Game Notes

Last time out (W, 40-14 vs. Kean) ...

Franklin & Marshall racked up 412 yards of offense and limited Kean to just 215 yards while celebrating True Blue Weekend in style with a 40-14 victory versus Kean. That matchup was the Diplomats' final non-conference game of the regular season and wrapped up the three game Centennial-NJAC scheduling agreement for the Diplomats.  F&M went undefeated in non-conference action with a 3-0 win against NJAC schools while also defeating Lebanon Valley during the season opener. The Diplomats led 23-6 after a thrilling blocked PAT against Kean that was returned for a two-point conversion late in the second quarter. The hosts then left no doubt as to final outcome in the third quarter by scoring 17 unanswered to race ahead 40-6 during the eventual victory.

Stars of the Past Week

Ty Tremba threw for 222 yards as he completed 16 of his 25 passes for two touchdowns. The Diplomats finished the game with 257 yards of passing in total. Brady Aselton scored two touchdowns for the second time in three weeks, while Gary Lewis also caught two touchdowns on a game-high seven receptions for 88 yards. Lewis now has multiple receiving touchdowns during four of the Diplomats' first eight games this season, including a season-best three receiving touchdowns during the home opener against The College of New Jersey. Seven different players caught passes throughout the victory. F&M alo churned out 155 yards in the rushing game. Senior Mitch Wagner finished with just eight carries, but made the most of those chances with 87 yards on the ground that included an explosive 61-yard rushing touchdown.

Jeff Decker was once again an unstoppable force on the defensive line as four of his eight tackles were made behind the line of scrimmage. His day included two sacks and one forced fumble in addition to his team lead in tackles. Dante Medlar was second on the team with seven tackles, while Shakal added five stops in addition to his interception as  Matt Wertz, and Owen Walsh were second on the team with five tackles each as 30 different players registered a stop for the F&M defense which saw plenty of fresh bodies get into the game during the second half. The Diplomats finished with 11 tackles for loss on the afternoon.

Last Game vs. Muhlenberg (L, 28-21; October 29, 2022)

Muhlenberg came into last year's contest receiving votes in the national polls, but the Diplomats gave the Mules all they could handle in a game that was ultimately separated by just one possession. The Diplomats went up 14-7 at the half with Gary Lewis hauling in one of his two 53-yard touchdown receptions on the afternoon during the first 30 minutes of action. Aaron Rascoe also accounted for a touchdown on the ground during that contest. 

The Mules scored 21 unanswered points during the second half, with Lewis hauling in another 53-yard touchdown reception with 1:41 left in regulation to make it a one score game. The Diplomats forced a three-and-out on defense and marched the ball to the Muhlenberg 40 before one last pass into the endzone with time running all feel incomplete.  Muhlenberg finished the game with a 432-392 advantage in yards, but the Diplomats had the advantage in the air as Tremba completed 19 of his 40 passes for 320 yards. 

Six Diplomats finished with at least five tackles, highlighted by Jacob Hille's 10 stop afternoon that featured nine solo efforts, with his one assisted play coming in the Mules' backfield. The Diplomats registered five tackles with loss, with 2.5 of them coming from Jeff Decker. Kyle Jones got to the quarterback for the team's only sack of the afternoon.

Nine Games in nine weeks

The postponed TCNJ game will create a unique challenge for this year's team as it is set to play the fourth of nine games in nine consecutive weeks. However, that is not as rare as a might seem at first glance.

• F&M has played nine games in nine weeks during 43 others seasons (first since 2007)

• 15th time since Centennial (1983) formed that F&M will play nine games in nine weeks

• The 1972 & 1974 teams were only teams to go undefeated during their nine games in nine week stretches, they were 4th & 5th undefeated teams in school history

• Since CC was formed, the best record during a nine game/nine week stretch was 8-1 by both the 1986 & 1989 teams

• This will be the first time since 2004 that F&M will be playing five home games in a span of 51 days or fewer

Looking at the national rankings...

• Team Rankings in Top 50 Nationally

  • 28th: Fourth down conversion percentage (.615)

  • 37th: Team tackles for loss (7.4)

  • 42nd: Winning percentage (.750)

  • 43rd: Fewest passes intercepted (5) - First in Centennial

  • 45th: Passing yards per completion (14.06)

  • 48th: Punt return average (11.92)

  • 49th: Punt return defense (4.60)

  • 50th: Scoring defense (18.2)

• Individuals in top 50 Nationallly

  • Laurence Miller

    • 4th: Field goals per game (1.25) - first in Centennial

    • 21st: Field goal percentage (.769)

  • LT Kelley

    • 13th: Fumbles recovered (2)

  • Matt Wertz

    • 27th: Passes defended (1.4 per game)

  • Justin Gerhart

    • 27th: Passes defended (1.4 per game)

  • Jeff Decker

    • 24th: Tackles for loss (1.7 per game)

  • Ty Tremba

    • 41st: Passing yards per completion (14.13)

    • 42nd: Passing touchdowns (19)

