The first half of Franklin College's football season featured some high-wire offensive showdowns.
On Saturday, it was the defense's turn to save the day for the Grizzlies.
Franklin kept Manchester's offense in check all afternoon long, keying a solid 19-7 road win.
"This one turned out to be quite the defensive struggle," Griz coach
Mike Leonard said. "Our defense nearly pitched a shutout, so we are very proud of their efforts. Offensively, we just needed to finish off drives. But it's always good to win."
The Grizzlies (2-4, 1-2 HCAC) turned the ball over on downs on their first four possessions, including one at the Spartans' 3-yard line. But the Franklin defense held steady, getting stops on four straight stops and coming up with a takeaway on downs with 2:24 remaining.
That stop set up the lone scoring drive of the first half. Quarterback
Marshall Kmiecik led the team on a 67-yard touchdown march, converting a third and long situation with a 20-yard strike to
Owen Wright and giving the Griz the lead on a 26-yard TD throw over the middle to
Isaiah Miller. That strike came with 55 seconds on the clock and gave the visitors a 6-0 halftime edge.
Franklin took the lead on its first drive of the third period, with Kmiecik hitting
Jared Brooks for a 36-yard touchdown. Manchester got on the board early in the fourth quarter to get back within six, but the Grizzlies responded with a touchdown less than two minutes later to regain command. The drive covered 65 yards in just four plays, capped off by a 6-yard toss from Kmiecik to
Brayden Wilkins with 12:31 remaining.
The defense did the rest, making a stop at the Griz 12-yard line with 2:57 left.
Jackson Haston made 10 tackles to lead the way for that unit, while
Brayden Baker added eight stops and three pass breakups.
Gabe Folco registered a pair of quarterback sacks.
Offensively, Kmiecik completed 30 of 45 passes for exactly 400 yards. He had a pair of 100-yard receivers, with Wright gaining 146 yards on seven grabs and Miller catching eight passes for 102 and a score. Wilkins also made eight grabs, totaling 75 yards.
Another HCAC road test awaits the Grizzlies this coming Saturday, a road trip to Bluffton.
