Bluffton looks to even its record when it hosts Adrian at Salzman Stadium
By Bill Hanefeld Jr., interim SID
September 19, 2005
The Matchup
When: Saturday, September 24, 2005 at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Bluffton, Ohio – Dwight Salzman Stadium
On the Radio: Listen live to Bluffton University football on WDOH 107.1 FM.
Bluffton University (1-2) dropped their home opener to Thiel College last week by a score of 42-0. Adrian College enters the contest at 2-0 on the season. The Bulldogs are coming off of a bye week after dropping Defiance College by a final tally of 37-0 on September 10.
The Head Coaches
Head coach Greg Brooks enters his third year at the helm of the Bluffton University football team. Brooks’ teams have garnered eight wins during his tenure as head coach of the Beavers.
The Bulldogs are led by Jim Lyall who has served as the head coach for the past 15 seasons. A 1974 University of Michigan graduate, Lyall is the all-time winningest coach for Adrian. His Bulldogs went 21-9 during the last three years and played for the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in each of those seasons.
Bluffton-Adrian Series History
Adrian holds a 9-3 advantage in the all-time series over Bluffton. The Bulldogs defeated Bluffton in 2004 by a score of 30-3 as they resumed their series for the first time since 1977.
Last Week for the Beavers and Bulldogs
The Beavers fell in their home opener to a tough Thiel squad by a final score of 42-0. Bluffton managed only 115 total yards of offense on the day. Senior tailback Ben Dodds went for 59 yards on the ground to lead the offense which struggled on third-down conversions as it picked up the first-down on only three of the 16 opportunities. Sophomore linebacker Sam McCullough led the Beavers with nine tackles and a forced fumble. Sophomore defensive back Ryan Christy also accumulated nine tackles on the day for Bluffton.
Adrian dominated Defiance College by a score of 37-0 on September 10. Sophomore wide receiver DJ Howard of Adrian returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown against the Yellow Jackets. Howard also caught nine balls for 119 yards on his way to being named to the D3football.com National Team of the Week. Running back Chris Clay rushed for 86 yards on 15 carries and four touchdowns. Led by All-Americans Mike Lewis and Taz Wallace, the Bulldog defense held Defiance to 87 totals yards of offense, setting a new school record for fewest yards allowed in a game.
Last Season’s Contest
The Beavers were defeated at Adrian 30-3 last season. Bluffton struggled offensively as it picked up only 109 total yards for the day. Running back Ben Dodds led the Beaver offense with 31 yards on the ground as Bluffton controlled the ball for only 23 minutes. Linebacker Sam McCullough led the Beaver defense with 18 tackles. Kicker Seth Burkholder put up the only points for Bluffton on the day when he kicked a field goal early in the second quarter.
Adrian quarterback Matt Peterson led a balanced Bulldog attack as he completed 22-38 passes for 283 yards. Chris Clay gained 111 yards on 21 carries as the Adrian offense put up 487 total yards of offense in their victory. Joe Musielewicz and Jon Servoss combined for 13 catches, 182 yards and two touchdowns.
Leading the Beavers
Senior Ben Dodds leads the Beaver rushing attack with 59 carries for 366 yards and four touchdowns through the first three games. Junior fullback Ben McCullough has gained 148 yards on 30 carries while reaching the end zone twice. Quarterback Jared Owens has thrown for 187 yards on 24 completions.
Sophomore linebacker Sam McCullough leads the Beaver defense with 29 tackles (12 solo, 17 assists), including 5 TFL’s for a total loss of 12 yards. Junior Tyler Schwab has racked up 4 TFL’s for a total loss of 30 yards.
Next up for the Beavers and Bulldogs
Bluffton will travel to Manchester College on Saturday, October 1 for their opening Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference contest of 2005. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Adrian will be at Albion College on October 1 with a 1:00 p.m. start.
