By Evan Skilliter, sports information assistant
Stats http://www.bluffton.edu/sports/football/2012/09-08-12.htm
The Bluffton University football team traveled to Berea on Saturday, Sept. 8, to take on the 17th ranked Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets in a non-conference matchup. The Beavers (1-1) struggled against a Yellow Jacket team that finished 8-2 a year ago, falling to the hosts 45-13 in Balwin-Wallace’s season opener.
B-W opened the scoring with 5:01 remaining in the first quarter on a 26-yard field goal from kicker Chris Mohler. The Yellow Jackets went on to score 38 unanswered points before Bluffton finally got on the board in the fourth quarter when Tyler Wright (Troy) connected with Shawn Frost (Edison/Mt. Gilead) for a 30-yard touchdown pass. Josh Mattoon’s (Rawson/Cory-Rawson) extra-point attempt was good to make the score 38-7 in favor of the home team.
Three minutes later, Nick Sheehan (Monroeville Ind./Heritage) found Drake Harrington (West Boomfield, Mich.) in the end zone for a nine-yard scoring strike, making the score 38-13, but that would be the last Beaver score of the game. Baldwin-Wallace tacked on a late touchdown to make the final 45-13.
Wright led the Beaver offense for the day, racking up 119 yards passing and one touchdown while connecting on 11-of-22 passes. He also rushed for 16 yards on nine carries. Freshman Calib Alexander (Ocala, Fla./St. John Lutheran) spearheaded the Bluffton rushing attack, carrying the ball seven times for 71 yards. Frost led the Beavers in receiving for the second straight week, hauling in five catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Josh Runda (Lima/Bath) paced the Beaver defense with eight tackles, two of which were solo. Ben Kaufman (Ottawa-Glandorf) and Preston Huddleston (Benton Harbor, Mich./Eau Claire) added seven and six tackles, respectively.
Baldwin-Wallace racked up 460 yards on the afternoon, while the Beavers managed just 244. The home team converted on 6-of-13 third down tries and was successful on all five trips into the red zone.
The Beavers will be back in action next Saturday, Sept. 15, in their HCAC opener at Earlham College. On September 22, Bluffton will host Mount St. Joseph at 1:30 p.m.
