By: Colton Steiner
BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Bluffton Beaver football squad hosted the Albion College Britons with hopes of starting the season off with back-to-back wins. After a slow start from each team, Albion would find a groove and go up 29-3 heading into halftime. Despite trailing, the Beavers would show a new sense of resilience, scoring 29 unanswered to go up 32-29. Following a field goal from the Britons that forced overtime, the visitors would ride the momentum after the game-tying kick and wind up knocking off Bluffton by a final score of 45-39 in double OT. The Beavers slipped to 1-1, while Albion improved to 1-1 overall.
Bluffton would its their first drive of the game and cap off an eight-play, 59-yard drive with a Colton Yugovich 28-yard field goal, putting the Beavers up 3-0 early in the first quarter. The Britons answered with back-to-back field goals to end the quarter, before a 38-yard touchdown pass from Ali Murray to Alex Trudell put the visitors in the driver’s seat, 13-3. Bluffton fell behind 26-3 after two straight touchdown drives from Albion with 4:40 left in the first half. After Bluffton failed to answer offensively, the Britons would add a field before time expired to go into the break with a 29-3 lead on the Beavers.
Coming out of the second half, Bluffton would have a new sense of urgency, capping off a 47-yard drive with a 1-yard run from Tywuan Clark (Toledo/Central Catholic) after Albion fumbled the ball on the second half kickoff. The Beavers were not done as the momentum had shifted, and after another turnover from the Britons, Bluffton added another touchdown after Tywuan Clark found Niegel Payne (Detroit, Mich./River Rouge) in the endzone, cutting the deficit to 29-16. Despite missing the extra point, the Beavers would block the the punt on the following Albion drive, putting the score at 29-18 thanks to the safety as the ball bounded out the back of the end zone.
With 3:30 left, the hosts kept the offense chugging as Deontai Gholson (Trotwood/Trotwood-Madison) hauled in a 39-yard touchdow pass from Tywuan Clark to cut the deficit to a one-possession ballgame. As the two teams entered the fourth quarter, Bluffton regained the lead when Tywuan Clark connected with Jashawn Wyckoff (Cleveland/Cleveland Heights) from 13 yards out to score the touchdown, while adding two more points from Niegel Payne after a successful two-point conversion.
With the Beavers leading 32-29, Albion made a couple plays to put the visitors in field goal range, where they would drill a 29 yard field goal to even up the ballgame at 32 apiece at the end of regulation.
As the two teams headed into overtime, Albion would get the ball to start, scoring a touchdown off a 1-yard run to go up 39-32. The Beavers followed that up with a 1-yard touchdown run of their own as Jamarrion Banks (Cleveland Heights) found the endzone to tie the contest at 39-39. On the ensuing drive, a penalty and back-to-back sacks put Bluffton’s hopes of victory in danger. Albion then took advantage of the Beaver miscues and with a 13-yard rushing touchdown, handing Bluffton a 45-39 loss.
Under center for the Beavers was Tywuan Clark, who finished the day completing 20-of-32 of his passes that went for 251 yards with three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Clark also led Bluffton in rushing with 116 yards on 29 carries and another score on the ground. Jamarrion Banks ran for 41 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield. Leading the home team in receiving was Jashawn Wyckoff who caught seven balls for 101 yards with a touchdown, while Connor Cannon (New Haven, Ind.) added three catches and Niegel Payne and Deontai Gholson each hauled in a score.
Defensively, Mason Brandon (Louisville, Ky./Meade County), Kyni Brantley (Venice, Fla.), and Travion Curry (Thomson, Ga.) had solid days, all collecting seven solo tackles in the contest. Gabriel Cavazos (Otsego, Mich.) would add two TFL’s, including the lone Beaver sack in the contest. Recovering fumbles for Bluffton were Travion Curry and Tre Stribling (Nashville, Tenn./Independence). Jaydon McBreen (Portland, Ore./Westview) picked off his second interception of the season.
Despite the slow start, the Beavers were able to muster up 426 yards of total offense, including 242 yards in the second half. With 251 yards through the air, Bluffton tallied 175 yards of offense on the ground. Albion got it done with 280 yards passing and 180 yards rushing. The Britons were all over Bluffton’s backfield, recording six total sacks and forcing three Bluffton turnovers. Controlling the rock for 34:37 was the Beavers, who also forced three Albion turnovers, with two fumbles and an interception.
Bluffton will look to learn and build from their heartbreaking defeat as they hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Olivet on Saturday, Sept. 20, with a 12:30 p.m. kickoff.
