The Muhlenberg football team tied a school scoring record and senior cornerback John Washington made history in a 56-16 home win against Juniata.

With the win, the 18th-ranked Mules (6-1, 5-1) kept pace with Centennial Conference leader Susquehanna, a 45-16 winner against McDaniel. Susquehanna plays nationally ranked Johns Hopkins next week before hosting Muhlenberg on November 6.

Muhlenberg broke open a 7-6 game by scoring 35 points in the second quarter, tying the school record for points in a quarter set in the first quarter of a 72-7 win at Dickinson in 2016.

Six of the points came on a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown by Washington, his second pick-six of the season.

Washington also provided the final points of the game when he returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter. It was the Mules' first kickoff return for a touchdown since that 2016 Dickinson game, coincidentally, and it made Washington only the second player in team history to score touchdowns on an interception return and a kickoff return in the same game. Tom Murdock accomplished the feat against Lebanon Valley in 1984. The only other player to return touchdowns both ways in the same season was Brandon Doyle in 2006.

Washington has three return touchdowns this season; the last Mule player with more was Juniata head coach Josh Carter with four in 1999.

Senior Michael Hnatkowsky passed for 255 yards and four touchdowns, and junior Ethan Brader and senior Rory DeLuca each scored a touchdown on the ground as Muhlenberg topped the 50-point mark for the second time in three games.

The defense, meanwhile, held the Eagles (1-6, 1-5) to 149 total yards, including only 86 on 20 passing attempts. Senior Quentin Ogren made four tackles for loss among his eight stops, and seniors Spencer Kirin and Joshua Barnett each finished with seven tackles.

The Mules broke the ice with 7:52 left in the first quarter when Hnatkowsky hit a leaping Michael Feaster (pictured above) in the end zone from 13 yards out.

Muhlenberg was driving for a second touchdown on its next possession when Juniata returned a fumble 74 yards for a score to make it 7-6.

The Mules scored the next five times they touched the ball, with the TD runs by Brader (4 yards out) and DeLuca (6 yards out) sandwiched around Washington's pick-six. DeLuca's touchdown was set up by Washington's second interception of the game, and later in the quarter Washington recovered a fumble at midfield to set up the second of two touchdown catches by senior Mitch Daniel.

Junior James Nye caught his first career touchdown pass, from 13 yards out, midway through the third quarter.