Game Notes

Franklin & Marshall Last Time Out...

Franklin & Marshall churned out 295 rushing yards during a 34-14 win at Kean last week. The win improves the Diplomats to 5-3 on the year after F&M picked up its first road victory of the 2024 season. After both teams scored a touchdown during the first quarter, the Diplomats outscored the host Cougars 27-7 during the final three quarters. The Diplomats' defense turned in another incredible performance as it held Kean to just 134 yards of total offense. That total included just 12 rushing yards for the Cougars who were also picked off once through the air while the F&M defense came up with three sacks.

After coming in during the second drive of the game, Fant finished with 14 completions for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Gary Lewis was his favorite target with eight catches for 78 yards and the one touchdown reception. Jack O'Hearen – the Centennial Conference's leading receiver – caught three passes for 39 yards. F&M carried the ball a total of 50 times for 295 rushing yards, an average of 5.5 yards per carry. Those totals propelled the Diplomats to 434 yards of total offense while racking up 43:55 in time of possession. In addition to converting a fourth-and-22 into a first down, Scully led the defense with six tackles on the afternoon. He had one tackle for loss, with Jacob Hille, Connor Hille, and Quincy Long each registering a sack. In total, the Diplomats finished with seven tackles for loss, led by 2.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage from Jeff Decker.

Franklin & Marshall Returning Honorees

• Laurence Miller - Fourth team All-American kicker, first-team All-CC in 2023

• Jeff Decker - first team All-CC defensive end (second team in 2022)

• Gary Lewis - first-team All-CC wide receiver in 2023

• Matt Scully - second-team All-CC linebacker in 2023, honorable mention returner in 2021

• Matt Wertz - second-team All-CC defensive back in 2023

• Aaron Rascoe - first-team All-CC running back in 2022

• Jacob Hille - second-team All-CC linebacker in 2022

Last time we met ... 

The Diplomats gave the then-No. 22 Mules all they could handle during a 48-45 double overtime loss in Allentown a season ago. The contest was a back-and-forth battle through the air as both quarterbacks passed for over 300 yards and five touchdowns before the Mules scored a touchdown on their second possession of the overtime to clinch the victory. The Diplomats had a touchdown during their first overtime possession and converted a field goal with their second chance of the extra time.

All five of those passing touchdowns went to Gary Lewis, breaking the previous F&M record for touchdown receptions in a single game (3) which had been accomplished 19 times previously. In addition to shattering the school record, Lewis also became the first player in Centennial Conference history with five touchdown receptions as the previous conference record of four receiving touchdowns had been achieved six times previously. Lewis' five touchdowns tied the school record with 30 points in a single game which is now shared with Ryan Murray (2007) and Wally Witmer (1951). Lewis' five touchdowns on Saturday give him 15 on the season, tying him with Dale Amos (1989) for the most receiving touchdowns in a season in program history.

Ty Tremba passed for 338 yards, with Jake Fant adding 10 more. Tremba's five touchdown passes tied the school record that had been accomplished previously by four different quarterbacks a combined seven times. Muhlenberg got the ball first during the overtime from its 25. The Mules took just one play to score their first overtime touchdown. F&M needed five plays, but the end result was the same. The Diplomats were facing a fourth-and-goal from the Muhlenberg 17 during that first overtime, but Moir was able to draw a defensive pass interference call that put the ball at the two, leaving the final touchdown chance of the day for Lewis.

Franklin & Marshall was held without a first down on its second drive of the overtime, but Laurence Miller's 36-yard field goal put the Diplomats up 45-42. Following a 17-yard reception to start Muhlenberg's second overtime drive, the Diplomats appeared to have slowed down the Mules, but a key face mask penalty against the Diplomats - with a potential third down looming - gave the hosts a first down and they needed just two more plays before the walk-off game-winning touchdown pass to James Nye who had two touchdown receptions of his own.

