By Takayla Gadberry, sports information alumna

The Bluffton University football team dropped a 48-20 decision to Rose-Hulman on Saturday, Oct. 15. The Beavers dropped to 0-6 overall (0-3 HCAC) while the Engineers improved to 3-3 (3-0 HCAC).

Rose-Hulman took a 14-0 lead just 22 seconds into the game with a kickoff return to the endzone and a pick-6. The Engineers would put 14 more on the board for a commanding 28-0 spread with 4:47 left in the first stanza. Bluffton finally hit paydirt when Blake Rine (Heath/Granville) connected with Chris Mclaurin (Bolton, MI/Clinton) to make the score 28-7 at the end of the first. One more Rose touchdown pushed their lead to 35-7 at the half.

The visitors came out firing in the third quarter, increasing their spread to 41-7. Maalik Tucker (Fostoria) found his way into the endzone with 0:34 left in the third, making it 41-14. Rose hit one more shot to the endzone (48-14) before an 11-yard pass from Bobby Bourke (Commerce, MI/Walled Lake Central/Albion) to Ethan Beringer (Findlay/Carey) would secure the final score at 48-20 in favor of the Engineers.

Rine went 11-of-20 for 155 yards and one touchdown, but he also tossed three interceptions. Bourke saw 7-of-17 completed for 79 yards, six points, and an interception. Tucker powered the run game with 96 yards on 14 attempts and a shot in the endzone. Kainan Stoner (Belle Center/Benjamin Logan) tallied 78 yards on 15 attempts. Beringer pulled down four catches for 70 yards with Andre Price Jr. (Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) adding four for 48 yards to his stat line.

Karl Foster (Detroit, MI/Denby) led the defense with 12 tackles. Nick Perry (Northwood/Lake) tallied seven takedowns with Alix Shorter (Ypsilanti, MI/Bellville) just one off his pace with six. Marvus McWright (Westland, MI/Lee M Thurston/Davenport) and Mitchell Young (Lodi/Black River) both were in on the Bluffton sack.

The Beavers totaled 424 yards of offense compared to 488 for the Engineers. The visiting team moved the chains 25 times while Bluffton was just off the pace with 22 first downs. The Beavers also hurt themselves 11 penalties for 93 yards while Rose tallied seven for 62 yards.

The Bluffton men are back in action on Saturday, Oct. 22, when they travel to Manchester University. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m.