FRANKLIN, Ind. – The Franklin College football team kicked off Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) play on Saturday (Oct. 2) with a matchup against the Manchester Spartans on a wet day at Faught Stadium.

The two teams needed more than 60 minutes to decide a winner, where the Spartans (1-3, 1-0 HCAC) converted in overtime to deal the Grizzlies (2-2, 0-1 HCAC) a 27-24 defeat.

How it Happened
The Grizzlies came out swinging and put points on the board on the game's first drive. Jarrett Gibson set the tone with a long kick return and Elijah Corwin hauled in a 31-yard pass from Dane Andrews to stake the home side to a 7-0 lead. But that was the only time in the first half that the Grizzlies would put points up in the opening half, with three turnovers playing a key role in the Spartans taking a 16-7 lead into the break.

The Grizzlies forced a three-and-out to open the second half and the offense answered with a six-play, 54-yard scoring drive capped by a six-yard strike from Andrews to Gibson to make it 16-14. That was the start of a 17-point third quarter with Derek Baldin adding a field goal and Garrett Cora running one in late in the period to make it 24-16 after three quarters.

However, the Grizzlies were unable to build on the momentum of a great third quarter and a fourth turnover set up a short field for Manchester that led to the game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion. The Spartans completed the comeback on the second possession of overtime with a 49-yard field goal to end it.

Inside the Box Score
-Franklin's defense caused havoc for the Spartans' offense all afternoon, holding Manchester to just 172 yards of total offense. It was the first time since Nov. 7, 2015 against Defiance that Franklin's defense held an opponent to under 200 yards of total offense and fewer than 150 passing yards.
-Sophomore Jireh Ojata had a career-high seven tackles and his 2.5 sacks also set a new career-best. Franklin's pass rushers finished the day with six total sacks and had 14 tackles for loss.
-Andrews finished with 226 yards passing, going 22-for-47 with two touchdowns and an interception. Gibson was his favorite target on the day, catching nine passes for 65 yards and a score. It marked the third straight game with nine grabs for the junior wideout.
-The league's least penalized team coming into the day, Franklin was whistled for 10 penalties totaling 114 yards. The two teams combined for 18 total infractions and more than 150 yards in penalties.
-Baldin's third quarter field goal were the first points of his career after he connected from 38 yards out. It was the longest field goal by a Grizzly kicker since Carter Brown connected from the same distance back in 2018.

Up Next
The Grizzlies are on the road next Saturday (Oct. 9) afternoon, traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio for a matchup with the Mount St. Joseph Lions. Kick-off is set for 1:30 p.m.