The Franklin College Grizzlies had too much firepower for Bluffton on Saturday, Oct. 16, rolling to a 45-6 victory over the Beavers. Bluffton fell to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the Heartland Conference, while Franklin improved to 3-3 and 1-2 in the conference. 

Franklin drove 48 yards on its opening touch before Bluffton forced a 37-yard field goal, but it was all touchdowns after that as the Grizzlies led 24-0 at halftime and 45-0 with just under seven minutes to play. Sophomore standout Montez Archer Jr. (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) broke up the shutout with his second kickoff return for a touchdown in two weeks, however, Franklin collected its first HCAC win of the season with a 45-6 demolition on Saturday.

The home team moved the chains 26 times, compared to just eight for the Beavers. Franklin rolled up a 445-153 advantage in total yards, including 253-80 on the ground. Both teams struggled on the money down as Franklin had five third-down conversions, two more than Bluffton. 

Senior Stephan Kosakowski (Cleveland/Benedictine) and sophomore Stacey Littlejohn (Oberlin/Clearview) paced the Beaver defense with eight tackles apiece. Sophomore Deion Mensah (Leesburg, Fla.) chipped in with six stops for the Beavers.

Bluffton will be back on its home turf for a 1:30 p.m. meeting with Hanover College on Saturday, Oct. 23.