When: Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Terre Haute, Ind. – Cook Stadium
On the Radio: Listen live to Bluffton University football on WDOH 107.1 FM.
The Bluffton University football team travels to Rose-Hulman for the first of back-to-back Heartland Conference contests on Saturday, October 25, 2008. Rose-Hulman is currently 6-1 and 4-0 in the conference, while the Beavers stand 1-5 with a 0-3 mark in the HCAC.
Head Coach Tyson Veidt made his debut on the Bluffton sidelines in the Beavers’ 2008 opener at Alma College. Despite taking over the reins just nine 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.
Steve Englehart is currently in his third season as head football coach at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Englehart led the Engineers to their best season since 1994 last fall. The team’s 10 all-league selections included Defensive Player of the Year Paul Spreen, and Englehart’s teams have compiled a record of 13-7 in his two seasons. Englehart, entering his seventh season on the Fightin’ Engineer coaching staff, served as the team’s offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator from 2003-05. Rose-Hulman compiled a 14-16 record during those three seasons.
Bluffton and Rose-Hulman will lock horns for just the fifth time in the history of the two schools. The Engineers are a perfect 4-0, including a pair of close contests the past two seasons since Rose joined the Heartland Conference. The Beavers fell to RHIT by a 21-14 count on the road a year ago.
The Bluffton University football team was driving for a go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter when a Manchester interception helped the Spartans to a 17-7 victory over the Beavers on Saturday, Oct. 18
Following two straight Bluffton three-and-outs to open the contest, Manchester fashioned a nine-play, 58-yard scoring drive that Brandon Wells completed with a one-yard touchdown run late in the first period. Spartan quarterback Caleb Grimes completed four passes on the drive for 56 passes, setting up the Wells plunge into the end zone.
Bluffton’s Mitch Agner picked off Grimes early in the second stanza and Kyle Rode (Delphos/Jefferson) forced a Wells fumble on the Spartan’s ensuing possession, giving the Beavers great field position at the visitor’s 27-yard line. A 21-yard fade to Ross Shoup set up Bluffton at the one. Six plays later on fourth and goal, junior Brock Miller took it in himself to knot the game at seven with 5:23 to play in the half.
The Beavers took over at the home 12-yard line following a Grimes punt with 13:50 to play in the game. Bluffton picked up three first downs, including a 39-yard Miller to Andrew Lovelace on the Bluffton sideline. Joel Sienicki hauled in an 11-yard strike from Miller over the middle before Trent Weisser picked Bluffton off at the Manchester 25-yard line and took it back 44 yards to the home 31 at the 8:43 mark of the fourth quarter.
It took the Spartans just five plays and 1:45 to make it 17-7 when Wells took it in from six yards out for his second score of the contest. The Beavers were unable to pick up a first down on their final two touches of the game.
Manchester picked up 19 first downs on the afternoon, compared to 11 for the home team. Bluffton went for 215 yards, including 175 through the air. The Spartans finished with 323 yards of total offense, including 183 on the ground. Bluffton struggled to move the chains on third down, going 3-of-15, while Manchester converted on 7-of-13 chances and went 3-for-4 on red zone opportunities.
Miller went 13-of-24 for 159 yards and his primary target was Drew Lovelace who hauled in four receptions for 79 yards. Shoup added three catches for 40 yards.
Former quarterback Kyle Coleman led the Beavers with nine tackles, including six solos. Brandon Herr and Mitch Agner added eight stops. Freshman Geoff Yost chipped in with two tackles for a loss. Jordan Achterman and Kyle Rode added seven tackles each.
Rose-Hulman 28, Defiance 21
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology improved to 6-1 on the season and remains in first place in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings with a 28-21 victory at Defiance College on Saturday.
Junior Derek Eitel led the Rose-Hulman offense with 236 yards passing on 17-29 through the air with two touchdowns. Junior Calvin Bueltel added his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game with 128 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
Senior Nate Richter became the seventh wide receiver in school history to cross 100 catches in his career with six receptions for 57 yards and one score. Sophomore Reed Eason pitched in with a touchdown catch, with freshman Sutton Coleman adding a 61-yard reception.
Senior Bryan Wong led the Engineer defense with 12 tackles in his first college start at linebacker. Sophomore Robby Alumbaugh and senior Paul Spreen each contributed eight tackles in the contest.
Freshman Jason Johnson leads Bluffton with 158 yards rushing on 52 carries. Zac Lauck ranks number two for the Beavers with 94 yards of rushing. On the outside, Drew Lovelace leads the Beavers with 197 yards receiving on 12 receptions. Senior tight end Joel Sienicki also has 10 catches for 131 yards. Dan Chipka and Antwane Miller both have touchdown receptions for the Beavers this season. Junior quarterback Brock Miller is 64-of-138 for 634 yards and two touchdowns.
Freshman Steven Sealscott has a team-high 38 stops through the first four games with two breakups and a forced fumble. Senior Kyle Rode has 5 TFL’s while junior Jordan Achterman has chipped in with 5 TFL’s for a loss of 22 yards and two breakups. Sophomore Mitch Dunlap has two picks and three breakups on the season. Brandon Herr and Seaslscott are tied for team-high honors with 21 solo tackles.
Bluffton will travel to Anderson for a Heartland Conference clash with Anderson University on Saturday, Nov. 1. The contest is slated to start at 1:30 p.m. Rose-Hulman goes to the road for a battle with HCAC heavyweight Franklin College on Nov. 1.
