McDaniel builds lead, rallies for 22-20 win over Bullets

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Nick DeLuca (Devon, Pa./Conestoga) converted three field goals, including the game-winning 20-yarder as time expired to lift McDaniel to a 22-20 victory over Gettysburg in Centennial Conference (CC) football action on Saturday.

The Green Terror (5-4, 3-4 CC) built a 13-0 lead over the game's first 22:02 before the Bullets (3-6, 3-4 CC) registered 20 of the game's next 26 points to take a one-point lead with four minutes to play.

DeLuca, however, capped a 14-play march that covered 54 yards with a 20-yard field goal from the left hash to send McDaniel to its second straight road victory and first win in Gettysburg since 2001.

The Green Terror, who had its 13-game conference road losing streak snapped three weeks ago at Muhlenberg, recorded back-to-back wins in the CC for the first time since 2003-04.

DeLuca's boot gave McDaniel its first win over Gettysburg since a 17-14 victory in Westminster on Oct. 7, 2006 - a game won by Jay Leonard's 46-yard field goal with 2.7 seconds remaining. That game was the last time a Green Terror kicker had converted three field goals in a game.

T.J. Develin (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown Area) recorded his third 100-yard rushing day of the season with 113 yards on 16 carries and moved into 13th place on the all-time rushing list with 1,501 career yards on the ground.

On the first play after forcing a punt on the Bullets' second possession, Develin netted more than half of his yardage, ripping off a 60-yard run down the right sideline for the longest Green Terror rush since he ran for 70 at Juniata last season. The long run set up DeLuca for a 40-yard field goal to stake McDaniel to a 3-0 lead with 8:09 to play in the first quarter, matching the freshman's career long.

Facing fourth-and-3 at his own 37 two possessions later, Joe Lapkowicz (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Twp.) found Matt Cahill (Broomall, Pa./Haverford Twp.) on a fake punt that went for 26 yards, setting up a first down at Gettysburg 36.

After an eight-yard run by Develin, Tom Massucci (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) found C.J. Billera (Allentown, Pa./Emmaus) for a 28-yard touchdown pass to stretch the lead to 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

A 22-yard DeLuca field goal stretched the lead to 13-0 with 6:58 remaining in the first half but Matt Flynn needed just one play and 17 seconds to find Brian Betley for a 60-yard catch-and-run that cut the deficit to 13-7.

Eric Zwilsky (Knoxville, Md./Brunswick) capped a 14-play, 70-yard drive that consumed 6:09 but a missed PAT kept it a 19-7 game with 21 seconds to play in the first half. It was McDaniel's second consecutive 14-play drive and part of a second quarter that saw the Green Terror hold the ball for 13 minutes, 25 seconds en route to 40 minutes, 24 seconds in the game - the first time the squad held the ball for more than 40 minutes since controlling it for 40:31 against Susquehanna on Sept. 14, 2002.

A Jamel Mutunga 18-yard run capped a 5-play, 55-yard drive to pull the Bullets within 19-14 with 2:59 to play in the third quarter.

Keyed by a 22-yard pass play to Betley on third-and-13 from the Green Terror 41, Flynn found Betley for his second touchdown reception on third-and-goal from the two-yard line for a 20-19 lead.

Massucci finished with 225 yards passing, completing 28 of 44 attempts. Cahill had seven catches for 69 yards while Billera also caught seven passes for 55 yards. Massucci was not sacked in the contest - the first time the Green Terror did not allow a sack since Nov. 5, 2005.

Mike Weick (Holland, Pa./Penn Charter) and Sam Cox (Towson, Pa./Towson) led the defense with nine tackles apiece. Weick also had the game's lone sack. Paul Smith (Woodlawn, Md./Western Tech) added eight tackles, including 2.5 for loss, and a forced fumble on Gettysburg's first possession.

McDaniel held the Bullets, who entered the game as the conference's top offense at 519.4 yards per game, to 330 yards of total offense.

The Green Terror concludes the season at home against Johns Hopkins on Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m.

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