November 1, 2008
ANDERSON, Ind. - The Bluffton University football team was within four points late in the first half before Anderson rattled off 24 unanswered for the 38-10 victory on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008. Bluffton fell to 1-7 overall and 0-5 in the Heartland Conference while the Ravens improved to 4-4 and 3-2 in the HCAC.
The Beavers picked up three quick first downs following the opening kickoff, including a 19-yard completion from Derek Dunlap (St. Mary's) to Todd Trotter (Cincinnati/Aiken University) and an 11-yard Dunlap to Ross Shoup (Apple Creek/Waynedale) strike. A penalty on Bluffton followed by an incomplete pass stalled the drive and the Beavers turned the ball over on downs.
Anderson moved the ball down the field, eating up 5:38 on the clock before Chris Payton went in from two yards out with 3:43 to play in the first quarter. The Ravens covered 65 yards, with all but 18 coming on the ground.
Steve Sealscott (Van Wert) forced a fumble on Anderson's next possession and Mitch Dunlap (St. Mary's) came up with it at the home 49-yard line. Derek Dunlap completed three passes, including a 14-yarder for a first down to Antwane Miller (Canton/Timken) which set up Jonathan Thompson's (Carmel, Ind.) 44-yard field goal.
The Ravens took over at their own 10-yard line following a 64-yard Thompson kickoff and they promptly marched down the field, going 90 yards on just 11 plays. John Sims capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run with 5:09 to play in the half.
A 39-yard kickoff return by Drew Lovelace (Trumansburg, N.Y./Charles U. Dickerson) set Bluffton up for business at the Beavers' 49-yard line. Dunlap completed three passes before he found Ben Hatfield (Spencerville) for a 25-yard scoring strike which cut the deficit to four points.
Chase Thurston hit the Anderson receivers for six completions and he went for a 23-yard gain on the ground as the Ravens needed just 2:25 to go 80 yards while making the score 21-10 at the half. Following an on-side kick that Anderson recovered, Mitch Agner (Leipsic) thwarted any further damage in the half when he picked off Thurston's pass on third-and-one with eight seconds on the clock.
Anderson opened the second half with an 11-play 76-yard drive that Terrence Perkey capped with an eight-yards scoring run which made the score 28-10. The Beavers recovered an Anderson fumble following a Bluffton punt midway through the third quarter, but they were unable to take advantage of the great field position at the AU 47-yard line.
The home team added another touchdown and a field goal in the fourth quarter to seal the 38-10 victory over the Beavers. Brandon Herr (Bluffton) picked off Thurston early in the fourth, but the Beavers struggled to move the ball against the Anderson defense despite having an average starting field position on the Bluffton 40-yard line.
Anderson tallied 493 yards of total offense, including 272 on the ground, while Bluffton was limited to just 171 yards total. The home team picked up 27 first downs and was 6-of-6 in the red zone. The Ravens made good on 7-of-12 third down opportunities and Bluffton moved the chains on third down 5-of-14 times. Although Anderson turned the ball over four times, Bluffton's lack of a rushing attack helped keep the Beavers from capitalizing on the scoreboard.
Derek Dunlap finished 15-of-26 through the air for 166 yards and one touchdown. He hit Hatfield and Shoup three time each. Todd Trotter picked up two receptions for a team-high 42 yards and Dan Chipka (Waterville/Anthony Wayne) chipped in with a pair of catches.
Steve Sealscott paced the Bluffton defense with 12 tackles. Mitch Agner also recorded double digits in stops with 10, including a sack and an interception. Jacob Luthy (Ida, Mich.) and Kyle Coleman (Etna/Watkins Memorial) added nine tackles each and Luthy led Bluffton with eight solos. Freshman Shane Hubbard (Johnstown/Big Walnut) finished with eight tackles.
Bluffton returns to Salzman Stadium for a date with Hanover College on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008. The contest is slated to start at 1:30 p.m.