Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa.  – The season opener between Bridgewater College and Gettysburg College was a battle until the very end with the Eagles escaping from Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium with a 33-32 non-conference victory to open the 2014 campaign.
 
Bridgewater (1-0) completed a fourth-and-long pass on its own side of the field to set up the eventual game-winning touchdown with just 1:20 left in the fourth quarter. Gettysburg (1-0) responded with a 66-yard drive that ran out of time as senior Zach Miller's (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) last-second heave to the end zone was batted down.
 
Miller finished 18-of-31 for 203 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 42 yards and a pair of scores. Junior Kyle Wigley (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) carried the ball 10 times for 56 yards and a score, while sophomore Jordan Kelso (Cookstown, N.J./Bordentown Regional) posted a team-high 47 yards receiving.
 
Matthew Pisarcik and Ross Rushing combined to go 23-of-41 for 318 yards and four touchdowns for Bridgewater. Jacob Wright added 90 yards on 17 carries and Cliff Woodard caught five passes for 135 yards and two scores.
 
Bridgewater's defense held Gettysburg quiet for most of the opening quarter, while the offense jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a 23-yard field goal by Chandler DeHaven and a six-yard pass by Pisarcik to Jeffrey Moore.
 
The Bullets converted the final drive of the opening period thanks to a pair of long rushes by junior Travis Andrews (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) and senior Nick Ulassin (Branchburg, N.J./Somerville). Miller capped the quarter with a one-yard plunge, but Gettysburg came up empty on the extra point attempt.
 
The Eagles opened a 10-point advantage in the second quarter as Rushing found Woodard for a 66-yard score. Bridgewater failed to convert the extra point as 6-6 freshman Andrew Major (St. Davids, Pa./Radnor) swatted the ball down.
 
Gettysburg built momentum heading into the break with scoring drives on each of its final two possessions of the half. Miller completed four passes on the first drive, including a short pass to junior Brandon Sparks (New Hope, Pa./Central Bucks East) that cut the margin to 16-13 with 2:49 left in the period.
 
After Bridgewater came up empty on the next possession, the Bullets drove 75 yards in 1:41 with Miller capping the half with a 10-yard rush into the end zone to make it 19-16.
 
The Eagles stole momentum back to start the third period with Woodard ending the drive with a 37-yard touchdown reception from Pisarcik to put the visitors ahead 23-19 at 11:35.
 
Later in the stanza, the Bullets picked up a big stop as junior Kodie McNamara (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) jumped in front of a pass. Gettysburg drove deep into Eagle territory only to turn the ball over on downs.
 
It took another interception to crack the scoring column, this time with junior Dan Ciemniecki (Haddonfield, N.J./Somerville) stealing Rushing's pass at the 49-yardline and racing it down to the end zone for the score with 4:04 left in the third quarter. The extra-point was good to make it 26-23 in favor of the hosts.
 
Bridgewater turned in the game's longest drive at the start of the fourth quarter, totaling 15 plays over seven minutes. The series ended with a 21-yard field goal by DeHaven to tie the game with 7:41 remaining.
 
The Bullets answered right back with Wigley ripping off a 30-yard run to get into Bridgewater territory and then diving in from two yards out for a score to lift Gettysburg back in front 32-26 with only three minutes left. The ensuing extra-point kick was blocked down by Matthew Johnson.
 
After three incomplete passes, Bridgewater was potentially facing its last play of the game at fourth-and-10 from its own 34. Pisarcik stepped up with a 16-yard pass to Peter Monteleone to give the visitors new life. Pisarcik continued to push the Eagles ahead, eventually closing the drive with a 16-yard score to Jayme Perry. DeHaven's kick was good to give the Eagles a 33-32 lead with only 1:20 left.
 
On Gettysburg's final drive, Miller found Kelso for a 12-yard reception to set up a first-down on the 50-yardline with less than a minute to go. After a five-yard rush by Miller, the Bullets came up empty on a pass and rush attempt to set up a hail-mary pass to the end zone. The pass was tipped away by Sonny Romine with no time left.
 
Bridgewater finished with a 453-407 edge in total offense. The Bullets out-gained the Eagles on the ground 204-135, but the visitors held a 318-203 advantage in the air. Bridgewater held a slight lead in time of possession at 31:22-28:29.
 
Defensively for Gettysburg, McNamara, senior Gordon Prince (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional), and sophomore Joseph Vegso (Newtown, Square, Pa./Marple-Newtown) each totaled 10 tackles. Prince added two tackles for a loss. Senior Fred Caruso (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name) totaled 129 all-purpose yards in the loss. 
 
Alex Collins led the Bridgewater defense with 13 tackles, including two sacks totaling nine yards. The Eagles finished the game with six sacks.
 
Gettysburg opens its Centennial Conference schedule at Ursinus College next Saturday, Sept. 6, at 1 p.m.