Muhlenberg Football Gameday
Mules vs. Widener
Centennial-MAC Bowl Series
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Bowl Szn: Initiated in 2015 by the Centennial Conference and Middle Atlantic Conference, the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series is comprised of the top three teams from each conference that are not selected to the NCAA Division III Championship. The top seed from each conference hosts the second seed from the other, and the two No. 3 seeded teams face each other, with the MAC hosting in even years and the Centennial hosting in odd years. The CC holds a 16-5 advantage in the bowl series after capturing all three games last year. The MAC won the first four games over the first two years of the annual event, but the Centennial Conference has won the 16 of the 17 games since 2017.
Playoff History: Muhlenberg is playing in the postseason for the 20th time in the last 24 seasons. The Mules are 10-3 in the last six postseasons, winning an ECAC bowl game in 2017, advancing to at least the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament in 2018, 2019 and 2021 and defeating Lebanon Valley in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series in both 2022 and 2023 ... Widener is playing in the postseason for the third time in the last four years but is seeking its first postseason win since 2014. Widener lost its last two postseason games by the same score, 49-21, to Rensselaer in an ECAC bowl game last year and to Susquehanna in a Centennial-MAC Bowl Series game in 2021.
Series: Widener leads the all-time series with Muhlenberg, 9-7-1, but the teams have played only once since 1976. The last meeting was in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, when Widener kicked a late field goal for a 36-35 win.
Honors: Both of these teams had three players earn first-team honors in their respective conferences. Offensive linemen Cody Reusing and Sean Brogan and defensive lineman Jalen Walker
(pictured above) represented Widener on the All-MAC first team, while offensive lineman Jack Kinerney, quarterback Joe Repetti
(pictured above) and kick returner Christopher Short from Muhlenberg all made the All-Centennial Conference first team.
Leaders: Widener defensive end Jalen Walker leads Division III with 23 tackles for loss and is third with 14 sacks. As a team, the Pride is 13th in Division III in sacks, averaging 3.3 per game ... Muhlenberg’s Christopher Short is second in Division III with 930 yards on kickoff returns (51 shy of the school record). Joe Repetti is 13th in total offense and 16th in touchdowns responsible for (33).
Widener Last Week: Widener had its three-game winning streak snapped with a 49-26 home loss to Delaware Valley. The Aggies scored the first four touchdowns of the game, but the Pride roared back with the next three in a span of 1:26 to close to within 28-20 with 5:50 left in the third. Delaware Valley added three more touchdowns to put the game away. Jaelen Richardson caught six passes for 126 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown for Widener's first score. On the third play after the kickoff, Jacob Kopelman forced a fumble that was recovered by Nate Brown, and Jeff Chaplin threw a 15-yard TD pass to Jordan Baxter on the next play. Delaware Valley fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and it was recovered by Chris Church in the end zone for another touchdown. Widener gained only 256 yards in total offense, including 38 rushing yards in 20 attempts.
Muhlenberg Last Week: Muhlenberg reached the seven-win mark for the 13th straight season with a 21-0 home non-conference win against Montclair State. The Mules scored two touchdowns in the first eight minutes, on passes from Joe Repetti to Christopher Ardito and Jordan Kiley. The third touchdown, a 2-yard run by Matthew Manning, was set up when Marcus McClaine blocked a punt. McClaine also set up the second TD with an interception and was named Centennial Conference defensive player of the week. Amari Dunn rushed 20 times for 102 yards and his third 100-yard game of the season. The Muhlenberg defense allowed only 184 total yards, picked off two passes and recorded seven sacks.
100: Joe Repetti's two touchdown passes against Montclair State gave him an even 100 for his career. He is only the second quarterback in Centennial Conference history to reach the century mark; both are from Muhlenberg. Repetti enters his final game with a career passer rating of 164.82. The school record is 159.98. Repetti holds the school record for career rushing yards by a quarterback (1,511) and is one of only 10 active quarterbacks in all four NCAA divisions to have thrown at least 100 touchdown passes.
Tested: Of Muhlenberg’s 10 opponents this season, six are playing in the postseason: Johns Hopkins, Ursinus and Salisbury in the NCAA Tournament, Dickinson and Franklin & Marshall in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series and Moravian (vs. Shenandoah) in the Chesapeake Challenge Bowl Series.
Home Sweet Home: Muhlenberg is 31-5 at Scotty Wood Stadium since 2018.
Centennial Conference Postseason Schedule
NCAA Tournament
Ursinus at King's, 12:00
live stats
Grove City at Johns Hopkins, next Saturday
Centennial-MAC Bowl Series
Widener at Muhlenberg, 12:00
Franklin & Marshall at Delaware Valley, 12:00
live stats
Dickinson at FDU-Florham, 12:00
live stats
Welcome Tartans: The Centennial Conference recently announced the addition of Carnegie Mellon University as an associate member for football. The Tartans will begin competition in the Centennial in the 2025 football season. The addition of Carnegie Mellon, currently ranked 15th in Division III, will expand the Centennial's football membership to eight teams. The Tartans will compete alongside the seven CC full-time members that sponsor football - Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg, Johns Hopkins, McDaniel, Muhlenberg and Ursinus.