The Mules finished the game with 511 yards of total offense and 28 first downs, compared to 401 yards and 19 first downs for the Diplomats. The two teams were similar through the air, but the Mules added 125 additional yards on the ground. Tremba completed 25 of his 38 passes for 338 yards and the five touchdowns while under pressure from four sacks. On top of his touchdowns, Lewis finished with eight receptions for 148 yards. Jack Sutton also had a nice day in the receiving game with seven catches for 96 yards. The Diplomats averaged over eight yards per pass attempt through the Centennial Conference matchup. Senior Owen Walsh was all over the field with 13 tackles and one pass break up to headline a number of key defensive performances. Matt Wertz and Scully both finished with nine tackles through the contest. Scully also had a tack for loss in addition to his interception which was one of two takeaways for the F&M defense as the other came on Decker's sack.

Scouting Muhlenberg

The Mules are 5-3 (3-2 CC) on the year having lost to both Johns Hopkins and Ursinus to match the Diplomats' conference record. The winner of this week's game will officially clinch a top three finish in the Centennial Conference standings. Muhlenberg's offense follows the lead of Joe Repetti who is completing 67.3 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,297 yards on the yard. He is averaging 287.1 yards per game through the air while throwing for 22 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Nine different Muhlenberg receivers have over 100 yards this season. That group is led by Matt McKenna who has hauled in 35 passes for 440 yards, an average of 55 yards per game. Chris Ardita leads the Mules with five receiving touchdowns on the season as six players on that sideline have found the end zone multiple times through the air. When Muhlenberg does run the ball, it turns to Amari Dunn how is averaging 4.8 yards per carry and 60.4 yards per game on the ground. Repetti is the team's second leading rusher and he run the ball in for a score seven times.

On the defensive side of the ball, Peyton Elliott now has a team-leading 53 tackles heading into the team's ninth game in addition to his team-leading two interceptions. The Mules have made 46 stops behind the line of scrimmage this year, with Matt Papa's 6.5 stops behind the line making him the team leader. Eleven different Mules have made a tackle in the backfield so far this season. Muhlenberg 18 sacks on the season and has allowed just six. Both Blaze Curry and Andrew Franklin are leading the team with three sacks each. Field goals have been a non-factor in the Mules' powerful offense as they have converted 2-of-3 with no attempts from beyond 39 yards. In addition to his quarterback responsibilities, Repetti also serves as the team's punter where he is averaging 36.8 yards per punt.

Looking ahead to the postseason

The winner of the Franklin & Marshall/Muhlenberg game will officially look up the third place position in the Centennial Conference standings. Currently, Johns Hopkins is undefeated in conference and needs just one win during the final two weeks of the season officially clinch the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. Ursinus has just one conference loss on the year, meaning the winner of the F&M game this weekend is very likely to host a bowl game. Both teams in this game have all but clinched a spot in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series.

Centennial Conference Leaders for Franklin & Marshall

Rushing Yards
4. Aaron Rascoe (64.8 per game)

Passing Yards
2. Ty Tremba (233.5 per game)

Receiving Yards
1. Jack O'Hearen (86.4 per game)

Scoring
4. Laurence Miller (6.3 ppg)

Kick Returns
7. Matt Hanna (16.9 per return)

Total Offense
4. Ty Tremba (246.5 yards per game)
9. Aaron Rascoe (64.8 per game)

All-Purpose Yards
7. Jack O'Hearen (86.4 yards per game)

Punting
3. Laurence Miller (37.9 yard average)

Field Goals
1. Laurence Miller (10)

Tackles for Loss
3. Jeff Decker (14.0)
4. Quincy Long (11.0)
8. Matt Scully (5.5)

Sacks
3. Jeff Decker (6.5)
5. Quincy Long (5.0)

Passes Defended
6. Matt Scully (7)
10. Rafe Carner (6)

Interceptions
5. Matt Wertz (2)
5. Daniel Shakal (1)
5.  Nico Medlar (2)

Fumble Recoveries
4. Rafe Carner (1)
4. Matt Wertz (1)
4. Quincy Long (1)
4. Jeff Decker (1)

Forced Fumbles
2. Connor Hille (3)
8. Chris Albero (1)