October 9, 2012

BLUFFTON, Ohio - For the second time in three weeks, the Bluffton University football team has been named the Team of the Week by OhioCollegeFootball.com following an exciting win over the weekend. The Beavers shared the honor with Youngstown State two weeks ago after taking down Mount St. Joseph for the first time since 2001.

The Beavers won an insane Heartland Conference matchup at Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology on Saturday, Oct. 6. After three straight missed field goals at the end of regulation and in the first two overtimes, junior Austin Sweeney (Adrian Mich./Whitmer) quickly turned into the hero when he made the game-winning 21-yard field goal in the third extra session. The win moved Bluffton's record to 4-2 (3-1 HCAC). It marked the first-ever three overtime game for the Beavers.

Both teams traded three-and-outs, followed by missed field goals during the first two overtime periods. During the third overtime, Rose-Hulman converted a first down, but missed the 20-yard field goal, their third straight following regulation.

During Bluffton's drive in the third overtime, Airic Steagall (Hillsboro) picked up 10 yards for a first down on the first play. Three runs later and he had the Beavers on the 4-yard line. From there, Austin Sweeney capped the victory by making a 21-yard field goal to get the Beavers their third conference win.

Tyler Wright (Troy) completed 16 of his 22 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 52 yards. Steagall also had a monster day with 25 rushes for 127 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Sabin (Canal Winchester) was the leading receiver for the Beavers with six receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown.

The offenses combined for over 1,000 yards on the afternoon with Bluffton going for 498 of them and 25 first downs. The Beavers had a 238-230 edge on the ground, while RHIT finished with a 342-260 advantage through the air. Bluffton won the time of possession battle (34:59-25:01) and the Beavers converted on 8-of-17 third down opportunities. The visitors made good on 6-of-9 trips inside the red zone, compared with 4-of-8 by Rose.

Senior Ben Kaufman (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf), who was named the HCAC Defensive Player of the Week, led the way with 16 tackles, including 10 solos. Junior Josh Runda (Lima/Bath) chipped in with 11 tackles, two of them for losses.

Bluffton will look to stay in the race for the Heartland Conference title when the Beavers welcome Hanover College for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 13. The contest is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and it will follow a tour of the Sommer Center, Bluffton's new indoor athletic complex which is slated to open in November.

-BEAVERS-