By: Joseph Watkins, sports information assistant
ANDERSON, Ind. - The Bluffton University football team traveled to Anderson, Ind. on Saturday, Oct. 27 after a bye last weekend. The Beavers pitched a shutout, coming out on top 13-0. Bluffton improved to 2-6 overall and 2-4 in Heartland Conference play while Anderson fell to 2-6 overall and 2-4 in the HCAC. It marked Bluffton's second blanking of the year (34-0 at Earlham), the first time the Beavers have posted two shutouts in a season since 2012.
Bluffton struck first midway through the first period when Plummie Gardner (Lima/Perry) took it into the house himself for an 8-yard touchdown run which put the visitors up 7-0 with 8:24 left in the quarter. The Beavers made it 13-0 when Zachary Nobis (Bryan) hit Adam Duncan (Northwood/Lake) for a 46-yard touchdown with 6:07 left in the third quarter.
Freshman quarterback Zachary Nobis finished with 96 passing yards and one touchdown on the afternoon. Senior Drake Campbell (Trenton/Edgewood) went for 57 yards on the ground. Duncan led the receiving corps with four catches for 75 yards and a score. The Beavers put up 221 total yards of offense on the day, including 89 rushing yards.
The Bluffton defense was led by Antonio Crossty (Wooster) and Dylan Shaffer (Shelby) who tallied 10 stops apiece. Senior defensive end Isaac Zickafoose (Middlebury/Northridge) wrapped up eight tackles and 2.5 sacks on the day. Austin Hall (Piqua) was also in on eight tackles for the victors. The Beavers gave up just 259 total yards on the day with four interceptions in the 13-0 shutout, including a school-record tying three pickoffs for senior Doniven Clark (Toledo/Bowsher)!
The Beavers will be on the road once again next Saturday when they will travel to Franklin, Ind., to take on the Franklin College Grizzlies. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 PM on November 3.
-BEAVERS-