Franklin Begins Title Defense with 42-35 Win over Baldwin-Wallace
September 6, 2008
FRANKLIN , IN - Franklin College (1-0) road a high-octane offense to victory, handling the Yellow Jackets of Baldwin-Wallace (0-1) 42-35 at Faught Stadium. Despite being knotted up at 14 apiece in the second quarter, FC rallied on the offensive side of the football with 21 straight points to notch win number one of the season.
After the Jackets scored to tie the game at 14-14 with 11:11 remaining in the second quarter, senior wide receiver Austin Gorrell (Franklin , Ind. /H.S.) took the ensuing kickoff and scampered 87 yards for a Grizzly touchdown. Gorrell also contributed with 92 yards receiving on four receptions Saturday afternoon.
Senior quarterback Chad Rupp (Evansville , Ind. /Memorial) gave Franklin a 14 point cushion when he found senior Kevin Lynch (Bloomington , Ind. /Delta) on a 34 yard touchdown strike. Rupp finished the afternoon completing 22 of his 37 pass attempts for 317 yards and four touchdowns.
Senior wide receiver Neil Craig (Bedford , Ind. /North Lawrence) led the Franklin receiving core with 111 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions.
Franklin concluded it's scoring with a 28 yard touchdown run by senior Jon-Erik Bennett (Martinsville , Ind. /H.S.) with 7:41 left to play in the contest. Bennett rushed for 62 yards on 13 carries against the Jackets' defense.
The Franklin defense gave up 21 points to the Baldwin-Wallace offense during the fourth quarter of play, allowing the Jackets back into the contest. BWC finished the game with 195 yards rushing and 381 yards passing on the afternoon. The Grizzlies' offense turned in 346 total yards with only 29 yards on the ground.
Franklin will head to Indianapolis for a date with Division I-AA Butler next Saturday. The defending HCAC champion Grizzlies will kick off at the Butler Bowl at 1:00 PM.
In other conference action.
The College of Mount St. Joseph football team began its journey for a HCAC championship season with a 21-7 win at home against Wilmington College (0-1). The Lions (1-0) broke into the scoring column first with a one yard touchdown plunge from sophomore Jake Davis (Cincinnati , Ohio / Anderson ) with 13:04 remaining in the first half. Wilmington answered with a touchdown of their own on their next possession to knot the game at seven. Mount quarterback Vince Palmer (Cincinnati , Ohio / Anderson ) tossed his lone touchdown of the afternoon with 35 second left in the first half, giving the Lions a 14-7 advantage at intermission. The senior connected with senior wide receiver Tim Meiner (Hamilton , Ohio /Talawanda) on an 11 yard route to give MSJ the lead for good. Palmer finished the game 22 of 39 through the air for 313 yards, while Meiner racked up 138 yards receiving on six catches. Jake Davis added his second touchdown of the day midway through the fourth quarter to seal the victory for MSJ. Davis rushed for 44 yards on 13 carries. The Lions dominated the Quakers offensively and defensively at Schueler Field in route to their sixth straight win over their former conference rival. Mount St. Joseph outnumbered Wilmington 26 first downs to 11 and out-gained the Quakers 534 to 184 in total offense. Next weekend MSJ will travel to Lakeland for a 1:00 PM kickoff.
Rose-Hulman pulled out an exciting 42-35 victory over Earlham College Saturday night in the 2008 football opener for both schools. The Engineers (1-0) and Quakers (0-1) went back and forth throughout the contest before Rose found the end zone with 13 seconds left to lift the host school to the win. Junior quarterback Derek Eitel (Marshall, Ill./H.S.) plunged in from one yard out to give RHIT the win, capping off a three play, eight yard drive. Eitel finished 14 of 25 through the air for 139 yards and two touchdowns to lead the offensive effort. Junior Calvin Bueltel (Huntingburg , Ind. /Southridge) added a 92 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, totaling 150 yards on three kickoff returns. Eitel's favorite target on the night was senior Tim Schrock (Avon , Ind. /H.S.) . Schrock caught both touchdowns and totaled 75 yards on four receptions. The Engineers pulled out the win over Earlham despite allowing 495 yards of offense to the Quakers while only gaining 279 against the EC defense. Rose will travel to North Park next weekend for a 1:00 PM kickoff.
