Gettysburg College Athletics

OPENING KICKOFF: Today’s Centennial Conference (CC) game marks the 109th meeting between Gettysburg (2-7, 1-4 CC) and Franklin & Marshall (5-4, 2-3 CC) in a series that dates back to 1890. The Diplomats have won the last seven meetings to take a 53-48-7 lead in the all-time series. The last Bullets win was a 21-7 victory in 2015. This is the 41st consecutive season that the two long-time rivals have been the final scheduled game for each other.

WHEN LAST WE MET: Franklin & Marshall scored three first-half touchdowns off three Gettysburg turnovers to build a 21-3 lead en route to a 35-10 victory in the 2023 regular-season finale. Peter Corcoran led the Bullets with seven tackles on defense. Rocco Abdinoor added 59 yards rushing and 81 yards passing in the first half. Ty Tremba led the Diplomats with 211 yards passing, going 15-for-30 with three touchdowns. He also ran for 38 yards on seven carries. (Full Recap) (Box Score)

COACHES’ CORNER: Moe Banks is in his fifth year in charge of the Gettysburg program and fourth season with games. Banks enters today’s game with a 6-32 record on the sidelines. He came to Gettysburg after six seasons at Georgetown (2014-18) and Penn (2019). At Georgetown, he coached defensive backs and oversaw special teams, including mentoring a secondary that ranked third in the FCS in team passing efficiency defense (97.2 percent) and fourth in interceptions (20) in 2018. At Penn, Banks assisted with the development and implementation of defensive and special teams schemes. He coached a pair of All-Ivy League selections at linebacker and was also the play-caller for the kickoff unit, which finished third in the Ivy League in net kickoff average… Tom Blumeauer is in his third season as the head coach at Franklin & Marshall, entering today with a 18-11 record. Blumenauer came to Lancaster after spending six years as an assistant head coach at Williams, most recently held the position of offensive coordinator/quarterback coach. Originally joining the Ephs staff as offensive line coach, he helped Williams finish seventh nationally in rushing yards per carry (5.92) and 14th in rushing yards per game (247.8) while also leading the conference in passing touchdowns during the 2019 campaign. Prior to Williams, Blumenauer served as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Bowdoin during the 2015 season. Prior to constructing some of the top offenses throughout the NESCAC and all of Division III, Blumenauer served as the offensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator, and quarterbacks coach at Endicott. He got his start in college coaching as the recruiting coordinator, quarterbacks coach, and wide receivers coach at St. Lawrence from 2010-13. During his playing career, Blumenauer starred as an outside linebacker and free safety at Ithaca from 2004-06, earning Empire 8 All-Star recognition during his final two seasons, as well as being named to the All-East Region Team in 2006.

LAST TIME OUT: Ursinus scored three second-quarter touchdowns to take a 20-0 lead into the break and defeat Gettysburg 34-0 last Saturday in Collegeville. Peter Schelling (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) led the Bullets with 82 all-purpose yards. Michael Zrelak (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) rushed 17 times for 73 yards. Tony Holden led the Bears with 186 yards rushing – part of a 436-yard day on the ground – and two touchdowns.

LEADING THE WAY: Rocco Abdinoor (Edgewater, Md./St. Mary’s Annapolis) and Vic Hofman (Pasadena, Calif./Maranatha) captain the squad in 2024. Both are first-time captains. It is the first time since 2019 that the Bullets have had just two captains for a season.

THANK YOU, SENIORS!: Today marks the final game for up to 16 Gettysburg seniors. The group has combined to make 131 starts over their careers, including 62 this season.

SCHEDULE CHANGES: Today marks the end of a long-standing tradition. With a change to the conference schedule next year, 2025 will end a streak of 41 straight seasons in which Gettysburg has finished the regular season against Franklin & Marshall. The Bullets and Diplomats have met in the final game since the inception of the Centennial Football Conference in 1983. Next season, the two teams are slated to open the conference slate in Gettysburg on Oct. 4, which will be Homecoming for the Bullets. It will mark the first non-November meeting for the two teams since 1980.

