Rupp sets career touchdown record as Grizzlies win
Franklin’s football team traveled to Cincinnati on Saturday and beat the College of Mount St. Joseph, 40-35. The win improved the Grizzlies to 6-1 (4-0 HCAC), securing their second place raking in the HCAC, while the Lions dropped to 4-3 (2-3 HCAC).
The Grizzlies also popped back into d3football.com's Top 25 poll at No. 24. The Grizzlies fell out of the rankings after the loss to Trine University earlier this year.
The victory was the second opponents’ homecoming in a row for the Grizzlies, and the third Homecoming – including their own – victory in a row.
Senior Chad Rupp broke the Franklin College record for career touchdowns thrown, which previously stood at 79 by Reece Mann, who played from 1987-1990. Rupp’s three touchdown passes on the day gives him 81 total, 23 so far this season. The record-breaker went for seven yards to senior Logan Deffner with four minutes left in the second quarter.
Rupp completed 19 passes on 29 attempts for 294 yards and one interception. Senior Jon-Erik Bennett added to Franklin’s offensive production with 100 rushing yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. He lost one fumble.
Mount St. Joseph’s Vince Palmer threw for 232 yards and four touchdowns on a 17-of-32 effort. Jake Davis led the Lions in rushing with 93 yards on 23 carries. Tyrone Jones ran for 61 yards on 13 carries
Franklin’s defense intercepted three passes, including one by junior Chris Bodigon on the last play of the game, which prevented the Lions from completing their comeback attempt. Seniors Roshawn Hill and Scott Martin had the first two picks.
The Grizzlies scored on each offensive possession of the first half except the last, which consisted of one running play as they allowed the clock to expire. The Lions, on the other hand, did not find themselves on the scoreboard until it read 0:47 in the second quarter.
Following a defensive stop, junior Machy Magdalinos drew first blood by kicking a 41-yard fieldgoal.
Scott Martin ended the next Mount St. Joseph possession after just three plays with the first interception of the day. He returned it 11 yards to the Lions’ 29-yard-line to set up the first Grizzly touchdown.
It took the Grizzlies just three plays, as Rupp hooked up with fellow senior Tony Gregory for eight yards to find the endzone and a 10-0 early lead.
The Lions were forced to punt on each of their next three possessions, one of which was a three-and-out.
In that time, Magdalinos kicked his second field goal of the day, this time from 26 yards out. Bennett rushed for a one-yard touchdown to finish off a 68-yard drive. Although, Magdalinos missed the point after. And Rupp threw his record 81st touchdown pass to Deffner, which completed a 9-play, 63-yard drive. Franklin led 26-0 with 3:59 left in the second quarter.
The Lion’s gained some momentum, though, by putting together an 11 play, 81-yard drive which ended with a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Vince Palmer to Scott Shear.
Franklin allowed the 47 seconds remaining on the clock to tick away with just one running play, before taking the 26-7 lead into halftime.
The second half with a bang as the Lions gambled and lost. A failed onside kick attempt gave the Grizzlies the ball on the Mount St Joseph 43-yard-line.
It took just one play – a run by Bennett – for Franklin to punch it in for a score. Bennett’s touchdown game Franklin a 33-7 lead.
Franklin’s defense, assisted by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, forced a three-and-out in Mount St. Joseph’s first possession of the second half.
Franklin’s domination would end here, though. The Grizzlies were forced to punt on their next possession. The Lions then drove 80 yards in 11 plays and Palmer threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Tim Meiner.
Four plays from scrimmage later, Mount St. Joseph’s Phil Poetter picked off a Rupp pass and returned it 14 yards for the second Mount St. Joseph touchdown in less than two minutes. The score brought the Lions to within 33-21.
It took the Grizzly offense just one play – and a 15-yard pass interference call – to answer with a touchdown of its own, though. Rupp connected with senior Kevin Lynch for the 78-yard score to make it 40-21.
Roshawn Hill intercepted a Palmer pass on the next Lions possession, but the Lions would not quit.
Lions defender Randall Mitchell forced a Bennett fumble, which Rocky Siegel recovered to put the ball back in the hands of the lions to start the fourth quarter.
The Lions offense drove the ball 40 yards on seven plays to score, despite two holding penalties. Derick Tabar caught a 32-yard Palmer pass for a big chunk of the drive and the score, which cut the deficit to 12.
One rushing first down by Bennett would be all the Grizzlies could muster on the next drive before being forced to punt with just over 10 minutes left.
The Lions took advantage, but not quickly. Three passes of 15 yards or more anchored the 6:05 drive, which went 85 yards in 16 plays. The scoreboard read 40-35 with 3:55 remaining.
The second onside kick of the game by the Lions also failed, giving the Grizzlies the ball at the Mount St. Joseph 44-yard-line.
Two runs by Bennett for a combined nine yards and a one-yard run by Rupp gave the Grizzlies a first down, which the clock to be drained even further.
But following an incomplete pass on fourth down, the Grizzlies turned the ball over on downs, giving it back to the Lions with seven seconds remaining.
Mount St. Joseph’s last hope was crushed when Bodigon intercepted Palmer's pass as time expired.
The Grizzly offense gained a total of 430 yards, 294 passing and 136 rushing. The Lions gained 407 total yards, 153 rushing and 254 passing. They earned 25 first downs, to Franklin’s 18.
Lynch led the Grizzlies in receiving with 89 yards on three catches, with a touchdown. Junior Adam Mellencamp had 57 on two. Tabar led the Lions with 135 yards on seven catches with a touchdown. Meiner had 69 on five.
Sophomore Nick Cochran led the grizzly defense in tackles with 15, eight solo. Seniors Dan McManus and Jamison Foley each had nine tackles. McManus and fellow senior Joe White each had a sack.
"We knew that they were going to come out and and try to run the ball on us. And I thought we did an alright job,at the beginning, of shutting it down," said McManus.
"We were clicking in the first quarter, its just that ... we kind of got relaxed, a little bit lazy maybe."
Also, according to McManus, the no huddle offense run by the Lions may have caused some confusion, since they have not seen much of it this season.
Rocky Siegel led the Lions defense with nine tackles, four of which were solo. Nick Yahl had eight and Alex Harbin had seven.
Next, the Grizzlies take on the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, which currently clings to first place in the HCAC at 5-0 (7-1 overall).
"This is going to be for the conference championship," McManus said.
"If we shut down the running game, than I think that the defense will have success and I know the offense will be able to take care of themselves.
