The Muhlenberg football team will host Delaware Valley as part of the second annual Centennial-MAC Bowl Series on Saturday, November 19, at noon.

The Centennial-MAC Bowl Series involves the top two teams from each conference that are not selected to the NCAA Division III Championship. After the NCAA qualifiers are accounted for, the top team from each conference hosts the second-best team from the opposing conference.

The Mules (9-1) earned the top seed from the Centennial Conference by finishing second to Johns Hopkins. The Aggies (8-2) were third in the Middle Atlantic Conference.

The other Centennial-MAC Bowl Series game has MAC runner-up Albright (7-3) hosting CC third-place team Franklin & Marshall (7-3).

The two conferences will support the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) partnership with Special Olympics by donating 25 percent of ticket revenue generated during the Bowl Series to the organization. Giving back to local and regional communities not only adds to the comprehensive learning component of Division III, but also provides a venue for passion and service.

Both Muhlenberg and Delaware Valley appeared in the inaugural series last year, with the Mules losing at home to Stevenson and the Aggies defeating Moravian.

Muhlenberg is making its 13th postseason appearance in the last 17 years. Since suffering their lone loss to Johns Hopkins, the Mules have won their last six in a row, outscoring their last five opponents by a combined score of 251-50.

Delaware Valley is in the postseason for the ninth straight year and the 13th time in the last 14 seasons. The Aggies have won three in a row since suffering a 19-0 loss to Stevenson, clinching the playoff berth with a 45-7 win at Widener in Saturday's regular-season finale.

The teams are meeting in the postseason for the second time this decade. In the 2012 ECAC South Atlantic Bowl, Delaware Valley came back from a 14-10 halftime deficit for a 24-21 win. The Aggies also won regular-season meetings in 2010 and 2011, with the latter game going into overtime.

Both teams are receiving votes in the D3football.com top 25. Muhlenberg is two spots outside the top 25 with 25 points, while Delaware Valley earned 7 points.

The game will feature one of the top offenses in Division III going up against one of the top defenses. Led by record-setting senior quarterback Nick Palladino, the active Division III leader in total offense, and record-setting junior running back Nick Savant, who is fifth in the country in rushing yards, the Mules are averaging 41.4 points per game, good for 19th in Division III. They also are 17th in passing efficiency and 24th in total offense at 477.9 yards per game. The Aggies, on the other hand, are 13th in both scoring defense (13.2 points per game) and total defense (257.1 yards per game). 

Muhlenberg is no slouch on defense either, ranking in the top 25 in Division III in interceptions (15th), passing efficiency defense (17th), turnover margin (19th) and scoring defense (25th).