Manchester College (0-1) opened the season on the road against Trine University (1-0). Last season, the Thunder prevailed at Manchester 14-9, however this season Trine was much more dominate over the Spartans, 41-13. Trine, formerly Tri-State, led 14-0 midway through the second quarter before MC broke into the scoring column. Junior quarterback Caleb Grimes (South Haven, Mich./H.S.) connected with senior receiver Jared Yoder (Frankfort, Ind./Carroll) for a 36 yard touchdown, narrowing the deficit to 14-6 after the failed point after attempt. Grimes completed 15 of his 30 passes for 213 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while Yoder finished his day with 128 yards receiving on four catches. The Thunder added four straight touchdowns before the Spartans added the game's final score with a three yard touchdown run from senior Joel Hawkins (Goshen , Ind. / Fairfield ) . The black and gold will have its home opener next weekend against Earlham.
The Anderson University football team lost the Wagon Wheel for the first time in six years on Saturday night, falling to rival Taylor (1-0) 27-17 at Macholtz Stadium. The Ravens (0-1) jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter before the Trojans answered with 27 straight points. Sophomore tailback Darryl Stott (Union City , Ind. /H.S.) led the Ravens ground attack with 78 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Junior quarterback Chase Thurston (Yorktown , Ind. /H.S.) finished the day 21 of 44 through the air with 202 yards and an interception. AU's defense failed to contain Taylor 's ground game, surrendering 261 yards and three touchdowns rushing. Anderson will have a tough test next weekend as they travel to DePauw for a 1:00 PM kickoff.
Defiance College (0-1) opened the season in disappointing fashion, falling on the road to Muskingum College 35-10. The Yellow Jackets struggled moving the ball on offense, mustering only 158 total yards, eight first downs, and three fumbles on the night. Freshman running back Kyle Muller (Farmington , Mich. /H.S.) scored DC's only touchdown on the evening, plunging in from one yard out. Senior tailback Lewis Caralla (Tampa , Fla. / East Lake ) led the offense with 78 yards on 20 carries. Defiance will head to Adrian next Saturday night in search for a win against the Bulldogs. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 PM.
Hanover College 's football team opened its 2008 season with a 46-22 loss on the road to Centre College . The contest marked the first game for the Panthers' first-year head coach Joe Austin. The host Colonels (1-0) led Hanover (0-1) 32-0 heading into the fourth quarter before HC found the end zone for the first time on the night. Freshman quarterback C.J. Croft (Ft. Campbell , Ky. /H.S.) connected with senior Tyler Thiems (Tampa , Fla. / East Lake ) on a six yard touchdown for the first score of the season. Croft finished the evening nine of 16 for 106 yards and an interception. Thiems concluded HC's scoring effort with a 73 yard punt return for a touchdown with just under two minutes to play. Thiems caught eight passes for 111 yards and a touchdown on the night. The Panthers could only gain 22 yards on the ground Saturday night, also being out gained by Centre 366 to 193 in total offense. Hanover will play host to Waynesburg in the Panthers home opener Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM.
The Bluffton University football team fell behind early and never recovered as Alma held the Beavers scoreless, 49-0, in Head Coach Tyson Veidt's debut Saturday afternoon. The Scots scored two touchdowns on their first two possessions and never looked back while Bluffton struggled to move the chains. The Beavers finished the day with only nine first downs and 167 total yards, while the Scots racked up 328 yards against the Bluffton defense. Junior running back Gregori Mason (Cleveland , Ohio /Collinwood) led the BU offense with 67 yards rushing on 25 carries. BU will look to give coach Veidt his first win at the school when the Beavers travel to Adrian on September 20.