The Muhlenberg football team scored less that two minutes into the game and cruised to a 45-0 win against Framingham State in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

For the third straight season, the Mules (10-1) advance to the second round, where they will face Delaware Valley, a 62-10 winner against Anna Maria. The team faced each other in the first round of the 2018 tournament, with Muhlenberg winning 20-13 on a last-minute interception return.

Facing a defense that came in allowing only 144.4 passing yards per game (11th in Division III), senior Michael Hnatkowsky threw for 352 yards and four touchdowns. The Mules finished with 420 yards of total offense, the most allowed by the Rams (8-3) all season.

The Muhlenberg defense forced four turnovers, allowed only 125 yards on 30 passing attempts and blocked two kicks.

The Mules received the opening kickoff and got a first down on a pass interference penalty on their third play from scrimmage. Four plays later, they were in the end zone, with Hnatkowsky hitting senior Mitch Daniel from 20 yards out with just 1:57 elapsed.

A 12-yard touchdown pass to senior Michael Feaster made it 14-0 later in the quarter. Framingham had its best chance to score early in the second quarter after getting a first down at the Mule 11. Two penalties (holding and delay of game) pushed the Rams back, and a 44-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by senior Jack Carroll.

After sophomore Nick Stannard booted a 29-yard field goal. Hnatkowsky found Daniel in the end zone again, this time from 9 yards out, to send the Mules into the break with a 24-0 advantage.

Daniel (pictured above), who also caught a 57-yard pass on the drive, finished with eight catches for 132 yards and now has five touchdowns in four career NCAA Tournament games.

Feaster added a second touchdown catch in the second half, with junior Ethan Brader and senior Rory DeLuca adding short rushing touchdowns, both after turnovers. Brader's score came after junior John Lohrer returned an interception to midfield, and DeLuca's after senior Spencer Kirin returned a fumble to the 3-yard line.

Seniors Jay McGill and Nick Sirico also picked off passes, and junior Tyler Ekstrom blocked a punt.

The win was the second straight shutout for the Mules, and their fourth of the season. Muhlenberg reached double digits in wins for the fifth time in program history, with three of them coming in the last three seasons.