FRANKLIN – The Franklin College football team closed out non-conference play on Saturday (Sept. 28) afternoon, hosting the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops on a wet and rainy homecoming Saturday at Faught Stadium.
 
The Grizzlies (1-3) will take momentum into conference play, after they put together their best performance of the season and shut out the Battling Bishops (2-2) in the second half en route to a 27-14 victory.
 
How it Happened
Franklin opened the scoring with a field goal on the game's first drive, but handed the lead right to the Battling Bishops on the ensuing kickoff, which Ohio Wesleyan ran back for a score. Franklin would re-take the lead in the second quarter, with Owen Wright hauling in a ridiculous catch on a 4^th-and-6 from the Ohio Wesleyan 13-yard line.
 
But for the second time in the first half, Ohio Wesleyan answered Franklin's score with a touchdown of their own, and the teams headed into the break with Ohio Wesleyan leading, 14-10.
 
Both offenses sputtered to start the second half before good fortune found the Grizzlies late in the third quarter. Braden McGowan fell on a muffed Ohio Wesleyan punt at the Bishop's 14-yard line and five plays later, Garrett Cora barreled in from seven yards out to put the Grizzlies back in front, 17-14.
 
Dakota Foerg added his second field goal of the game to cap a 12-play drive to start the fourth quarter. Franklin's defense came through in a big way in stuffing each of OWU's next two drives and Cora put the finishing touches on the win with a 28-yard rushing score with 1:41 to play, moving the senior running into a tie for the most rushing touchdowns in program history with 32.
 
Inside the Box Score
-The Grizzlies finished with 405 yards of offense while holding Ohio Wesleyan to 190 yards on the day.
-Franklin held the ball for 35:25 and finished a perfect 4-for-4 in red zone scoring trips.
-Cora finished with 186 yards and a pair of scores on 34 rushing attempts.
-Kai Ross went 14-for-26 for 207 yards with a touchdown and an interception through the air.
-Wright had five grabs for 87 yards and a score, with Deundre Kirby adding three catches for 55 yards.
-Keegan O'Neill had a team-high seven tackles and broke up two passes.
-Brock Thurman led the team with two tackles for loss and recorded the first sack of his season.
-Kahari Jackson finished with a pair of interceptions, recording both with the Battling Bishops moving the ball down the field.
 
Up Next
Franklin begins Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) play next Saturday (Oct. 5), traveling to Terre Haute, Ind. for a meeting with Rose-Hulman. Kick-off is set for 1:30 p.m.