LINCOLN FOOTBALL TROPHY: For the 100th meeting between Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall in 2015, a new award was created to commemorate the occasion. The two institutions and surrounding communities are connected by one stretch of road, Route 30, better known as the Lincoln Highway. Local historian and woodworker Bill Hewitt molded the trophy, which resembles President Abraham Lincoln’s stove-pipe hat. Pieces of the wood were from two “witness trees” that stood tall during the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. A bullet from the battle was found within one of the trees and has been embedded within the trophy itself, safely ensconced under hat.

SECOND TO NONE: Since outscoring Juniata 27-6 in the second quarter of the opener, the second quarter has been an issue for Gettysburg this season. The Bullets have been outscored 141-26 over the last eight games in the second 15 minutes of the game. The only time Gettysburg has scored more than once in the second quarter since Week 1 was the last home game against College of New Jersey. In six conference games, the margin has been 81-7 this season, including a pair of 20-0 quarters at Dickinson and at Ursinus over the last two weeks.

WHERE’D THE O GO?: The Bullets were shut out at Ursinus on Saturday, marking the first time Gettysburg failed to score in a game since falling 50-0 to then-No. 20 Johns Hopkins on Oct. 23, 2021. The Bullet offense was limited to just 220 yards. It was only the third time all year that Gettysburg had not recorded 300 yards of total offense this season – and first time on a Saturday afternoon. The 115 rushing yards were the fewest all season for the conference’s leading rushing team entering last weekend. 

OFFENSIVE DISPLAY: The Bullets have scored 238 points this season, which is the highest scoring output since the 2016 team put up 305 points. Gettysburg has scored 14 or more points in all but two games this season and 30 points or more in half of the first eight games. In total, 14 different players have contributed to the 238 points, including 11 different players scoring at least one touchdown. 

BULLET POINTS: The 436 rushing yards allowed on Saturday at Ursinus was the most given up by the Bullet defense since 2013, when Gettysburg surrendered more than 400 yards on the ground twice… This is one of just five games this season in the traditional 1:00 Saturday timeslot. The final four games of the season have a 1:00 kickoff. Gettysburg had two noon kickoffs, one 3:00 Saturday kickoff along with two Friday night games. 

The Diplomats enter today’s game after a last-second home loss to Muhlenberg last Saturday. After trailing 14-0 midway through the second quarter, Franklin & Marshall had outscored the Mules 23-10, including taking a two-point lead on an Aaron Rascoe 10-yard touchdown run. The Diplomats, however, missed the ensuing PAT to hold the precarious lead with 1:28 to play. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty meant F&M was kicking off from its own 20 and led to Muhlenberg taking over at the Diplomat 49 with 1:20 on the clock. Eight plays later, Connor Fenstermaker hit a 29-yard field goal as the clock expired for the 24-23 victory… Ty Tremba completed 28 of 42 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Diplomats. Jack O’Hearan caught 10 of those passes for 127 yards and a score. Gary Lewis made seven grabs for 62 yards. Nico Medlar led the defense with 11 tackles and three pass breakups… Franklin & Marshall enters the final week of the regular season as the conference’s top defense statistically. The Diplomats have allowed a CC-low 234.6 yards per game and is second in scoring defense at 13.9 points allowed per game. The rush defense and pass defense are tops in the league at 61.2 ypg and 173.3 ypg, respectively. F&M has allowed 308 or fewer total yards in eight of the nine games. The Diplomats surrendered 150 or fewer yards in two of the last three games… The 24 points scored by Muhlenberg last Saturday were the most allowed by F&M all season. The Diplomats have giving up 14 or fewer six times this season… Tremba has thrown for 2,169 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, completing nearly 60 percent of his passes (155 of 259). He has thrown 12 interceptions this season, though… O’Hearen has been his favorite target with 50 grabs for 818 yards and six touchdowns… Brady Aselton has caught five touchdowns. He has just 20 receptions for 211 yards in total… Eight different Diplomat defenders have at least one interception this season and three have two picks. Medlar has four pass breakups to go with two interceptions… Matt Scully has nine pass breakups this year but does not have an interception… Franklin & Marshall can secure a Centennial-MAC Bowl berth with a win this afternoon.