  • Chris Albero

    • 23rd: Punt return average (11.9) - first in Centennial

  • Gary Lewis

    • 17th: Receiving touchdowns (10) - first in Centennial

    • 47th: Scoring per game (8.6 pts.) - first in Centennial

Checking the record books (Career rankings at F&M)

• Chris Albero

  • Punt return yards: 24th (155)

  • Punt returns: t-29th (14)

  • SINGLE SEASON RANKINGS: Average yards/punt return: 16th (11.07 in 2023) | Punt return yards: 28th (155 in 2023)

• Kevonte Beard

  • Fumble return TDs: 1st (2)

  • Punt return TDs: t-3rd (1)

  • Yards from tackles for loss: 4th (150)

  • Tackles for loss: 5th (40.5)

  • Fumble returns: t-11th (1)

  • Fumbles forced: t-13th (4)

  • Fumble return yards: 21st (3)

  • Unassisted tackles: t-24th (106)

  • Quarterback sacks: t-24th (12.0)

  • Yards from sacks: t-24th (63)

• Anthony Bonanno

  • SINGLE-SEASON RANKINGS: Blocked kicks: t-28th (1)

• John Burke

  • SINGLE-SEASON RANKINGS: Blocked kicks: t-28th (1)

• Logan Clouse

  • Pass completion pct: 14th (50.7)

  • Pass efficiency: 20th (102.1)

  • Passing yards/game: 20th (83.9)

  • Total offense/game: 21st (90.7)

  • Passing TDs: 22nd (14)

  • Pass attempts: 23rd (286)

  • Pass completions: 23rd (145)

  • Passing yards: 26th (1511)

  • Average yards/pass: 28th (5.3)

  • Average yards/completion: 30th (10.4)

• Luke Dauberman

  • SINGLE-SEASON RANKINGS: Fumbles forced: t-26th (2 in 2023)

• Jeff Decker

  • Tackles for loss: t-16th (26.0)

  • Yards from tackles for loss: 18th (99)

  • Fumbles forced: t-25th (3)

  • SINGLE-SEASON RANKINGS: Tackles for loss: t-14th (13.5 in 2023) | Yards from tackles for loss: t-20th (49 in 2023)

• Justin Gerhart

  • Interception return TDs: t-5th (1)

  • Interceptions: t-10th (9)

  • Passes defended: t-13th (24)

  • Interception return yards: 22nd (94)

  • SINGLE-SEASON RANKINGS: Passes defended: t-15th (11 in 2023)

• Trey Glass

  • Average yards/kick return: 16th (20.27)

• Kell Hall

  • Interception return TDs: t-5th (1)

  • Passes defended: t-24th (18)

• Matt Hanna

  • SINGLE-SEASON RANKINGS: Average yards/kick return: 18th (22.38 in 2023)

• Jacob Hille

  • Blocked kicks: t-12th (2)

• Nick Johnston

  • Kick return TDs: t-2nd (1)

• LT Kelley

  • SINGLE-SEASON RANKINGS: Fumbles recovered: t-19th (2 in 2023)

• Gary Lewis

  • Receptions/game: 6th (4.57)

  • Average yards/catch: 11th (15.67)

  • Pass reception TDs: t-13th (13)

  • All purpose yards/game: 18th (76.0)

  • Pass reception yards: 29th (1003)

  • SINGLE-SEASON RANKINGS: Pass reception TDs: t-6th (10 in 2023) | Receptions/game: 16th (5.57 in 2023) | Average yards/catch: 20th (14.54 in 2023) | Touchdowns scored: t-25th (10 in 2023) | Total points scored: t-27th (60 in 2023)

• Ryan McArthur

  • Punt return TDs: t-3rd (1)

• Laurence Miller

  • Field goals made: t-3rd (19)

  • PAT kick pct: 4th (92.2)

  • PAT kicks made: t-5th (71)

  • Field goal pct: 6th (73.1)

  • Average yards/punt: 15th (35.81)

  • Total points scored: t-20th (128)

  • SINGLE-SEASON RANKINGS: Field goals made: 3rd (10 in 2023) | Field goal pct: 13th (76.9 in 2023) | PAT kick pct: t-17th (91.7 in 2023) | PAT kicks made: t-18th (22 in 2023)

• Jack O'Hearen

  • Receptions/game: t-23rd (2.67)

• Matt Scully

  • Average yards/kick return: 1st (24.26)

  • Kick return TDs: t-2nd (1)

  • Interception return TDs: t-5th (1)

  • Kick return yards: 7th (825)

  • Kick returns: 11th (34)

  • Passes defended: t-28th (17)

  • SINGLE-SEASON RANKINGS: Fumbles forced: t-26th (2 in 2023)

• Jack Sutton

  • Receptions/game: t-17th (3.00)

  • Average yards/catch: 18th (14.63)

• Ty Tremba

  • Pass efficiency: 1st (149.4)

  • Average yards/pass: 1st (8.5)

  • Total offense/game: 1st (233.4)

  • Passing yards/game: 2nd (207.6)

  • Average yards/completion: 4th (14.4)

