Palladino Throws for 373 as Muhlenberg Rolls Past Juniata

/seasons/2014/boxscores/20141025_6siq.xml
2014

Game Leaders

Muhlenberg
Pa: Nick Palladino - 373
Ru: Max Cepeda - 116
Rec: Cody Geyer - 151
Juniata
Pa: Ward Udinski - 267
Ru: Ward Udinski - 23
Rec: Isaiah Slutter - 105

Team Stats

Juniata
Muhlenberg

Passing Yards

336
373

Rushing Yards

38
140

Turnovers

0
2

Time of Poss.

33:37
26:23
full stats
More news about: Muhlenberg
Oct 25, 2014

Allentown, Pa. – Nick Palladino threw for a career-high 373 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Muhlenberg College football team to a 42-13 home win against Juniata.

Max Cepeda rushed 13 times for 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns, tying the Centennial Conference record of five 100-yard games by a freshman. Cody Geyer caught five passes for 151 yards and totaled 215 all-purpose yards.
Palladino's yardage total was the fifth-highest in team history. Although his NCAA-best streak of 195 passes without an interception was snapped on the Mules' first offensive play of the game, he recovered to finish 25-of-31 and eclipse his previous career best of 339 yards.
Ward Udinski was 29-of-42 for 267 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles (3-4, 2-4), who have never defeated Muhlenberg in 10 all-time meetings. Isaiah Slutter (7-105) and Kirby Breault (7-103) both went over 100 yards receiving, with Slutter catching a 61-yard touchdown pass.

After a Juniata punt was downed at the 9-yard line following the first series, Palladino's tipped pass was picked off by Luke Navin at the Muhlenberg 16. But the Mule defense stuffed Udinski on both third down and fourth down with a yard to go, keeping the Eagles off the scoreboard.

Muhlenberg (6-1, 5-1) responded with the first of its two drives of 90 yards or longer, going 93 yards in 10 plays for the first touchdown of the game. Palladino found Geyer for 21 yards on third-and-9, and Cepeda sprinted 44 yards down the left sideline for the score.

The Mules needed only four plays to double their lead with a 75-yard drive that ended with a fingertip catch of Palladino's 24-yard pass in the end zone by Nick Lamb on the second play of the second quarter.

The Eagles came up empty on another trip deep into Muhlenberg territory late in the second quarter when Michael Long blocked a 42-yard field goal try. Eleven plays and 75 yards later, Palladino hit Ryan Delaney with a 7-yard TD pass to make it 21-0 with 35.5 seconds left in the half.

Palladino's 5-yard touchdown run capped a 73-yard drive on the first possession of the second half. Long, who recorded his 100th career reception earlier in the game,  caught a 6-yard TD pass early in the fourth quarter.

Two touchdown passes by Juniata and a 4-yard run by Cepeda following Geyer's 77-yard catch-and-run rounded out the scoring in the fourth.