September 18, 2010

FRANKLIN, Ind. - The Franklin College football team used a 28-point third quarter to pull away from the Beavers in a 56-9 victory over Bluffton on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010. Bluffton dipped to 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in the Heartland Conference, while Franklin improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in HCAC play.

Franklin took advantage of great field position at the Bluffton 40-yard line to start its second possession, capping it with an 18-yard Craig Reece scoring run with 9:16 to play in the first quarter. Bluffton responded with a 10-play drive that culminated with a 35-yard Austin Sweeney (Adrian, Mich./Whitmer) field goal, cutting the deficit to four points.

A Bluffton fumble early in the second quarter following a Franklin punt set up another Grizzly touchdown which made it 14-3 with 13:19 to play in the half. The two teams traded turnovers before Bluffton took over thanks to a Dominique Chester (Mansfield/Comprehensive) interception in the end zone. The Beavers fashioned a 94-yard scoring drive that encompassed 16 plays and 5:35 on the clock. Tyler Wright (Troy) hooked up with sophomore Jason Brown (Napoleon) on a four-yard scoring toss, making it 14-9 at the half.

The Beavers were unable to move the chains in the third period as Franklin hit paydirt four times for a 42-9 lead heading to the final quarter. The Grizzlies tacked on 14 more points in the fourth quarter for a 56-9 win over the visitors.

Franklin finished with 508 yards (346 passing), while the Beavers tallied 67 on the ground and 150 through the air for a total of 217 yards. The home team moved the chains 30 times, compared to 12 for Bluffton. On third down, Franklin was successful 6-of-11 times, compared to 5-of-16 for Bluffton.

Tyler Wright completed 11-of-19 passes for 140 yards and a score. He also went for a team-high 51 yards on the ground. Alex Carter (Troy) and Jason A. Johnson (Lansing, Mich./Eastern) both finished with 49 yards receiving on three catches apiece. Todd Trotter (Cincinnati/Aiken University) and Jason Brown also hauled in three receptions each for the Beavers.

Dominique Chester and junior Jacob Luthy (Ida, Mich.) paced the Bluffton defense with five tackles each, including a team high four solos from Chester. Freshman Josh Hadley (Harper Woods, Mich.) tallied 4.5 stops, while sophomore Stephen Miller (Logan) added a 16-yard sack for the Beavers.

Bluffton welcomes Mount St. Joseph to Salzman Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010. The HCAC home opener is slated for 1:30 p.m.

-BEAVERS-