/seasons/2015/contrib/20150905ih0283

Muhlenberg Pulls Away from Wilkes in Friday Night Opener

More news about: Muhlenberg

Allentown, Pa. - Nick Palladino threw for two touchdowns and ran for one more as the Muhlenberg football team opened the 2015 season with a 35-7 win against Wilkes in its first Friday night home game.

Palladino completed his first 12 passes and finished 19-of-24 for 189 yards. He also rushed for a career-high 109 yards on 10 carries.

Ahead only 12-7 at halftime, the Mules pitched a shutout in the second half and put the game away with long fourth-quarter touchdown runs by Nick Savant (54 yards) and Anthony Bassolino (35).

A 57-yard return of the opening kickoff by River Johnson put the Muhlenberg defense under pressure from the start. After an exchange of punts, Wilkes drove to the Mule 15-yard line, where a fourth-down pass fell incomplete – one of six failed fourth-down conversions for the Colonels.
Muhlenberg fumbled on its next play, but again Wilkes was not able to capitalize on the short field, missing a 29-yard field goal try.
The Mules responded with a 13-play, 80-yard drive, capped when Ryan Delaney (7 catches, 61 yards) took a short pass on the left and reversed field for a 13-yard touchdown.
 
After the Colonels were again stopped short on fourth down, Muhlenberg doubled its lead to 12-0 on a 31-yard touchdown run by Palladino early in the second quarter.
 
Wilkes scored its lone touchdown when Ryan Dailey (26-for-50, 263 yards) hit Aaron Coyne from 6 yards out in the final minute of the first half.
 
Two plays after the Colonels muffed a punt, Palladino hit Mike Harris in stride in the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter. The first of two Anthony Schwab-to-Kyle Wilczynski two-point conversions made it 20-7.
 
Savant (7 carries, 58 yards) and Bassolino appeared to be tackled on their long touchdown runs, but both broke out of the pack.
 
Muhlenberg outgained Wilkes, 427-318, despite running 17 fewer plays.
 
Lenny Smith led the Mule defense with nine tackles, including two sacks. Tanner Stengel made a game-high 16 stops, four for loss, for Wilkes.
 
Dec. 15: All times Eastern
Final
Cortland 38, at North Central (Ill.) 37
@ Salem, Virginia
Video Box Score Recap Photos
Dec. 9: All times Eastern
Final
North Central (Ill.) 34, at Wartburg 27
Box Score Recap
Final
Cortland 49, at Randolph-Macon 14
Box Score Recap Recap Recap Photos
Maintenance in progress.