The Bluffton University football team traveled down I-75 today to take on conference foe Mount St. Joseph on Saturday. The MSJ defense was too much for the Beavers in a 38-14 victory that kept the Lions unbeaten (6-0, 4-0 HCAC) on the year.

The home team would get on the scoreboard first when Cornell Beachem rushed for a 62-yard touchdown to put MSJ up 7-0 with 7:07 left in the first quarter.

The Mount would score three more times in the first half, making the score 28-0 at the break. Bluffton finally dented the scoreboard when Dylan Shaffer (Shelby) took it in from 1 yard out to make the score 31-7 in favor of the Lions.

The Beavers hit paydirt one more time when Ryan Markoff (Centerville/Valparasio University) hauled in a 9-yard strike from Zachary Nobis (Bryan) to make the score 31-14. MSJ tacked on seven more points to seal the 38-14 victory for the Lions.

Bluffton totaled 236 yards of offense with 183 yards passing and 53 yards on the ground. Samuel Coleman (Troy/Wilmington) and Nobis would combine to go 20-of-38 for 183 yards and a touchdown on the day. Rash led all Beaver rushers with 22 total yards on the ground. Kais Chiles (Wapakoneta) topped the Bluffton receivers with 47 yards on the afternoon.

MSJ put up 483 total yards of offense, including 198 on the ground, and 285 yards in the passing attack. Bluffton struggled on third down, going just 3-of-14, while the Lions were 4-of-7. The Beavers would lead in time of possession with just over 33 minutes.

Junior Leondre Dean (Cincinnati/Withrow) led the Beaver defense with 10 tackles. Sophomore Louden Saulbeamer (Dayton/Troy Christian) checked in with nine of his own and two pass breakups for the visitors.

Bluffton is back in action Saturday, Oct. 26, when the Beavers host Anderson University in a Heartland Conference clash. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at Alumni Field.