2008 Record 5-5 .500 Overall 5-3 .625 Conference Location: Gettysburg, PA Head Coach: Barry Streeter (Lebanon Valley '71) Stadium (cap.): Musselman (6176) Conference: CC Region: South 2009 Schedule

After winning five of its final six games in 2008, the Gettysburg College football team will look to parlay its positive momentum into a successful 2009 campaign.

The Bullets return 14 starters – seven on each side of the ball – from a team that closed the season with an impressive 54-21 win over Franklin & Marshall College. Despite an 0-4 start, the squad rallied to finish with a .500 record, going 5-5 and 5-3 in the Centennial Conference to tie for fourth.

In the Centennial Conference Preseason Poll, the Bullets were picked to finish fifth, as voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.

“I think there’s reason for optimism,” said head coach Barry Streeter, who enters his 31st year at the helm. “We have a lot of strong offensive players returning. We have a solid group of defensive players coming back. I thought we had a good offseason program, and I believe that spring ball went well.

“We talked about how we finished,” continued Streeter. “Around the country, there weren’t many teams that started the way we did and finished as successfully as we did. There’s no question it gave us a lift heading into the offseason.”

On paper, it would appear as if the Bullets could be especially strong offensively with the return of all of their starting skill position players from a unit that led the Centennial Conference in both scoring (32.9 points per game) and total offense (438.2 yards per game) a year ago. The team also returns a three-year starter at quarterback in senior Matt Flynn and an all-conference tailback in junior Jamel Mutunga.

Defensively, an experienced group shows promise after holding two different opponents to single-digit scoring totals last season, including a win over McDaniel in which they allowed only three field goals.

On special teams, the Bullets bring back their starting punter and return specialist but must replace two-time All-Centennial Conference selection in kicker Josh Huson.

For the third straight season, Gettysburg’s schedule is a carbon copy from the previous season, with only the locations reversed. After opening its season at home against Lebanon Valley College, the Bullets hit the road for a pair of games, visiting Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia for their last non-conference game before opening their Centennial Conference schedule at Johns Hopkins on a Friday night.

After hosting defending conference champion Muhlenberg College, the Bullets will take to the road for back-to-back contests at Ursinus College and Moravian College before opening a three-game homestand against Juniata College, Dickinson College, and McDaniel. The team closes out the season at Franklin & Marshall.

OFFENSE
The Bullets highly-successful Spread Wing offense has the potential to be as potent as it’s ever been. Besides leading the conference in scoring and total offense, Gettysburg was also second in the Centennial in rushing offense (216.2 yards per game) after closing the season with a mammoth 434-yard ground effort in its season-ending rout of
F&M.

While the strength of the offense will undoubtedly lie in the skill positions, where all five of its starters return, the Bullets will have some holes to fill up front, where the team brings back only two starting linemen.

QUARTERBACK
The Bullets return perhaps their most experienced player at the most crucial position on the field with the record-setting Flynn under center. And according to Streeter, that experience is invaluable.

“It’s so important,” said Streeter. “When you come into camp and you have a starter at quarterback, it really makes the preseason go so much more smoothly.”

Flynn is coming off perhaps his most productive season for the Bullets, setting career-highs in completions (155), yards (2,126), completion percentage (58.1), and efficiency (132.0) while tossing 14 touchdown passes. He set single-season school records for passing yards and total offense (2,368 yards) and holds career Gettysburg records for passing yards (5,207), touchdown passes (37), and total offense (5,978). He is also eight completions shy of yet another career school record.

A threat to run the ball as well, Flynn, who has a 100-yard rushing game on his résumé, was the team’s fourth-leading rusher last season with 242 yards and three touchdowns.

“I feel very confident in him,” said Streeter. “Last year he really looked like he understood everything we asked of him. I expect him to have an excellent season.”

The Bullets back-up from last season, Billy Giannone, did not return to the team, but sophomore Kyle Whitmoyer will likely step up to that position after a solid spring.

TAILBACK
The Bullets’ ball-carrying duties will be in good hands with the return of the speedy Mutunga, who platooned with Nick McConnell ’09 at tailback in 2008.

Despite sharing time at the position, Mutunga led the team in rushing with 800 yards (5.0 ypc) and seven touchdowns en route to his all-conference selection.

“Whether or not we alternate at tailback again depends on if someone else emerges,” said Streeter.

Other returning players who will compete for playing time include junior Anthony DeSalva, who returns back to tailback after competing at wing last season, and sophomore Luke Johnson, another converted wing. Sophomore George Schmidt, a transfer from perennial Division II powerhouse Bloomsburg University, provides the team with another option.

WING
A pair of two-year starters return at wing in senior Ricky Manigat and junior Charles Curcio.

Manigat and Curcio tied for the team lead in receptions a year ago, catching 32 balls apiece and snaring one and three touchdown passes, respectively. Curcio added 261 yards and four touchdowns rushing while Manigat ran for 132 yards and three TDs.

The Bullets did, however, lose both of their backups at wing from last season.

