Juniata may have led 10-0 midway through the first quarter, but after that it was all Muhlenberg, And mostly, it was
Nick Savant.
The junior rushed for a school-record 277 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Muhlenberg football team to a 56-17 home win against Juniata.
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Savant scored on runs of 8, 30, 9 and 61 yards to tie a school record for touchdowns in a game. His 277 yards put him over 1,000 yards for the season and broke the previous mark of 263 set by Jason Brader in 1998.
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Senior
Nick Palladino threw for 121 yards and two touchdowns and also made history with his legs, running for 62 yards and a score to break the school record for career rushing yards by a quarterback (1,363). The three touchdowns gave him 101 (passing and rushing) in his career.
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Muhlenberg (6-1, 5-1) rolled up 532 yards of total offense and did not run a play that resulted in a loss. The Mule defense held Juniata's offense, which came in averaging 410.5 yards per game, to 247 yards, with 110 of those coming in the fourth quarter. Juniata was at minus-2 rushing yards through three quarters.
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Senior
Mike Luby led the defense with 11 tackles, while junior
Kyle Wilczynski forced a fumble with a sack and returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown.
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The Eagles (4-3, 3-3), who have never defeated the Mules, forced a punt on the first possession of the game, then drove 47 yards in nine plays to take a 3-0 lead on a field goal. Three plays after the kickoff, an interception return for a touchdown made it 10-0.
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Muhlenberg responded by scoring touchdowns on its next six possessions, and Juniata did not get inside the Mule 40 again until the fourth quarter.
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The Eagles tried an unsuccessful onside kick following the pick-six, giving the Mules the ball at the 34-yard line. Seven plays later, Palladino hit senior
Ryan Delaney in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown.
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Muhlenberg took advantage of another short field after a three-and-out. After a high snap on the punt, freshman
Joseph O'Hagan wrapped up the punter, who still managed to get the kick off, but it was blocked by seniorÂ
John Feaster (pictured below).
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Five plays and 25 yards later, Savant scored the first of his four touchdowns to put the Mules ahead for good.
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Second-quarter touchdown runs by Savant and Palladino sandwiched around a three-and-out upped the lead to 28-10. Juniata got two first downs on its ensuing drive, but on second down from the Muhlenberg 46, Wilczynski intercepted a pass over the middle and raced untouched for his third career pick-six.
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Ahead 35-10 at the half, the Mules needed little time to increase their lead. On their first drive of the third quarter, they covered 63 yards in just three plays, with Palladino rushing for 26 yards, completing a pass to senior
Nick Lamb for 28, then handing off to Savant for the final nine yards.
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Savant's 61-yard touchdown burst on Muhlenberg's first play of the fourth quarter - after a fourth-down tackle short of the sticks by sophomore
Jack Fitzsimmons - gave him the record.
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Lamb finished with seven catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, closing to within two of the Mules' all-time record of 169 career receptions.
The offensive line not only paved the way for 380 yards rushing, but it also got in on the passing game when senior tackle
Willie Britt caught a tipped pass and rumbled for a first down.Â
Freshman
Todd Spirt was a perfect 8-for-8 on extra points. Freshman
Kwasi Ampomah recorded his first career sack and broke up a pass.
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