When: Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 1 p.m.
Where: Adrian, Michigan – Multi-Sport Performance Field
On the Radio: Listen live to Bluffton University football on WDOH 107.1 FM.
The Bluffton University football team returns to action following a bye week when the Beavers travel to Adrian for a matchup with the Bulldogs. It marks the second of three consecutive contests with teams from the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Following the game at Adrian, Bluffton will make its home debut against Kalamazoo College on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 1:30 p.m.
Head Coach Tyson Veidt made his debut on the Bluffton sidelines two weeks ago in the Beavers’ 2008 opener at Alma College. Despite taking over the reins just eight short months ago, Veidt and his staff at Bluffton currently have 53 first-year players on the squad. Veidt comes to Bluffton after assistant coaching stints at West Virginia and Indiana. Most recently he was the defensive coordinator for Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. New additions to the Bluffton coaching staff are Chris Krieg, Bo White, Jason Diller and Brian Hefner. Returning to the Beavers are Denny Phillips, Lou Stokes, Bryan Lloyd and Bill Fisher.
Entering his 19th season, Adrian College's Jim Lyall is the longest tenured head football coach in the MIAA and all Michigan colleges and universities. The program has had a tremendous run over the last six years with a combined record of 44-20. The 2008 season will be Lyall's 35th on the sidelines at Adrian College. The University of Michigan graduate came to Adrian in 1974 as an assistant coach. He guided the defensive line, secondary, linebackers, and served as the defensive coordinator as an Adrian assistant coach. Lyall has the most wins and has coached in more games than any coach in AC football history.
Adrian and Bluffton will lock horns for the fifth straight season and 16th time on Saturday, Sept. 20. The Beavers’ first contest with the Bulldogs was in 1963 and Adrian holds a 12-3 edge in the series. The Bulldogs have won the last four meetings, including a 20-0 shutout at Salzman Stadium a year ago.
The Bluffton University football team fell behind early and never recovered as Alma held the Beavers scoreless, 49-0, in Head Coach Tyson Veidt's debut on Saturday, Sept. 6. The Scots scored two touchdowns on their first two possessions and never looked back while Bluffton struggled to move the chains.
Alma went 63 yards in six plays on their first possession for a touchdown and followed that with a 56-yard punt return for a score less than two minutes later. The Bluffton defense showed its grit on Alma's next three possessions as it was forced to work with a short field. Early in the second quarter, sophomore Mitch Dunlap (St. Mary's/St. Mary's) picked off Alma's McGrady in the end zone and returned it 11 yards to end the Scot's scoring threat.
The Scots found the end zone on Alma's final two drives of the half, including a 12 play-74 yard march that chewed up nearly five minutes off the clock late in the opening stanza. The Beavers went to the break looking at a 28-0 deficit on the scoreboard.
Bluffton had its best drive of the day late in the fourth quarter as Renus Henry (Elyria/Elyria) picked up 40 yards on seven consecutive rushes before Bluffton stalled. Alma was content to run out the clock and secure a 49-0 victory in the 2008 opener for both teams.
Alma moved the chains 34 times while limiting Bluffton to just nine first downs. The Scots gained 492 yards, including 328 through the air. Bluffton picked up 167 yards, 104 of which were on the ground. On third downs, the Scots were successful eight of 12 times while Bluffton did not have a third-down conversion in 13 attempts. The Scots went 4-of-6 in the red zone and their defense never allowed Bluffton to reach the Alma 20-yard line.
Greg Mason (Cleveland/Collinwood) led the Beavers with 67 yards rushing on 25 carries. Henry picked up 40 yards on his seven touches. Junior quarterback Brock Miller (Cincinnati/Oak Hills) completed 10 of 20 passes for 63 yards with one interception.
Adrian 20, Defiance 0
The Bulldogs posted a shutout with a 20-0 victory over Defiance College marking their fifth win in the last six tries against the Yellow Jackets. AC got a measure of revenge after Defiance beat Adrian 10-0 in the stadium dedication game two years ago.
Adrian held Defiance to 155 total yards and just 73 yards on the ground in 26 attempts. The Bulldogs gained 307 yards in the less than ideal conditions as they rushed for 205 yards on 48 carries. Defiance could not put anything together, especially on third down going 0-for-12 against the Bulldogs.
Mike McGee got Adrian on the scoreboard with 13:31 left in the second quarter on an eight-yard touchdown run. Adrian needed five plays to drive 47 yards as McGee carried the final 16 yards and completed a 21-yard pass to Stevie Freeman to put AC in the red zone for the first time in the game.
Brad Smagala intercepted the first play from scrimmage in the second half and raced to the Defiance 10-yard line giving Adrian great field position. Warner's second field goal of the day from 23 yards made it 13-0. Danny Taylor took a deflected pass for an interception to the Defiance four-yard line in the fourth quarter, setting up Myke Johnson's four-yard touchdown run with 3:58 left in the game.
Troy Niblock led the team in rushing with 129 yards on 24 carries. He caught three passes for 13 yards on the night. The Adrian defense forced three interceptions as Justin Judd had a 35-yard return for his second takeaway of the season.
Chris McGuire led the Bulldogs with a career-high 10 tackles and had five tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. Bobby Watson registered eight tackles, one pass breakup and one tackle for loss.
Greg Mason leads the Beavers with 67 yards rushing on 25 carries. Greg also tallied four receptions for 17 yards receiving. Junior quarterback Brock Miller completed 10 of 20 passes for a total of 63 yards. Senior Andrew Lovelace (Trumansburg, NY/Charles U. Dickerson) had five kickoff returns for 44 yards against the Scots.
The defense recoded sacks from both senior Kyle Rode (Delphos/Jefferson) and junior Aaron Jenkins (St. Paris/Graham). Rode, along with freshmen Justin Crosier (Columbus/Hamilton Township) and Steven Sealscott (Van Wert/Van Wert), had five tackles each. Freshman Dylan Moore (Greenwood Ind./Greenwood) led the team with six stops, four of which were solos. Mitch Dunlap recorded the only interception for the Beavers and returned it 11 yards.
Bluffton will play its 2008 home opener on September 27 vs. the Hornets of Kalamazoo College. Kickoff at Salzman Stadium is scheduled for 1:30 pm. The Beavers then host their homecoming contest the following week (10/4/08) vs. Mt. St. Joseph. Adrian travels to Painesville, Ohio, to play Lake Erie on September 27 at 1 p.m.
