Former Allentown High School quarterback Nick Palladino set a school career record for pass completions in only his junior season at quarterback but Muhlenberg College’s football team lost at perennial Centennial Conference power Johns Hopkins University, 49-28, Sept. 26.
Johns Hopkins scored the last 28 points to pull out the victory and set Muhlenberg down to 1-2 in the conference, 2-2 overall. Muhlenberg plays Oct. 3 at home against Susquehanna University, whose head coach was Muhlenberg’s offensive coordinator last year. Ironically, Muhlenberg’s new offensive coordinator was Susquehanna’s offensive coordinator last season, a sort of coaching swap between the two college teams. Setting the tempo was important against Johns Hopkins, Palladino said before the game. He staked his team to a 28- 21 lead, throwing two touchdown passes. But the defense could not make it stand. Palladino completed 33 of 46 passes for 333 yards for his sixth career 300-yard game. He has 518 career receptions, surpassing the previous school mark by 16. He also rushed for 77 yards.
“Running the ball has helped me relax more in the pocket,” said Palladino, who has an experienced corps of receivers and plenty of veterans on the offensive line. “I’ve become more run efficient. I get the same hits and then I go with good runs when I see I can get them and I’m playing smart.”
But it’s Muhlenberg’s defense that will get added attention in practices this week as Palladino and his teammates bid for a return to the NCAA tournament.