Posted: Sep 11, 2010
September 11, 2010
By: Josh Bruner, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University football team opened its 2010 home season on September 11 with a loss to Trine University. Trine's rushing game proved to be too much for the Beavers. The Thunder showed their offensive might in the second, as they added 28 points for a 49-6 halftime cushion. The Beaver defense stepped up the intensity, holding Trine to six points in the third. The Thunder continued to run the ball, putting up another 21 points in the fourth to give Trine the 76-6 victory. Bluffton fell to 1-1 overall, while Trine jumped to 2-0 with the win.
Trine took over on the Bluffton 29 to start the game and the visitors made quick use of the good field position, putting up a quick seven points less than a minute in. Bluffton made some noise with a pair of first downs, but were then forced to punt. The Thunder returned the punt 75 yards for a touchdown to give them an early 14-0 lead. The Beavers did not back down, as they pounded the ball down the field for a touchdown of their own. Renus Henry (Elyria) went in from a yard out after Tyler Wright (Troy) connected with Alexander Carter (Troy) for a 31-yard completion. Trine's offense added one more touchdown before the first 15 minutes expired for a 21-6 lead after a quarter.
Bluffton started the second quarter with a big drive, moving the ball to the Trine 11 before the Thunder forced a fumble which stopped the Beavers. Bluffton struggled offensively through the rest of the quarter, while Trine added another three touchdowns for a 49-6 lead at the half.
The Bluffton defense started the fourth quarter strong, stopping Trine in the red zone for a turnover on downs. Trine then forced a punt from the Beavers, followed by another rushing touchdown for the Thunder. The visitors then forced a fumble on the kickoff to give them another shot at the end zone, which they capitalized on six plays later. Another Trine score made the final score 76-6.
The Thunder offense was too much as they out-gained the Beavers 600 yards to 185 yards of total offense. Bluffton threw for 131 of their yards, completing 17 of the 26 attempts. Trine completed 12-of-13 passes for 242 yards. The rushing game for Trine proved to be the determining factor as they went for 358 yards on 51 carries, while the Beavers put up 54 yards in 42 carries. Both squads struggled on third downs as Bluffton moved the chains 5-of-15 times while Trine converted four times.
Wright led the Beaver offense, completing 16-of-23 passes for a total of 127 yards. Todd Trotter (Cincinnati/Aiken University) led the Beaver receivers with six grabs for 52 yards; following closely was Carter with three receptions for 46 yards, and Jason A. Johnson (Lansing, MI/Lansing Eastern) with three catches for a total of 15 yards. The Beaver rushing was led by Wright with 26 yards on 10 attempts, followed by Henry who scored a touchdown on 12 carries.
Jordan Burdue (Liberty Center) and Omoyele Gonzalez (Canton/McKinley) led the Beaver defense with four tackles each. Antwon Brooks (Cleveland Heights), Joe Maldonado (Dade City, FL/ Zephyrhills), Malcolm Mayfield (Atlanta, GA/Chapel Hill), and Josh Runda (Lima/ Bath) each added three takedowns for the Beavers.
The Beavers will kick off the HCAC portion of their season next Saturday, Sept. 18, when they travel to Franklin for the matchup with the Grizzlies. The contest is slated to start at 1:30 p.m. in Franklin, Indiana.
-BEAVERS-