FULL GAME NOTES
 
Ursinus (3-0, 0-0) at Muhlenberg (3-0, 0-0)
When: Saturday, October 4th
Where: Allentown, Pa.
Stadium: Scotty Wood Stadium (3,000)
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m.
Live Video: VIDEO
Live Stats: STATS
 
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
All-Time Series: Muhlenberg leads 53-27-7
First Meeting: 1900 – Ursinus won 41-0
Last Meeting: Oct. 4, 2024 @ Muhlenberg – Ursinus won 53-50
Streak: Ursinus +1
 
 
The Ursinus Bears Football Team will travel to face Muhlenberg in their Centennial Conference opener on Friday night. 
 

The matchup has become one of the premier games of the season in the Centennial as both teams have been battling it out for the conference title over the past few seasons.
 
 

LAST GAME: For the third straight week, the Ursinus football team used an overpowering first half to cruise to a victory as they downed Moravian 35-7 on September 20th. Ursinus took the initial 7-0 lead in the first quarter and staved off a pair of their own turnovers to maintain the lead. The Bears broke through with 21 second quarter points to pull away and kept the Greyhounds offense at bay the entire afternoon. Ursinus added one last touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Bears ground game was the story as they racked up 258 yards as a team while averaging 7.8 yards per carry while holding the Greyhounds to just 80 yards on the ground.
 
 

LAST MEETING: The Bears won a memorable 53-50 Centennial Conference opener over Muhlenberg on the road. In a game that featured 103 combined points and 1,004 combined yards, the teams traded back and forth blows in the first half that saw six combined touchdowns. Ursinus led 27-21 at the half before the Mules scored two straight touchdowns to open the second half and took a 35-27 lead. Muhlenberg led 42-33 early in the fourth quarter, but the Bears rallied back with 20 unanswered points to go up 53-42. Ursinus staved off a late Muhlenberg touchdown and stopped the Mules in the final minute to win.
 
 

SEPTEMBER TO REMEMBER: Sophomore defensive back Nick Strusowski had a breakout opening month of the season for the Bears in his first action as a starter in his collegiate career. Strusowski had two interceptions against Moravian with both coming in the first half with the first one stopping a Greyhounds drive in the red zone. He added seven tackles (five solo) and one tackle for a loss that tied for the team lead. He now has three interceptions in two games following his pick-6 against Kean. Strusowski was named the Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week and earned a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week.
 
 

BIG PLAY BARNES: Sophomore running back Keigan Barnes scored his first collegiate touchdown in style against Moravian. Barnes hit on a 44-yard run for his touchdown in the second quarter which currently is the longest run by any Bears player this season. Barnes had 57 yards on just four carries in the game as he served as the lead reserve running back for the first time in his Ursinus career. Barnes has been active on kick returns for the Bears this season as well in his first full season of action. Barnes helped combine for an Ursinus rushing attack that totaled 257 yards on the ground against Moravian.
 
 
 

FIRST 100: Junior running back Jason Bernard eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark against Moravian. Bernard rushed for 120 yards on 17 carries that led the Bears dominant attack on the ground in the game. He also scored his sixth rushing touchdown of the season that is tied for the Centennial Conference lead. Bernard had a pair of 100+ yard rushing games last season and is up to 256 yards on the season that currently leads the Centennial Conference. 
 
 

BIG KICKS: Senior kicker/punter Jordan Carr had a career day punting the ball for the Bears against Moravian. Carr had a flawless day for the Bears by going a perfect 5-for-5 in extra points and hit a career long 62-yard punt in the first half that is currently the longest punt by any Centennial Conference player this season. He averaged a career best 51.7 yards per punt on three attempts and was named the Centennial Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time in his career. He currently ranks third in the Centennial Conference with a 42.5 yards per punt average.
 
 

SCORING STREAK: Senior wide receiver Markel Roberts-Jackson snagged another touchdown pass in the Bears win over Moravian. Roberts-Jackson has a touchdown in every game this season and led all Ursinus receivers against the Greyhounds with 60 yards on just two catches. Roberts-Jackson leads the team and is tied for third in the Centennial Conference with his three touchdown receptions and ranks third on the team with 119 receiving yards. He has already matched his career high in touchdown receptions set back in the 2023 season and has scored a touchdown in four of the last five games dating back to the regular season finale in 2024.
 
 

 
ALL THE SMALL THINGS: Senior defensive end Jonathan Small recorded his first collegiate sack against Moravian. Small has been rotating in the Bears defense over the past three seasons and finished with 1.5 tackles for loss that was also a career high. Small is up to six tackles this season and is tied for third on the team with his 2.0 tackles for loss. 
 
 
 

SCOUTING THE MULES: The Mules defeated Wilkes 26-18 two weeks ago on the road to improve to 3-0. Muhlenberg built a 20-3 halftime advantage, which ultimately the Colonels could not overcome. The Mules held the Colonels at bay and did not let them get closer than eight points the rest of the way. Muhlenberg has used a pair of quarterbacks to run the offense with senior Dante Mahaffey leading the way with 500 yards and five touchdown passes. Mahaffey and sophomore Luke Spang have combined to throw for 702 total yards with seven touchdown passes and no interceptions. The duo has spread the ball around to their receivers as first-year Caleb Pasols has nine catches for 161 yards and leads the team with two touchdown receptions. He had four catches for 114 yards and a touchdown against Wilkes and senior John Runfolo had five catches for 112 yards and a touchdown to become the second Mules wide receiver over 100 yards in that game.
              
 On defense, the Mules have an experienced group paced by sophomore linebacker Thomas Cerruti leads the team with 23 tackles (13 solo) and with 2.5 tackles for loss. Junior defensive back Jeffrey Lopez matches Cerruti with 23 tackles (15 solo) and junior defensive back Aaron Sylvester leads the team with two interceptions. Senior linebacker Peyton Elliott has 15 tackles (11 solo) and is tied for second on the team with 2.0 tackles for loss with junior defensive lineman CJ Kearney, who had both of his recorded in the team's season opening win against Moravian.