The Bluffton University football team went up 18-0 and made that lead hold up in a 32-20 victory at Anderson University on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. Bluffton improved to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the Heartland Conference, while the Ravens had their Homecoming ruined as they stayed winless at 0-5 and 0-2 in the HCAC.
Bluffton set the tone with a 97-yard kickoff return by Stephan Kosakowski (Cleveland/Benedictine). Fellow senior Zachary Nobis (Bryan) put the Beavers up with his one-yard plunge and when Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start) connected with Brady Hauenstein (Findlay/Columbus Grove) for a two-point conversion, the score was 8-0 less than 30 seconds into the game.
Baumgartner split the uprights from 25 yards out for a 11-0 lead before a hook and ladder caught Anderson off guard at the 11:16 mark of the second quarter. Nobis hit Andre Price Jr. (Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) who gave it up for Maalik Tucker (Fostoria) and the junior running back did the rest, racing 58 yards for an 18-0 Bluffton advantage. The Ravens cut their deficit to 18-7 at the midway point when Tyson Harley found Caleb Brown for an 18-yard pitch and catch at the 1:32 mark of the opening half.
A 46-yard TD toss from Nobis to Laurenz Johnson (Huber Heights/Wayne) pushed the spread to 25-7 at the 7:34 mark of the third quarter. Harley engineered two more Raven touchdown drives before Montez Archer Jr. (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) quashed Anderson's hopes with a 66-yard kickoff return that he took to the house with 8:10 to play. Bluffton's second huge return of the day made the final score 32-20 in favor of the visitors.
Tucker ran the ball 11 times for 80 yards and he added the trick-play touchdown. Johnson caught three balls for 81 yards and a score. Nobis completes 18-of-34 for 223 yards and two touchdowns.
Davon Wooden (Columbus/Beechcroft) and Tyler Davis (Rittman) paced the defense with nine and seven stops, respectively. Nick Perry (Northwood, Ohio / Lake) and Louden Saulbeamer (Dayton/Troy Christian) chipped in with six tackles apiece.
Anderson moved the chains 34 times, compared to 15 first downs for the Beavers. The Ravens finished with a 409-346 edge in total yards. Bluffton put up 123 yards on the ground. The home team converted 10-of-21 on third downs, compared to 4-of-13 for the Beavers.
Bluffton will hit the road again on Saturday, Oct. 16, when the Beavers travel to Franklin College. Kickoff with the Grizzlies is slated for 1:30 p.m.
