October 25, 2008
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Bluffton University football team struggled to slow the Rose-Hulman running game as the Engineers took care of the Beavers by a 42-14 count on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008. The Beavers remain winless in the Heartland Conference at 0-4 while Rose stayed perfect in improving to 5-0 in the HCAC with a clash against 2007 champion Franklin College looming on the horizon.
Following Bluffton's first possession that netted 13 yards, Rose quarterback Derek Eitel led a six-play 70-yard scoring drive that took only 2:47 and included runs of 18 and 21 yards. Calvin Bueltel capped it with a touchdown at the 10:12 mark of the opening stanza.
Two possessions later, Bluffton took advantage of excellent field position at the RHIT 40, following a failed fourth down conversion, to knot the game at seven with 4:16 to play in the quarter. Freshman Jason Johnson (Cleveland/Collinwood) went for 27 yards on three carries, setting up a one-yard Jeff Gehring (Parma/Trinity) plunge to paydirt.
A clipping penalty negated a 51-yard Bueltel gain on RIHIT's ensuing drive and the Engineers went three and out late in the quarter. Bluffton was unable to take advantage and a 22-yard Nate Richter punt return gave the home team the ball at their own 49-yard line to start the second quarter. Tyler Thornton made it 14-7 with his 37-yard scoring run.
Rose took advantage of a missed 28-yard field goal by the Beavers as the Engineers fashioned an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that Bueltel finished with an 11-yard scamper. Sophomore Mitch Dunlap (St. Mary's) picked off his third pass of the season to keep the score at 21-7 following a fumbled Bluffton kickoff return after the Bueltel score.
The Engineers went right down the field on their first touch of the second half. Bueltel carried the ball five times for 40 yards, including a one-yard touchdown.
Bluffton answered back immediately with an 80-yard Antwane Miller (Canton/Timken) kickoff return for a touchdown. With the score 28-14 in favor of RHIT, Bluffton forced a five-play Rose possession and followed that with a seven-play, 47-yard drive that ended when Jonathan Thompson's (Carmel, Ind.) 41-yard field goal attempt was blocked.
The Beavers forced what appeared to be another three-and-out, but Rose opened up the playbook and went to the house with a fake punt by Reed Eason who took it 59 yards, making the score 35-14 with less than three minutes to play in the third quarter.
RHIT tacked on a one-yard Tim Schrock touchdown run in the fourth quarter to complete the 42-14 rout of the Beavers.
Bluffton picked up 12 first downs, compared to 22 for Rose. The Engineers did their damage on the ground, gaining 324 of their 464 total yards on 47 rushes. The Beavers tallied 249 total yards in the loss. Rose controlled the clock to the tune of a 33:18 to 26:42 advantage. Both team struggled on third down (3 of 13 for Bluffton and 3 of 12 for Rose), but the Engineers were 3-of-4 on red-zone opportunities, compared to 1-of-3 for the Beavers.
Miller led the Beavers with 50 yards rushing on three carries, including a 48-yard run. Johnson added 46 yards on 12 rushes. Freshman quarterback Derek Dunlap (St. Marys's) was 12-of-26 in his first start under center, throwing for 119 yards with two interceptions deep in Rose territory. Todd Trotter (Cincinnati/Aiken University) paced the Bluffton receivers with three catches for 65 yards.
Junior Brandon Herr (Bluffton) recorded a team-high 11 tackles, including eight solos. Freshman Steven Sealscott (Van Wert) chipped in with nine stops and senior Kyle Rode (Delphos/Jefferson) had a sack that took the Engineers back nine yards. He and Mitch Agner (Leipsic) added five tackles apiece.
Bluffton will travel to Anderson University for its final road contest of the season on Saturday, Nov. 1. The contest is slated to start at 1:30 p.m.