The Matchup
When: Saturday, October 15, 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 (2-3, 1-0) bounced back after two consecutive losses to dismantle the Manchester College Spartans (1-4, 0-1) by a score of 59-7 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener for both teams on October 1, 2005. Anderson University stands at 3-1, 1-0 following a come from behind victory at Franklin on October 1. The Ravens will host Defiance College on Oct. 8 before traveling to Salzman Stadium to take part in the 2005 Bluffton University Homecoming game.
The Head Coaches
Head coach Greg Brooks enters his third year at the helm of the Bluffton University football team. Brooks’ teams have collected nine wins during his tenure as head coach of the Beavers. Prior to assuming the head coaching duties at Bluffton, Brooks was the quarterbacks’ coach and offensive coordinator for the Beavers.
The Ravens are led by Jeff Judge who is entering his third season as the head coach at Anderson. Judge has led his Raven teams to a 9-4 record in HCAC play. He is a 1987 graduate of Iowa State and he completed his graduate work at Purdue with a Master’s degree in Sports Administration. Before taking over the reins at Anderson, Judge served as the Offensive Coordinator and Defensive Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Bluffton-Anderson Series History
Bluffton holds a 17-13 advantage in the all-time series with Anderson. The Beavers defeated the Ravens in 2004 by a score of 24-17 at Macholz Stadium.
Last Week for the Beavers and Ravens
Bluffton traveled to North Manchester, Indiana on Oct. 1 and dominated the Spartans by a score of 59-7. Their 45 first-half points broke the previous record of 44 set at the expense of Wilmington in 1990. The Beavers placed nine individuals in the scoring column and they were led in point production by HCAC special teams’ player-of-the-week Seth Burkholder who contributed 11 points, including 8-8 on PAT attempts and a 34-yard field goal. Senior running back Ben Dodds also earned HCAC player-of-the-week honors for his 152 yard rushing performance. The Beaver offense put up a monster day as it finished with 377 total yards, 297 of which came on the ground. The defense and special teams set up many of the Bluffton scores as the Spartans turned the ball over six times and Burkholder pinned Manchester deep in its own territory numerous times. Linebacker Sam McCullough returned a blocked punt for a touchdown and safety Taylor Iceman took an interception back 42 yards to close the Beaver scoring at Manchester.
Anderson fell behind Franklin 17-0 on Oct. 1 before they rallied for a 24-23 victory over the Grizzlies at Red Faught Stadium. Anderson rolled up 497 yards of total offense, including 306 passing yards, while they kept the Franklin defense on the field for over 35 minutes. Wide receiver Hyman Smith led the Raven scoring as he caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Chris McKee and scampered 11 yards for another touchdown on the ground. HCAC Athlete-of-the-month Denny Kimmel had another outstanding day as he went for 117 yards on 32 carries. It marked the fourth consecutive game he has broken the century mark this season. Linebacker Jonathon Powers led Anderson with 13 tackles, including two that went for lost yardage. Wyatt Geyer added eight tackles, two sacks and two pass breakups from the defensive line.
Last Season’s Contest
Bluffton defeated the Ravens 24-17 on the road as they opened HCAC play by winning their first two games to go 4-2. Running back Ben Dodds led the offense for Bluffton as he rushed for 102 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Tim Koontz completed three passes for 75 yards, including a 57-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Leon Payne. Jeremy Anderson led the Bluffton defense with ten tackles, one fumble recovery and one pass deflection. Seth Burkholder kicked a 39-yard field goal to help the Beavers defeat Anderson.
The Ravens picked up 457 total yards but they were hindered by five turnovers. Bluffton held standout running back Denny Kimmel to 28 yards on 10 carries. It was through the air that Anderson did most of its damage. Clifton Jones caught eight passes for 183 yards while teammate Hyman Smith picked up 129 yards on 10 receptions. Three interceptions thrown by Anderson helped the Beavers knock off their HCAC rival.
Leading the Beavers
Senior Ben Dodds leads the Bluffton rushing attack with 104 carries for 635 yards and five touchdowns through the first five games. Junior fullback Ben McCullough has gained 207 yards on 43 carries while reaching the end zone three times. Quarterback Jared Owens has completed 39 passes for 419 yards and three touchdowns while finding the end zone three times on the ground. One of his favorite targets has been tight end Jeremy Haselman who has hauled in eight receptions for 103 yards and one touchdown.
Sophomore linebacker Sam McCullough leads the Beaver defense with 49 tackles (19 solos, 30 assists), including 6 TFL’s for a total loss of 19 yards. Sophomore safety Taylor Iceman and junior cornerback Jeremy Anderson have both picked off three passes this year. Senior defensive tackle Rashid Morton and freshman defensive end Kyle Rode lead the Beavers with three sacks apiece.
Next up for the Beavers and Ravens
Bluffton will travel to Hanover College on Saturday, October 22 to face the Panthers. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Anderson hosts Thomas More on October 22. The game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
