BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University football team struggled to move the ball in a 21-0 loss to Hanover College on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Bluffton fell to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the Heartland Conference, while the Panthers improved to 4-1 and 1-1 in the HCAC.
Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard until a blocked punt set Hanover up at the Bluffton 13-yard line. Back-to-back seven-yard completions by backup quarterback Eian Roudebush made it 7-0 when he hit Carter Giacone with 6:39 to play in the opening half.
Hanover went up 14-0 late in the third stanza following an 11-play, 78-yard drive that used up 6:32 when Roudebush hit Michael Gordon from 38 yards out. Another tipped punt midway through the final quarter led to a short 22-yard scoring drive capped off by a touchdown toss to Austin Oppel which made the final score 21-0.
Bluffton held the visitors to 276 yards of total offense, but the Beavers came in with just 186 yards. The home team converted only 2-of-14 times on third down while moving the chains 10 times total on the afternoon.
Darnell Thomas (Toledo/Springfield) completed 6-of-18 for 54 yards and he finished with 32 yards on the ground. Xavier Reyero (Corona, Cal./Corona) was 4-of-6 for 62-yards, including a 40-yard completion to CJ Thompson (Indianapolis, Ind./Park Tudor). Niegel Payne (Detroit, Mich./River Rouge) hauled in five balls for 48 yards.
Maxwell Moore (Chagrin Falls) and Nick Perry (Northwood/Lake) led the defense with eight stops. Marvus McWright (Westland, MI/Lee M Thurston) blew through the Hanover line for a huge 12-yard loss that earned Bluffton's fans a Big Mac Sack!
The Beavers will be back in action when they head to Terre Haute, Ind. for a 1:30 meeting with Rose-Hulman on Saturday, Oct. 14.
-BEAVERS-
