Grizzlies Look to Cool Off Red Hot Ravens On AU Homecoming
October 16, 2008
ANDERSON , IN - Anderson will welcome Franklin to Macholtz Stadium Saturday afternoon as both teams enter the weekend unblemished in the conference standings. Anderson and Franklin enter the Homecoming contest after claiming conference wins last weekend. The Ravens earned a last-second 10-9 win at Mount St. Joseph , while the Grizzlies dismantled Bluffton 63-3.
Anderson (3-2, 2-0 HCAC) enters the game with Franklin red hot. Since falling to DePauw in week two of the season, the Ravens have outscored their opponents 113-35 in three wins. AU defeated the Mount for the first time since 2003 last weekend, booting a game-winning 46 yard field goal in the final seconds to claim the win. Tristan Cork (Indianapolis , Ind./Heritage Christian) tied a school record with the game winning field goal and was named the conference's special teams Player of the Week. Sophomore running back Darryl Stott (Union City , Ind. /H.S.) broke the 100-yard plateau for the second straight week, totaling 160 yards and a touchdown against a very tough Mount defense.Franklin (4-1, 2-0 HCAC) scored the most points by a Grizzlies team since 1961 in last weekend's 63-3 win over Bluffton. The Grizzlies scored no less than two touchdowns in each quarter and posted the team's 13 th straight HCAC win. Franklin totaled 488 yards of offense against the Beavers, rushing for 246 yards and passing for 242. Quarterback Chad Rupp (Evansville , Ind. /Memorial) added three more touchdowns to his season total and finished with 206 yards through the air. Rupp leads the HCAC with 14 touchdowns and ranks ninth nationally, averaging 298.8 passing yards per game.
Franklin and Anderson boast two of the most potent offenses in the Heartland Conference this season, ranking No. 1 and No. 2 in scoring offense and No. 2 and No. 3 in total offense. The turnover battle could also loom large on Saturday. Anderson leads the HCAC with a +11 turnover margin, while the Grizzlies have turned the football over 11 times this season.
The blue and gold cruised to a 49-13 win over Anderson last season, posting their second straight win over AU. The Ravens hold a 28-19-1 advantage in the all-time series.
Kickoff from Macholtz Stadium is set for 1:30 PM.
In other conference action .
Bluffton (1-4, 0-2 HCAC) returns home after a rough outing last weekend against Franklin , as the Beavers welcome Manchester (3-2, 1-1 HCAC) to Salzman Stadium. Bluffton enters Saturday's contest following a 63-3 loss at Franklin , while the Spartans claimed a 20-7 win over Defiance . Bluffton's defense gave up 488 yards to the league's top offense and only managed 111 yards of offense against the Grizzlies defense. BU will look for an offensive spark this weekend, as the Beavers currently rank last in the HCAC in scoring offense (8.0 ppg) and yards per contest (181.6 ypg). Manchester jumped out to an early 20-0 halftime lead against Defiance and held on for the 20-7 conference win. Spartans running back Brandon Wells (Woodburn , Ind. /Woodlan) rushed for a team-high 158 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries, while quarterback Caleb Grimes (South Haven, Mich./H.S.) completed 19 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns. The black and gold offense currently leads the conference, averaging 212.0 rushing yards per game and 417.8 total yards per contest. In last year's meeting, Manchester pulled out a 20-13 victory over Bluffton which snapped a three game skid to the Beavers. Bluffton holds a 30-23 edge in the all-time series which dates back to 1932.
Mount St. Joseph (3-2, 1-2 HCAC) will look to find their winning ways Saturday on the road against Hanover (0-4, 0-2 HCAC). The Mount is coming off a last second 10-9 loss at home to Anderson , while Hanover fell at home to Rose-Hulman 44-33. The Lions have lost two conference games for the first time since the 2003 season. The Mount defense has played well as of late, leading the HCAC in scoring defense (10.2 ppg) and pass defense (125.2 ypg). Hanover 's offense clicked last weekend in a losing cause, racking up 33 first downs and 446 yards of offense. Freshman quarterback Nick Sharp (Indianapolis , Ind. /Franklin Central) completed 41 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns. Tyler Thiems (Indianapolis , Ind. /North Central) tied his own school record with 18 receptions, raising his season average to a national best 13.5 receptions per game. The senior receiver also leads the HCAC, averaging 117.5 receiving yards per game. The Mount offense will look to replicate its early season success against a struggling Hanover defense, which ranks last in scoring defense (45.0 ppg) this fall. The Lions prevailed 56-21 over Hanover last season, notching their second straight win over the Panthers. MSJ quarterback Vince Palmer (Cincinnati , Ohio / Anderson ) passed for 192 yards and four touchdowns in the win and will look for similar success this Saturday. Hanover leads the series with the Mount 13-3.
Rose-Hulman (5-1, 3-0 HCAC) seeks its first 6-1 start to a season since 1987 as the Engineers travel up north to tangle with Defiance (0-5, 0-2 HCAC). The Engineers held off Hanover 44-33 last weekend, while the Yellow Jackets lost to Manchester 20-7. Rose junior running back Calvin Bueltel (Huntingburg , Ind. /Southridge) rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns in the win against the Panthers, earning his second Player of the Week award on offense. Senior defensive lineman Paul Spreen (Williams, Ind./Bedford N. Lawrence ) also claimed his second Player of the Week honor with 13 tackles and four tackles for loss in the triumph. Bueltel leads the conference in rushing with 678 yards and Spreen paces the league with 15 tackles for loss this season. Junior quarterback Derek Eitel (Marshall , Ill. /H.S.) became the fourth quarterback in school history to cross the 4,000 yard mark for a career during the Hanover win. Defiance failed to score in the opening 30 minutes of play for the fourth time this season in last week's loss to Manchester . Quarterback Rick Powell (Rochester , Mich. /Cousino) threw the lone Jackets touchdown, completing 15 passes for 127 yards. Senior defensive back Keith Snyder (Martin , Mich. /H.S.) has been a leader on the defensive side of the football, ranking second in the conference with 62 tackles. Defiance has a pair of narrow victories over Rose-Hulman in their only two meetings. The Yellow Jackets topped Rose 13-10 in 2006 and held on for a 33-31 win last fall.
Oct. 18 Schedule
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Franklin at Anderson |
1:30 PM |
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Rose-Hulman at Defiance |
1:30 PM |
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Mount St. Joseph at Hanover |
1:30 PM |
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Manchester at Bluffton |
1:30 PM |