Everything came up roses for the Bluffton University football team on Senior Day as the Beavers walloped Manchester 31-7 on a beautiful Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. Bluffton improved to 3-6 overall and 2-4 in the Heartland Conference, while the Spartans dipped to 2-7 and 2-4 in the HCAC.

The Spartans were 29 seconds away from going scoreless when they avoided the shutout with a two-yard touchdown pass that made the final score 31-7.

A 37-yard Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start) field goal midway through the opening stanza capped a 9-play 68-yard drive that used up 4:31 and made the score 3-0. Bluffton managed just six yards on its next touch before putting together back-to-back touchdowns in the second quarter. It was Rine to Dine from 10 yards out at the 10:37 mark, capping a seven-play 80-yard drive that was ignited by a 29-yard toss to Laurenz Johnson (Huber Heights/Wayne). Freshman Blake Rine (Heath, Ohio/Granville) hit sophomore Ethan Beringer (Findlay/Carey) for a 35-yard scoring strike with less than two minutes to play in the first half as Bluffton took a commanding 17-0 lead at the break.

Johnson collected his payout early in the third quarter when he was on the receiving end of a 16-yard Dine touchdown toss. Senior Zachary Nobis (Bryan) got in on the touchdown action in his final home game when he hit Chris Mclaurin with a 6-yard shovel pass that the freshman tight end rammed across the goal line.

Rine completed 19-of-25 for 250 yards and three touchdowns in his finest game as a Beaver. Beringer and Zane Dine (Marion/Pleasant) both hauled in six receptions with a touchdown apiece. Johnson had five catches for 60 yards and a score while Mclaurin chipped in with Bluffton's final TD reception of the day.

Todd King Jr. (Springfield) and Maalik Tucker (Fostoria) both rushed for 40 yards, while freshman Kainan Stoner (Belle Center/Benjamin Logan) picked up 37 yards on the ground.

Senior Stephan Kosakowski (Cleveland/Benedictine) spearheaded the defense with eight tackles and a breakup. Dana Shoulders II (Mansfield/Lexington) stuffed the Spartans with six solo stops, two TFL's and a sack fumble. Davon Wooden (Columbus/Beechcroft) and Louden Saulbeamer (Dayton/Troy Christian) both chipped in with five tackles.

Bluffton piled up a season-high 415 yards, including 293 through the air. The Beavers limited Manchester to just 286 total yards. The home team finished with 19 first downs and converted 6-of-14 third down opportunities. Bluffton went 4-of-4 on red-zone chances, with three red-zone touchdowns to its credit. 

Bluffton will wrap up its 2021 fall campaign with a short trip to rival Defiance College on Saturday, Nov. 13.