Bullets Fall Short to Ursinus in Back-and-Forth Thriller
First-year running back Reggie JeanCharles was a relentless force on offense for the Bullets, who came up just short against Ursinus 35-28
Photo courtesy of Gettysburg College Athletics
By Benjamin Pontz, Managing News Editor
Down nine points to start the fourth quarter, the Gettysburg offense kicked into high gear. After driving into Ursinus territory, sophomore Kevin Benavente took an end around handoff, found the edge, and turned the corner for a 16-yard touchdown scamper that set up a 2-point ballgame with just over 11 minutes to play as the Bullets trailed 24-22.
On the ensuing Ursinus possession, the Bears marched down the field, but were held to a field goal to make it 27-22 with 6:13 remaining.
Quarterback Justin Davidov, who had thrown for 96 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another 63 and a score, left the game due to injury on the first play of the Bullets’ final drive, which prompted sophomore Kevin Martinez to take the helm on offense.
Martinez did not miss a beat. Later in the drive, he made a perfect throw down the sideline to senior receiver Ty Abdul-Karim for a 33-yard touchdown that gave Gettysburg a one-point lead with under three minutes to go.
Unfortunately for the Bullets, Ursinus had an answer, striking back with a decimating 9-play, 75-yard drive that ended with what would ultimately be the game-winning touchdown. Though an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Ursinus gave Gettysburg solid field position to make one final comeback attempt, the Bullets could not get it done, falling 35-28 in their second game of the season, dropping their record to 0-2.
There were signs of progress for the young Bullets squad. Davidov spearheaded a smooth, 13-play opening drive that got the team on the scoreboard early in the first quarter, and, after missing an extra point attempt and a field goal attempt, kicker Justin Geisel connected from 38 yards in the second quarter and made his only remaining extra point attempt. The Bullets failed on two tries to achieve two-point conversions, leaving crucial points on the board in a close game.
Next week, Gettysburg (now 0-2) will look for its first win of the season when it hosts rival Dickinson on Homecoming weekend.
By the numbers
- 278 rushing yards for Gettysburg including 170 by first-year running back Reggie JeanCharles, who, at 6’0″ 210 pounds, showed his mettle as a between-the-tackles runner capable of accelerating in space
- 7 Gettysburg receivers who caught at least one pass
- 5 tackles-for-loss achieved by the Bullets defense, which managed to get into the backfield throughout the game, but often struggled to make open-field tackles as Ursinus running back Stacey Gardner rumbled for 153 rushing yards on 26 carries
- 80 push-ups completed by Gettysburg College cheerleaders, who do one for each point Gettysburg has scored each time they score, proving that those on the field are not the only ones getting exercise
- 2574 people were estimated to be in attendance on a gorgeous fall afternoon that featured sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s
