ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Muhlenberg College forced three turnovers and held Gettysburg College to 128 total yards on the way to capturing the Old Tin Cup with a 49-0 decision at Scotty Wood Stadium on Saturday.
Gettysburg (1-8, 1-7 CC) was unable to break through Muhlenberg's (8-1, 7-1 CC) defense, managing to reach enemy territory just twice in the game. The Mules maintained a tie with Johns Hopkins University (8-1, 7-1 CC) for the top spot in the conference standings with one game remaining.
Senior
Logan Aikey (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg) took possession of Gettysburg's single-season tackles for a loss mark, reaching 18.5 with a hit on a quarterback draw behind the line of scrimmage early in the third quarter. Aikey broke his own record set last season and has 36 tackles for a loss over his last 19 games.
Senior linebacker
Jake Skinner (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) led the defense with 11 tackles and added one tackle for a loss. He heads into his final game next Saturday needing just nine tackles to reach 300 for his career.
Freshman
Matt Lajoie (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape) did a little of everything for the Bullets on Saturday, throwing six passes, rushing five times, and hauling in a pair of receptions. He entered the game at quarterback on Gettysburg's final drive and completed all of his passes for 40 yards to put the Bullets in Muhlenberg territory.
Muhlenberg scored on its opening drive, but Gettysburg's defense held by forcing a pair of punts on the Mules' next two possessions in the first quarter. The hosts pulled away in the second quarter with three scores, the final of which followed an interception and 12-play, 69-yard drive.
Hnatkowsky tossed two of his four touchdown passes in the third quarter and Nate Corvil completed the scoring with a 26-yard pick-six at the end of the period.
Hnatkowsky finished 21-of-28 for 205 yards and added 48 yards on the ground. James Digs carried the ball 10 times for 77 yards and a pair of scores. Ryan Curtiss hauled in two of his six receptions for touchdowns and totaled 69 yards. Frankie Feaster posted six tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception for the Mule defense.
Gettysburg closes the season with its most played seriers against Franklin & Marshall College next Saturday at 1 p.m. The teams have met 103 times and the series is tied 48-48-7. The winner claims ownership of The Lincoln Football Trophy, which is modeled after a stove pipe hat and is made from two witness trees from the Gettysburg Battlefield. Gettysburg will also recognize its 16 seniors prior to the game and there will be a special coin toss featuring military veterans from both institutions.
