GRIZZLIES SET TO TACKLE BEAVERS
Franklin football plays its final road game of the 2026 season on Saturday afternoon when it takes on HCAC rival Bluffton. The Grizzlies lead the all-time series 23-7 and have won 12 of the last 13 meetings, including a heart-stopping 59-57 home triumph in triple overtime last fall. The Beavers defended their home turf with a 28-22 victory in 2024.

YOU SHALL NOT PASS
The Griz defense stepped into the spotlight last week in a 19-7 victory at Manchester, stopping the Spartans on downs four times in Franklin territory. Two of those stops came in the fourth quarter, including one on the 12-yard line with 2:57 remaining. Jackson Haston made a team-high 10 tackles in the win, while defensive linemen Ethan Hochstetler, Nash Stroud, Seth Rindfuss and Gabe Folco combined for 6.5 tackles for loss. Folco registered a pair of quarterback sacks.

THE 400 CLUB
Quarterback Marshall Kmiecik put up his third consecutive 400-yard passing game, hitting that number on the nose last week against the Spartans while completing 30 of 45 passes and hitting for three touchdowns. The junior can become the 15th quarterback in Franklin history to throw for 5,000 career yards with 245 more on Saturday.

IN GOOD HANDS
Receivers Owen Wright (seven receptions for 146 yards) and Isaiah Miller (eight for 102) both hit the 100-yard mark for the second straight week. The two both rank in the HCAC's top five in receptions, with Miller fourth at 33 and Wright just behind at 31; Wright is second in the league in receiving yardage with 583. Fellow Griz wideouts Noah Lien and Brayden Wilkins also rank among the top 20 in the conference in both categories.

HOME COOKIN'
Franklin's final three games of the season will all be at Faught Stadium, starting with an OAC crossover matchup against Muskingum on Halloween. Anderson comes to town on Nov. 7, followed by the annual Victory Bell battle against Hanover on Nov. 14. All three contests will kick off at 1:30 p.m.

AROUND THE HCAC
The league's top two teams square off Saturday afternoon when Rose-Hulman travels to Hanover; both are currently 2-0 in HCAC play. Manchester plays at Mount St. Joseph, while Anderson steps out of conference to visit Capital.