ALLENTOWN, Pa. ­­– Sophomore fullback Drew Campbell recorded a 44-yard touchdown reception for the Lebanon Valley College football team on Saturday, Nov. 18, as the program dropped a hard-fought 23-7 Centennial-MAC Bowl Series game to No. 22/17 Muhlenberg College on Frank Marino Field at Scotty Wood Stadium. 

Lebanon Valley (6-5, 6-3 MAC) battled against Muhlenberg (10-1, 5-1 Centennial) all afternoon on both sides of the ball, as the programs faced off in the bowl game for the second straight season. Defense was the story during the first half, as offensive opportunities were limited for both teams. The Mules scored once in each of the first two quarters before the Dutchmen responded with a touchdown early in the second half. LVC continued to deliver a strong effort through the remainder of the game, but Muhlenberg added a field goal in the third frame and a touchdown in the fourth to preserve its advantage. 

The Mules opened the scoring with 10:38 remaining in the first quarter, taking a 7-0 lead after a touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Repetti to Matt McKenna. The Dutchmen were solid defensively through the remainder of the first frame, keeping the opposition off the board during this stretch. Lebanon Valley came up with a big stop with just 2:13 left in the first, holding Muhlenberg a yard short of the first down on its fourth and two attempt at LVC's 17-yard line. Senior cornerback Nick Morder came through with the big tackle to force the turnover. 

The programs went back and forth defensively through most of the second quarter, as the score was maintained until the final minute of the half. The Dutchmen came through with some big defensive plays during the frame, including an interception by senior strong safety Erik Williams at LVC's 13-yard line with 11:26 to go. The Mules resumed the scoring with 48 seconds left in the first half, extending their advantage to 14-0 after a touchdown pass from Repetti to James Nye.

Lebanon Valley got its offense rolling early in the third quarter, as the squad scored on its first drive of the second half to trim its deficit to 14-7 against Muhlenberg, with 10:25 remaining. Junior quarterback Braden Bohannon completed a screen pass to sophomore fullback Drew Campbell, who hustled past the defense and into the left corner of the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown. The Dutchmen made the trip to the end zone after an eight-play, 90-yard yard drive that spanned 4:35. Junior kicker Tim Kissinger then sent the extra point attempt through the uprights. The Mules added a few points with 4:11 left in the quarter, making it a 17-7 contest on a field goal by kicker Alex Garrido. 

Muhlenberg then scored with 7:57 to play in the fourth quarter, advancing the score to 23-7 on a touchdown pass from Repetti to Matthew Manning. The extra point attempt was not converted. The Mules were driving again with just under four minutes to play, as the team faced second and seven at Lebanon Valley's 15-yard line. Junior free safety Evan Kutzler forced a fumble that was recovered by senior defensive end Noah Caldani, giving the Flying Dutchmen the ball back. Ultimately, neither team scored during the final minutes of the contest. 

Inside the Box Score

• Lebanon Valley registered a net of 160 passing yards and 128 rushing yards. 
• Campbell scored his second touchdown of the season. The sophomore fullback also led the program with five receptions and 80 receiving yards.
• Bohannon threw his seventh touchdown pass of the year. 
• Graduate student Tim Ervey led the Dutchmen with 71 rushing yards.
• Junior inside linebacker Brody Robinson had the most total tackles for LVC, recording 11 in the game. 
• Williams tallied eight total tackles for the program. 

Up Next
The Dutchmen concluded the 2023 season with a 6-5 overall record, including a 6-3 mark against conference opponents. 

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