Beavers look to win second straight contest of 2005 campaign against Thiel
By: Bill Hanefeld Jr., interim sports information director
September 12, 2005
The Matchup
When: Saturday, September 17, 2005 at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Bluffton, Ohio – Dwight Salzman Stadium
On the Radio: Listen live to Bluffton University football on WDOH 107.1 FM.
Bluffton University (1-1) rebounded following the season opening loss at Centre to defeat Hiram 31-6 last week. Thiel College enters the contest at 1-0 on the season. The Tomcats held on to defeat Ohio Wesleyan 39-36 at home in their opening game of the season.
The Head Coaches
Head coach Greg Brooks enters his third year at the helm of the Bluffton University football team. Brooks’ teams have garnered eight wins during his tenure as head coach of the Beavers.
The Tomcats are coached by Jack Leipheimer who is in his fifth season at Thiel. A 1974 Thiel graduate, Leipheimer was a four-year letter winner and three-year starter at tight end, earning All-PAC accolades in 1973.
Bluffton-Thiel Series History
Bluffton holds a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series over Thiel College. The Tomcats, however, have won the last three contests with the Beavers 37-6 in 2002, 35-7 in 2003, and 45-14 in 2004.
Last Week for the Beavers and Tomcats
The Beavers defeated Hiram College 31-6 on the road last Saturday. Bluffton posted 337 total yards of offense on the day (246 rushing, 91 passing). Senior tailback Ben Dodds led the rushing attack with 127 yards on only 21 carries and one touchdown.
Ben McCullough added 94 yards on the ground which was good for two touchdowns. Quarterback Jared Owens recorded nine completions for 91 yards and ran for a score as well. Kicker Seth Burkholder connected on a 47-yard field goal in the victory over Hiram. Freshman defensive lineman Kyle Rode racked up seven tackles, including two quarterback sacks, on his way to being named Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Co-defensive player-of-the-week.
Thiel defeated Ohio Wesleyan 39-36 at home last Saturday. Leading the Tomcat attack was runningback Steve Minton who rushed for 144 yards and three scores. Wide receivers Tom McEntire and Brandon Chamber combined for 11 catches during the victory over Ohio Wesleyan. Thiel outgained Ohio Wesleyan 403 to 361 in total offensive yards on Saturday. The Tomcat quarterback, Darrell Satterfield, threw for 208 yards on 18 completions and two touchdowns.
Last Season’s Contest
The Beavers were defeated by Thiel 45-14 on the road last season. Running back Ben Dodds led the Beaver offense with 39 yards on the ground. Terence Clayton provided a bright spot for the Beavers when he returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter.
Thiel scored early and often as they amassed 420 yards of total offense to 145 yards for Bluffton. Minton led Thiel on the ground with 109 yards and two touchdowns. Dane Haskins ignited the Thiel offense with five receptions for 124 yards while Chamber caught 11 passes for 93 yards and two scores.
Ben Dodds was able to get into the end zone midway through the third quarter from three yards out to cap off the Beaver scoring.
Leading the Beavers
Senior Ben Dodds leads the rushing attack for Bluffton with 44 carries for 312 yards and four touchdowns through the first two games. Junior fullback Ben McCullough has gained 108 yards on 20 carries while reaching the end zone twice. Quarterback Jared Owens has thrown for 186 yards on 21 completions.
Sophomore linebacker Sam McCullough leads the Beaver defense with 20 tackles (10 solo, 10 assists). Junior Tyler Schwab has racked up 3.5 TFL’s for a total loss of 27 yards to spearhead the attack from the defensive line.
Next up for the Beavers and Tomcats
Bluffton will host Adrian College next Saturday, September 24 at Salzman Stadium. Kickoff for the contest is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thiel hosts Bethany College on September 24 with a 1:30 p.m. start.
