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Beavers fall to Mount St. Joseph 56-14

Posted: Oct 29, 2005

By Bill Hanefeld Jr., sports information director
October 29, 2005

BLUFFTON, Ohio -The Bluffton University football team (3-5, 2-2) fell 56-14 to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Mount St. Joseph (7-1, 4-1) on Saturday, October 29, 2005. Senior tailback Ben Dodds (West Liberty/Bellefontaine) put the Beavers on top less than four minutes into the game when he found a seam and went 35 yards to give Bluffton a 7-0 lead. The Lions wasted little time erasing that deficit as they scored six consecutive touchdowns to open up a 42-7 advantage at the half. Two first-half Bluffton fumbles were scooped up by the Mount and both times the Lion offense never entered the field as the defense racked up back-to-back touchdowns. The Mount St. Joseph offensive line created numerous openings for standout running back Mike Lovell as he rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, most of them coming in the first half.

Bluffton put together a nine-play 79-yard drive early in the fourth quarter that was capped by a 20-yard Dodds scamper into the end zone. Mount St. Joseph tacked on a final score midway through the fourth quarter giving the Lions a 56-14 victory over the Beavers.

Ben Dodds carried the ball 20 times for 146 yards to lead the Bluffton offense which finished with 314 total yards. Senior quarterback Jared Owens (Van Wert/Crestview) completed eight passes for 145 yards, including a 46-yarder to sophomore wide receiver Anthony Bryant (Reynoldsburg/Reynoldsburg). Freshman tight end Joel Sienicki (Goshen, In./Northridge) caught three passes for 72 yards to lead the Bluffton receivers. Sophomore linebacker Sam McCullough (Bluffton/Bluffton) led the Beaver defense with 16 tackles (5 solos) while sophomore safety Taylor Iceman (Lucas/Lucas) contributed with 11 tackles.

The Lions controlled the game from both sides of the ball. They amassed 434 total yards, including 256 yards on the ground. In addition to the impressive numbers that the offense put up, the Lions were aided by excellent field position. Returner David Sanders brought back three kicks for 108 yards putting the Lion offense near mid-field each time. Three turnovers deep in Bluffton territory, caused by the aggressive Lion pass rush, and multiple long-yardage completions led to the end result, a 56-14 Mount St. Joseph victory at Salzman Stadium.

The Beavers will be back in action next Saturday, November 5, 2005 when they travel to face HCAC rival Franklin College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.