GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Ty Tremba threw four touchdown passes to lead Franklin & Marshall to a 35-28 victory at Gettysburg on Saturday. During the back-and-forth battle, Tremba's final strike found Matt Eitner for an eight-yard touchdown pass on the game-winning drive as he finished with 324 passing yards while completing 75 percent of his passes. Four different receivers finished with at least three receptions to help F&M (3-1) retain the rivalry trophy over the Bullets.

First Quarter (Franklin & Marshall 7, Gettysburg 7)

The Bullets took the first drive of the game into Diplomats' territory before the visiting Diplomats came up with a huge fourth down stop in the red zone. However, it was special teams that provided the early difference with a scoop-and-score blocked punt to go up 7-0. Tremba's first touchdown pass to Hudson Zawadzkas tied the game at seven.

Second Quarter (Franklin & Marshall 21, Gettysburg 14)

Gettysburg went up by another touchdown following a 14-play, 76-yard drive that took over a half a quarter to complete. Once again, the Diplomats answered with Tremba taking his team 63 yards before finding Gary Lewis for his first of two touchdown receptions. Tied at 14, the Bullets were once again driving before back-to-back game changing plays. Rafe Carner got the momentum back on F&M's side with an interception before Lewis – the reigning Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week – hauled in a 86-yard touchdown reception. That touchdown pass was the eighth-longest pass in program history and the longest since Tremba connected with Aaron Rascoe for 87 yards during the 2022 season versus Johns Hopkins.

Third Quarter (Franklin & Marshall 24, Gettysburg 21)
The Bullets answered with their longest touchdown of the game shortly into the second half on a 55-yard touchdown run from Michael Zrelak. Tied at 21, the Diplomats executed a 10-play scoring drive that was capped by Michael Fleming's 37-yard field goal attempt. Fleming later gave his team the lead with a 42-yard field goal as Fleming was a perfect 2-for-2 in field goals and hit each of his three crucial PATs.

Fourth Quarter (Franklin & Marshall 35, Gettysburg 28)
The hosts claimed their final lead on the next drive with a 53-yard touchdown reception to go up 28-27. Once again, Tremba and the offense were immediately on the scene to provide the answer. F&M went 56 yards and took over five minutes off the clock before Eitner's touchdown reception proved to be the difference maker in the 35-28 final. It would take one final stand from the defense as Gettysburg had the ball back in the red zone looking to tie the game, but huge pressure from Oscar Marx forced the incomplete pass before F&M ran out the remaining clock. Gettysburg finished the game going for fourth down eight different times, with the F&M defense coming up huge during the three most impactful scenarios.

Key Players/Stats
Franklin & Marshall had a slim 411-409 advantage in total yards. The Diplomats did 324 yards of their total damage through the air while the Bullets  churned out 242 yards on the ground. Zawadzkas was Tremba's favorite target on Saturday as he caught seven passes for 92 yards and one touchdown. Lewis made the most of his four receptions with a team-high 129 yards receiving and two scores.

Defensively, Kyle Cecchio and Austin Hadley both registered 10 tackles, with each making a stop behind the line of scrimmage. Sam Keenan and LT Kelley added seven stops on the afternoon as seven different Diplomats made at least five tackles.

Up Next

With the conference-opening win under its belt, football returns home next Saturday for a key matchup with Muhlenberg. That game is set for a 1 p.m. kickoff inside Shadek Stadium and will be the teams only home date during the month of October in what looks to be pivotal part of the Centennial Conference schedule upcoming.