“We need to develop depth,” said Streeter. “We’re going to need to have somebody who can alternate in, because those guys can’t play all of the time. But our two starters are very productive.”

WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT END
Gettysburg also brings back a talented duo at wide receiver in juniors Brian Betley and Gavin Jablonski.

In his first year as a starter, Jablonski grabbed 32 receptions last year and led the team with 467 receiving yards. Betley, who battled an ankle injury throughout much of the season, hauled in 22 passes for 402 yards and led the team with four touchdown receptions.

Providing additional options at receiver are sophomore Clint O’Brien and junior Eddie Pinkerton.

At tight end, the Bullets return yet another skill position player with significant experience in senior A.J. Perrotti.

Platooning with David Rodriguez '09 a year ago, Perrotti made 10 catches totaling 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the season. Several other Bullets will also vie for playing time, including sophomores Walter Ackermann, Dennis Bazow, and Mack Krush.

OFFENSIVE LINE
The offensive line will feature several new faces in 2009 with the loss of a trio of starters.

Graduation claimed a pair of all-conference selections in right tackle Sam Walthall ’09 and left guard Lou Mastrini ’09 while junior center Matt DeFranco, a two-year starter, will miss the entire season due to back surgery.

The Bullets do, however, bring back a pair of solid linemen in sophomore James Monreale, who started nine games at left tackle last season, and senior Alex Bonder, a two-year starter at right guard. In addition, the team brings back junior Julius Jackson, who started one game last year and is a likely front-runner for a starting job at right tackle.

A number of players will compete for the starting center and left guard positions, including junior Dan DiStefano, junior Matt Grujich, sophomore Brian Leshaw, sophomore Kyle Reutter, and senior Mike Smith.

DEFENSE
After a rough start, the Bullets defense saw vast improvement down the stretch and held its opponents to just under 20 points per game over the final four games. The team will feature a new look this season as it switches from a 4-3 to a 4-4 set.

“We adjusted our philosophy, and I think it fits better with our personnel,” said Streeter. “Potentially, with the right attitude, we could really improve defensively.”

DEFENSIVE LINE
The Bullets return both of its starting defensive tackles in junior Sebastian Sullivan and Sean Beirne. However, the team is faced with the challenge of replacing its top three defensive ends.

Sullivan is back after posting 42 tackles over eight starts while leading the Centennial Conference with three fumble recoveries. Beirne started twice and finished with 13 tackles. Among the players who could also see playing time at the position include sophomores Chad Bucur, who made seven tackles and one sack a year ago, and Tom Piccirillo, who will make the move from linebacker.

Gettysburg suffered its most significant loss of the season with the graduation of defensive end Josh Jerrold ’09, a first-team all-conference selection and the 2008 Centennial Conference sack leader. The team also lost a two-year starter in Conor Quinn ’09 and its top backup in Matt Lessler ’09. However, the Bullets have plenty of options heading into 2009, including juniors Tom Gugert, Peter Shea, and Matt Dietz, along with sophomore Gabe Gallante. Of the four, Gugert and Gallante have the most experience after playing sparingly for the varsity squad last season.

LINEBACKERS
At linebacker, the Bullets return only one starter in senior Tim Widdoes. However, Streeter is confident in the remainder of his returning cast.

Widdoes, a three-year starter at outside linebacker, is the team’s top returning tackler after making 71 stops last season. Senior Taylor Byrne is also back after making one start at middle linebacker last season. He finished the year with 14 tackles.

Other backers who will push for playing time include senior A.J. Helm, who had 12 tackles last season, senior Bruce Evans, junior Mitch Dowd, and sophomore Chris Douthett.

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Gettysburg will feature an incredibly stable defensive secondary, where all four starters return.

Leading the way is junior Nick Duerr, a two-year starter at safety. Duerr made 37 tackles last season and made one interception to go with four pass breakups. He is joined by sophomore Joe Delaney, who made 66 tackles while starting every game during his freshman campaign.

Returning at the cornerback positions are juniors John Dickerson and Tairi Mobley. Dickerson posted 44 tackles and two interceptions while leading the team with seven pass breakups in 2008. Mobley made 48 stops and broke up four passes.

SPECIAL TEAMS
For the first time since 2004, the Bullets will feature a place-kicker not named Huson, who attempted all but two of the team’s extra points and one field goal over the last four years.

The team does, however, return both of its backups from last season in junior Mike Barrett and sophomore Rob Pennella, who are both described by Streeter as having “excellent potential.” Barrett handled the majority of the team’s kickoffs last season, taking 33 of the team’s 58 attempts.

Pennella, who handled seven kickoffs, returns as the team’s primary punter, averaging 32.5 yards on 23 attempts. Betley made just seven punts due to injury last season but was impressive in limited duty, averaging 43.4 yards per punt, including a 65-yarder.

Gettysburg brings back an outstanding return specialist in Curcio, who racked up 134.4 all-purpose yards per game last season. Curcio made all 22 of the team’s punt returns, averaging 6.8 yards per return, and averaged 22.6 yards on 25 kick returns, including a 92-yarder for a touchdown.