  • Total offense/play: 4th (6.67)

  • Pass completion pct: 6th (58.9)

  • Passing TDs: t-9th (29)

  • Total offense yards: 12th (3734)

  • Pass completions: 13th (231)

  • Passing yards: 13th (3321)

  • TDs responsible for: 13th (34)

  • Pass attempts: 16th (392)

  • SINGLE-SEASON RANKINGS: Passing TDs: t-6th (19 in 2023) | Pass efficiency: 8th (148.6 in 2023) | Total offense/game: 8th (237.6 in 2023) | Passing yards/game: 9th (211.0 in 2023) | TDs responsible for: t-9th (20 in 2023) | Average yards/pass: 10th (8.0 in 2023) | Total offense/play: 13th (6.79 in 2023) | Total offense yards: 14th (1901 in 2023) | Passing yards: 17th (1688 in 2023) | Pass completion pct: 23rd (56.4 in 2023) | Pass completions: t-23rd (119 in 2023) | Average yards/completion: 25th (14.2 in 2023) | Pass attempts: 29th (211 in 2023)

• Mitch Wagner

  • Average yards/rush: 23rd (4.29)

• Matt Wertz

  • SINGLE-SEAON RANKINGS: Passes defended: t-15th (11 in 2023) | Blocked kicks: t-28th (1 in 2023)

Returning All-Centennial Conference Performers

• Kevonte Beard - LB/DE (2022 first team; 2021 second team); 2019 Rookie of the Year

• Jeff Decker - DE (2022 second team)

• Justin Gerhart - CB (2022 first team) - 2022 All-American

• Jacob Hille - LB (2022 second team)

• Matt Scully - KR (2021 honorable mention)

Centennial Conference/Postseason Outlook

Centennial Conference Standings

Removing the automatic qualifier who will go to the NCAA Tournament and accounting for the possibility of any at-large selections to the national tournament, the next three teams in the Centennial Conference standings who do not advance to the NCAA Tournament will play in the Centennial-MAC Bowl series on the Saturday following the regular season finale.

Muhlenberg just suffered its first loss of the season to Johns Hopkins on the final play of regulation one week ago. The Diplomats currently sit in fourth place in the Centennial Conference with just two weeks to go and could tie Muhlenberg in the loss column with a victory this week while also holding the direct victory against them. Muhlenberg's game against F&M will be the team's final Centennial Conference contest of the regular season. Dickinson also has two losses in Centennial Conference play. The Red Devils host Johns Hopkins this week and travel to Ursinus to wrap up the regular season. Johns Hopkins has the inside track to the Centennial Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the only undefeated team in the conference who also owns a win over second place Muhlenberg. Ursinus and Gettysburg are both 1-3 entering this week in conference action with the loser of that contest likely on the outside of the Centennial-MAC Bowl Picture.

Centennial Conference Schedule

Saturday, November 4
Ursinus at Gettysburg (1 p.m.)
Johns Hopkins at Dickinson (1 p.m.)
Franklin & Marshall at Muhlenberg (1 p.m.)
Salisbury at McDaniel (2 p.m.)

Scouting Muhlenberg

Muhlenberg will enter the week as the No. 22 team in the latest D3football.com national poll. The Mules suffered their only loss of the season to date on the final play of the game versus Johns Hopkins. The teams were tied with Johns Hopkins attempting the game-winning field goal which was blocked but recovered by the Blue Jays and carried into the end zone for a touchdown. Even with that first blemish on their record, Muhlenberg is outscoring teams by a 38.6 - 16.6 average on the year. Quarterback Joe Reppetti leads the powerful offense with 2,056 passing yards and 28 touchdowns on the season. He is completing 68.7 percent of his passes, but has also thrown eight interceptions. The Mules have three receivers with over 300 yards receiving on the season. That group is headlined by James Nye's 25 catches for 535 yards. Like F&M standout receiver Gary Lewis, he is tied for the Centennial Conference lead with 10 touchdown receptions. Reppetti is also Muhlenberg's top rusher with 462 yards on the season, averaging 6.0 yards per carry. Three other running backs are each averaging around 30 yards per game.

Tyler Ekstrom leads the Mules' defense with 55 tackles, including 6.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. The Mules have 62 tackles for loss on the season, an average of just under eight stops behind the line of scrimmage per contest. Tim Higgins' 3.5 sacks leads the defense which has gotten to the quarterback 21 times this season, with the offensive line allowing just seven sacks in total on the other side of the ball. Ekstrom, Owen Kovacs, and Alex Batista each have two interceptions for a defense that has picked off the opposition nine times, with five other fumble recoveries. The Mules have not been tested in special teams as kicker Alex Garrido is just 1-for-1 on the year in field goal attempts, connecting from 24 yards. On kickoffs, Connor Fenstermaker is averaging just shy of 56 yards per attempt. That includes nine touchbacks. Josh Castro has handled most of the punting duties and has pinned the opposition inside its own 20 during six of his 22 punts. He averages 38.6 yards per punt, with a long of 59 yards.