The Muhlenberg football team cut a 17-point deficit to three but fell short and dropped a 17-14 decision at Franklin & Marshall.

The loss snapped the Mules' school-record 10-game road winning streak, which was the second-longest active streak in Division III entering the day.

Senior Nick Savant rushed 22 for 110 yards to record his 13th career 100-yard game. Freshman Michael Hnatkowsky completed 16 of 34 passes for 202 yards in his second start, engineering two third-quarter touchdown drives.

Muhlenberg (3-2, 2-2) trailed 17-0 after F&M's second 2-yard touchdown pass with 11:31 left in the third quarter.

The Mules took the ensuing kickoff and marched 88 yards in 13 plays to score their first points on Hnatkowsky's 5-yard pass to sophomore Max Kirin on fourth down. The touchdown catch was the fourth for Kirin in the last three weeks.

Later in the quarter, Muhlenberg needed only three plays to score its second TD. Following a Diplomat punt, Savant turned a screen pass into a 30-yard gain, and senior Matthew Stickney ran in from 29 yards out for his first rushing touchdown in three years.

The Mules drove into F&M territory late in the fourth quarter but were stopped on downs. They took over for a final time at their own 12 with 13 seconds left and ran two hook-and-ladder plays before time ran out.

The defense held the Diplomats (5-0, 4-0), who came in averaging a Centennial Conference-leading 42.5 points per game, well below their average. Senior Amir Blair recorded a team-best 10 tackles and forced a fumble that was recovered by junior Jack Fitzsimmons. Senior Matt Musilli had a sack among his seven tackles, and sophomore Kwasi Ampomah notched 1½ sacks.

pictured above: senior Jake Morra