Juniata holds Gettysburg to season-low 28 points in loss

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Juniata football team managed to keep the high-scoring Gettysburg College to the least amount of points and offensive yards the Bullets have accumulated in a game so far this season in a 28-7 Centennial Conference loss in Gettysburg, Pa. on Saturday afternoon.

For the first time this season, the Bullets, who were averaging 616 yards per game and allowing just 165 yards per game in offensive production, did not score in their opening drive and was forced to punt. The Juniata (1-2) defense only allowed them to move 33 yards in the first quarter and kept Gettysburg (3-0) off the scoreboard to allow the Eagles' offense to take an early lead. 

At the 7:54 mark in the first quarter and Juniata's first drive up the field, the Eagles took the ball 80 yards in 10 plays and all the way to the goal-line with a Ward Udinski (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) two-yard run for a touchdown. A Scott Andrews (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Altoona Area) extra-point attempt put Juniata up 7-0 heading into the second quarter. 

The Bullets evened the game with 6:33 left to go in the half off their longest drive of the day. Gettysburg retained the football for 14 plays and moved 78 yards before Kody Smith drove one-yard into the endzone. Smith scored his second touchdown less than four minutes later after a three-and-out offensive performance by the Eagles and a five-play, 55-yard Gettysburg drive to put the Bullets up 14-7 at the half. 

Gettysburg would score two more touchdowns, one in each of the remaining quarters to seal the Centennial Conference victory.

The Juniata offense put-up 317 yards of offense, the most the Gettysburg defense has permitted so far this season. The Eagles also held the ball for nearly three more minutes that the Bullets, but couldn't get into the redzone more than twice.

Udinski led in rushing with 51 net yards and Zach McCaulley (Bellwood, Pa./Bellwood-Antis) ran for 35 net yards including a 27-yard in Juniata's opening drive followed by Udinski's game-high 23-yard run. Udinski was 29-of-47 through the air for 222 yards and tossed one interception.

Dominic Bornman (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led in receptions with seven for a team-high 57 yards. De'Sean Popley (Philadelphia, Pa./Acad. Of the New Church) rang-up 36 yards in six receptions and Quadir Christian (Johnstown, Pa./Greater Johnstown) recorded 42 yards on five catches. 

On defense, Brandon Felus (Columbia, Pa./Columbia) led Juniata with eight solo tackles, three of which were sacks for a total loss of 16 yards. Noah Walstrom (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) had eight takedowns (6 solo), as did Kevin Gorman (Waverly, N.Y./Waverly Central) (four solo). 

Juniata hosts Franklin & Marshall College on Saturday, September 22, for a Centennial Conference football game at 1:00 p.m. at Knox Stadium

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