Watch Live | Live Stats | Game Notes (PDF)
The Opening Kick
Franklin heads back out on the road on Saturday for the first of two straight games away from home. The Grizzlies will make their lone trip to Ohio this spring for a matchup with the Bluffton Beavers.
Last Time Out
The Grizzlies hosted Mount St. Joseph a week ago and saw their unbeaten spring come to an end at the hands of a potent Lion offense, 56-19. Freshman running back
Derek Thompson recorded his second straight 100-yard game and
Ryan Pooled hauled in his first touchdown of the year for the FC offense.
About the Beavers
Bluffton is coming off their first loss of the year a week ago, a thrilling 51-44 shootout with Hanover College. Junior quarterback Zach Nobis leads the offense with eight TD passes against just one interception in four games. Senior Darian Greeley leads the team in rushing at 143.8 yards per game while junior Ryan Markoff and sophomore SaCari Reese are tied for the team lead with two touchdown catches each.
On defense, freshman cornerback Montez Archer Jr. has been a sensation, recording 22 tackles and a league leading six interceptions. Archer also heads up the Bluffton return game, amassing 484 all-purpose yards.
Grizzlies and Beavers All-Time
Franklin leads the all-time series 18-6 and have won each of the last seven matchups. Bluffton's last series win came back in 2013 with a 24-17 win on their home turf.
Franklin took both matchups between the sides in 2019, winning 34-19 on Sept. 21 and 10-0 on Nov. 9. Both games were at Bluffton.
Ground and Pound
The Franklin run game continues to produce, ranking fourth in the conference with an average of 221 yards per game on the ground. Thompson currently ranks fourth among all ball carries in the conference with his 132.7 yards per contest and four rushing scores.
Turnover Chain
Franklin's defense has shown a knack for the big play, in all three games. Entering this week, the Grizzlies are tied for the league league in sacks, matching the 10 accumulated by Rose-Hulman. Franklin's defense has also picked off eight passes, a number that ranks second in the conference behind Bluffton. In addition, eight different Grizzlies have recorded picks this season, with six players notching their first career INTs this spring.
Around the HCAC
Saturday features a full slate of games across the league with three other games going on in addition to the Grizzlies and Beavers
Manchester at Anderson, 1:30 PM
Rose-Hulman at Hanover, 2 PM
Defiance at Mount St. Joseph, 4 PM
Follow the Action Live
Saturday's game will be streamed live on by the Bluffton athletics department. Live stats for the game will also be provided by Bluffton and links for both the video and stats feeds can be found on our website, franklingrizzlies.com. In-game updates will be provided by following the Grizzlies on Twitter @FCGrizAthletics.
