coach To Cure MD Day. Coach To Cure MD is a partnership between the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), a professional organization for over 10,000 college football coaches and staff, and Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), the largest national charity devoted exclusively to Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In 2008 the AFCA adopted PPMD's Coach To Cure MD program as one of their charity efforts. During Saturday's game, the coaches will be sporting Coach To Cure MD shoulder patches. In addition, eight-year old twin brothers Dayton and Blake Biesecker, who were diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at the age of six, will be in attendance. The Susquehanna cheerleaders will be collecting donations throughout the game with proceeds going to a trust fund to support future expenses for Dayton and Blake.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
Junior tailback Kyle Wigley became the 27th Bullet to reach 1,000 career yards after posting 99 against Juniata. Wigley has averaged 5.8 yards per carry over 179 attempts, a mark that would put him second in program history once he attains the minimum of 200 attempts. Senior Fred Caruso has climbed to 10th in school history with 1,103 receiving yards. He needs 20 more to pass Donald Emert '51 for ninth. Caruso's 76 receptions leave him one shy of Ken Snyder '65 for ninth. The senior wing also crossed 2,000 all-purpose yards last time out and is just 110 yards shy of cracking the top 15. Senior Nick Ulassin is 59 yards away from each 1,000 on kickoff returns. Only six Bullets have turned in 1,000 yards on kickoff returns. Quarterback Zach Miller continues to climb the passing ranks. He became the sixth Bullet with 3,000 career passing yards and heads into the weekend fifth with 3,086 – only 88 yards shy of former NFL player James Ward '66.
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Michael Pennella was named the Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week following his performance against Juniata. The linebacker led the Bullets with 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks against the Eagles. He brought down Juniata QB Ward Udinski on the third play of the game, the first of his nine tackles against the conference's second-leading rusher and passer heading into the contest.
 
PASSING TD STREAK
Senior quarterback Zach Miller has thrown for a touchdown in 13 consecutive games. During that stretch, he has thrown for 20 touchdowns and he has thrown for multiple TDs six times, including a career-high three against Susquehanna last season. Miller has also thrown for 200 or more yards in 10 of those games.  
 
ALL-PURPOSE PLAYER
Senior wing Fred Caruso leads the Centennial Conference in all-purpose yardage. Caruso has racked up 563 all-purpose yards in the first three games for an average of 187.7. His next closest competitor is Moravian's Eli Redmond, who is averaging 138 all-purpose yards per game. Caruso is the only player among the top 15 in the conference that has positive yardage in each category: rushing, receiving, punt returns, and kick returns.
 
WATCHING SPARKS FLY
Junior Brandon Sparks has hauled in four touchdowns among his six catches, which leads all Centennial receivers. His 147 yards leads the team, while his 24.5 yards per catch ranks second in the conference.