Franklin Hosts Rose-Hulman with Conference Title on the Line
October 30, 2008
FRANKLIN , IN - Rose-Hulman and Franklin will square off Saturday in a virtual winner-take-all HCAC title game at Faught Stadium. Rose would clinch its first ever NCAA Division III Playoffs bid with a win, while Franklin would need one win in its final two games to secure a playoff spot if the Grizzlies defeat the Engineers Saturday.
Both teams enter Saturday's game unblemished in HCAC play this season. Franklin defeated Mount St. Joseph 40-35 last weekend, while Rose knocked off Bluffton 42-14 to stay one step ahead of the Grizzlies in the conference standings.
The Grizzlies (No. 24 D3football.com Poll) have beaten Rose-Hulman both times they have met as members of the HCAC, including a 56-26 decision last October. The blue and gold have won 15 consecutive conference games, dating back to a loss to MSJ in October 2006.
Franklin showcases a nationally ranked offense and will look to light up the scoreboard for the home fans. The Grizzlies enter the game ranked 22 nd in total offense (423.71 ypg), sixth in passing offense (322.1 ypg), and 10 th in scoring offense (41.3 ppg). Chad Rupp (Evansville , Ind. /Memorial) added another accolade to his career at Franklin . His three touchdowns against Mount St. Joseph gave him 23 for the season and 81 for his career, breaking the previous mark of 79 set by former Grizzly quarterback Reece Mann. Rupp ranks sixth nationally in passing yards per game (312.29 ypg), seventh in passing efficiency (171.83), and leads the league with 23 touchdowns and a 66.1% completion rate.
Rose-Hulman will try and lock down its first conference football championship Saturday. The Engineers will try and ride the legs of Calvin Bueltel (Huntingburg , Ind. /Southridge) to the victory. The junior tailback has crossed the 100-yard mark in rushing yards during each of Rose-Hulman's five conference victories. He added 137 yards last week against Bluffton and leads the HCAC with 943 yards and 12 touchdowns. Defensive lineman Paul Spreen (Williams, Ind./Bedford N. Lawrence) will look to slow down the Franklin offense. The senior leads the team with 66 tackles and ranks 34 th nationally with 15 tackles for loss this season.
Saturday will mark the 58 th meeting between Franklin and Rose-Hulman with the Grizzlies leading the series 33-22-2. Kickoff is set for 1:30 PM.
In other conference action .
Defiance will travel to Hanover as both schools come into this weekend's contest after posting victories last weekend. Hanover (1-5, 1-3 HCAC) finally found the win column with a come from behind 35-34 win at Manchester . The Panthers knocked off the Spartans for the 12 th straight time thanks to a Tyler Thiems (Indianapolis , Ind. /North Central) touchdown grab in the final minuet. Thiems was named the conference's player of the week with his four second half touchdown receptions, finishing with 12 catches for 102 yards. The senior leads the nation with 13.2 receptions per game and ranks seventh in receiving yards per contest (124.33). Defiance (1-6, 1-3 HCAC) also scored its first win of the season with a 21-13 win over Anderson . The Jackets dominated the Ravens on the ground, out gaining AU 253-32. Lewis Caralla (Tampa , Fla. / East Lake ) turned in his second straight 100 yard performance with 156 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Defensive back Keith Snyder (Martin , Mich. /H.S.) backed up his selection as the HCAC Defensive Player of the Week by earning a spot on the D3Football.com Team of the Week. Snyder totaled 12 tackles, five pass breakups, and one interception in the win over Anderson . Defiance defeated Hanover 33-7 last season and held the Panther offense to only 154 total yards on the afternoon. Caralla rushed for 195 yards and a touchdown in the win over Hanover last season. The Panthers lead the all-time series between the two conference foes 17-10.
Mount St. Joseph (4-3, 2-3 HCAC) continues its roller coaster ride through the conference schedule as the Lions play host to Manchester (4-3, 2-2 HCAC). The Lions come back bid came up short in a 40-35 loss to Franklin last weekend, while the Spartans dropped a heartbreaking 35-34 loss at home to Hanover . The Mount trailed Franklin 26-7 at the half, but rode the arm of quarterback Vince Palmer (Cincinnati , Ohio / Anderson ) in the second half. Palmer orchestrated three touchdown drives in the third and fourth quarters to bring the Lions back into contention but it was not enough. The senior finished 17 of 32 for 232 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. Manchester enters Saturday's game with MSJ tied for third in the conference standings after the disappointing loss to Hanover . The Spartans dominated the game statistically, out gaining the Panthers 499 to 356 and winning the time of possession battle by nearly 20 minuets. Brandon Wells (Woodburn , Ind. /Woodlan) rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Caleb Grimes (South Haven, Mich./H.S.) completed 22 passes for 246 yards, two touchdowns, and 91 rushing yards. Manchester 's offense is ranked 30 th nationally in total offense (415.9 ypg) and will be going against the 38 th ranked scoring defense (15.7 ppg) in Mount St. Joseph . MSJ claimed last year's contest over the Spartans 45-24, with Vince Palmer passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns. MSJ has won the past six meetings dating back to Manchester 's last win in 2001. The Lions hold the all-time series lead 9-3.
Anderson (3-4, 2-2 HCAC) returns home to face Bluffton (1-6, 0-4 HCAC) Saturday afternoon. The Ravens dropped their second straight game with a 21-13 loss at Defiance , while the Beavers remained winless in conference action after a 42-14 road loss to Rose-Hulman. Anderson 's rushing attack stalled out in the loss to the Jackets, managing only 32 yards against the Defiance defense. Quarterback Chase Thurston (Yorktown , Ind. /H.S.) was forced to throw the ball a school record 71 times in the loss. Thurston completed 32 passes for a career-high 313 yards with an interception. Bluffton surrendered 324 rushing yards and 464 yards of total offense to Rose-Hulman last weekend. Freshman quarterback Derek Dunlap (St. Mary's, Ohio/Memorial) made his first college start and finished 12 of 26 for 119 yards and two interceptions. In last year's meeting both offenses struggled as Anderson out-dueled Bluffton 241 to 130 in total offense. The Ravens went into Bluffton and came away with a 25-18 overtime win. Bluffton holds the lead in the all-time series 18-15.
Nov. 1 Schedule
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Manchester at Mount St. Joseph |
1:00 PM |
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Defiance at Hanover |
1:30 PM |
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Rose-Hulman at Franklin |
1:30 PM |
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Bluffton at Anderson |
1:30 PM |