Muhlenberg College Athletics

Senior Amari Dunn rushed for a career-high 159 yards and junior Luke Spang threw four touchdowns passes as the Muhlenberg football team came from behind to defeat Wilkes, 41-27, in its final tuneup for Centennial Conference play.

The win was the 600th in the history of the Mule football program, which dates to 1900. Muhlenberg is the 28th Division III team to reach the milestone of 600 wins.

The Mules (2-1) scored a touchdown off the opening kickoff, but the Colonels (1-1) took advantage of two turnovers to open up a 20-13 lead at halftime, scoring a touchdown on the final play of the half.

Muhlenberg responded by stopping Wilkes on the opening drive of the second half and going on to score touchdowns on four straight possessions.

Senior Tommy Donnelly, who caught a 65-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, kept the Mules' opening drive of the second half alive with a 27-yard catch on third down. Dunn ripped off a 27-yard run on the next play, and on third down from the 21, junior Chris Holland (pictured above) caught a misdirection pass and ran into the end zone to tie the score.

After the defense forced a three-and-out, another third-down touchdown, this one on a 30-yard run by junior JR Walley, gave Muhlenberg the lead for good.

Dunn's 8-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter made it 34-20. Wilkes threw a long touchdown pass to get back to within a score, but the Mules answered with their longest drive of the game, taking 6:46 off the clock in an 11-play, 78-yard march that ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Spang to junior Shawn Goode, a converted tight end who made his first career catch in the end zone.

Dunn, whose previous career high was 131 yards, recorded the most rushing yards by a Muhlenberg player since 2018. He surpassed the career milestones of 1500 yards and 1600 yards.

Spang finished 16-of-26 for 250 yards, with his first TD pass going to sophomore Caleb Pasols. Walley rushed for 60 yards on only seven carries. 

Junior Thomas Cerruti led the defense with 9 tackles, including 1½ for loss. Sophomore Triston McNeal notched his first career interception to set up the Mules' second touchdown, and sophomore David Gjergji blocked an extra point for the second straight week.