Rebuilding is something every program must confront. Coming off of two straight outright Centennial Conference championships, the Muhlenberg football team was faced with that task in 2009.

A difficult schedule didn’t make things any easier. Five of the Mules’ 10 opponents continued on to postseason play, and a sixth, Dickinson, fell just short.

The rebuilding and schedule added up to a 3-7 record (2-6 CC) for Muhlenberg. But despite all that, the Mules’ dominance on defense continued. Muhlenberg led the CC and finished 14th in Division III in total defense. The Mules allowed a CC-low 15.8 points per game, the 19th-best mark in the nation.

Cresta ended his career third in Muhlenberg history with 161 career receptions and 2,631 career receiving yards.

But inexperience and injuries on offense, where Muhlenberg returned just four starters from last season, took their toll. The Mules tried three different starters at quarterback - two freshmen and one sophomore - and lost two promising first-year running backs to season-ending injuries.

The season started with a difficult-to-swallow 14-12 loss at Wilkes in which Muhlenberg turned the ball over four times in the second half and let a 10-0 lead slip away.

But after their bye week, the Mules picked up an impressive 17-7 win over No. 22 Union in their home opener. The defense held the Dutchmen to just 218 yards, while special teams made the difference, as sophomore Chase Nadell returned the opening kick of the second half 87 yards for a touchdown. The offense did its part by possessing the ball for a remarkable 38:38.

The following week Gettysburg’s offense proved too much even for the Mule defense, as it racked up 486 yards of total offense in a 20-3 win. It was more of the same in the first half of the Mules’ Homecoming matchup with eventual CC champion Johns Hopkins, but after trailing 27-3 at the break, Muhlenberg rallied to cut the deficit to 34-27. Though the comeback attempt fell short, it gave hope to the Mule offense.

Floyd is one of six Muhlenberg football players to be named a first-team Academic All-American.

The goodwill carried over to Juniata, where the Mules won 14-0 behind another fantastic defensive performance. Muhlenberg forced six turnovers and held the Eagles to just 145 yards of total offense in the victory.

The season took a turn for the worse from there, as the Mules dropped four straight, including heartbreakers at home to McDaniel and Dickinson. The Green Terror won on a late fourth-quarter fumble return for a touchdown, while Dickinson overcame a 16-0 fourth-quarter deficit to win 17-16 on a last-second field goal.

The Mules salvaged a tough year with a 7-0 victory over Moravian in the season finale. The defense once again shined, holding the Greyhounds to just 146 yards of total offense and sacking the quarterback nine times. A second-quarter touchdown pass was all Muhlenberg needed to pick up the win.

Despite the offense’s struggles, senior Phil Cresta had another remarkable season at wide receiver. Cresta finished second in the CC with 62 receptions, the second-highest total in Muhlenberg history, and 911 receiving yards. He ranked in the top 60 in Division III in both categories.

Emmett started the year at outside linebacker before returning to defensive end, where he spent the first three seasons of his career.

Cresta was the lone All-CC choice on offense, but six defenders received all-conference honors. Senior defensive end Frank Emmett and junior linebacker Patrick McDonough joined Cresta on the first team. Emmett finished third on the team with 51 tackles (4½ for loss) and also broke up three passes. McDonough led the Mules with 80 tackles, the fourth-best mark in the CC.

Junior punter Jason LoPipero (CC-best 21 punts inside the 20) was a second-team selection, and senior defensive end Jake Floyd (seven sacks, 12½ tackles for loss), junior linebacker Andy Curley (six sacks, 59 tackles) and Nadell (one interception, 33 tackles) all received honorable mention.

Freshman Dan Deighan started the final four games at quarterback after beginning the season at wide receiver. Two transfers, sophomore J.T. Merklinger and junior Joe Montemurro, both had impressive debuts at running back before suffering injuries, as did freshman Terrence Dandridge, who led the Mules with 505 rushing yards.

Sophomore tight end Steve Liparini had a solid season as the No. 2 option in the passing game, catching 28 balls for 216 yards and two scores.

Junior Michael Katz was impressive again in the kicking game, going 10-for-15 on field goals, including nailing a career-long 45-yarder in the rain, and 12-for-13 on PATs.