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Dec 31, 1969
FRANKLIN, Ind.
— After fumbling away the opening kickoff and then falling behind 14-0 in the opening quarter, Franklin College had to battle to get back into its season-opening football game with Ohio Wesleyan University at Faught Stadium today.
But fight back the Grizzlies did, pulling to within a touchdown at the halftime intermission and controlling the second half enough to pull out a thrilling 34-33 victory. It was the first football meeting between the schools.
The Battling Bishops cashed in the recovered fumble on the initial kickoff when running back Nick Rice rushed for a 5-yard TD less than 1-1/2 minutes into the contest. Ohio Wesleyan upped its advantage to 14-0 when fullback Nathanael Jonhenry ran in from 11 yards out. The Grizzlies scored their first touchdown when senior running back Joliba Brogan completed a 17-yard pass-and-run play ignited by sophomore transfer quarterback Ty Fritz.
After halfback Eric Indiciani put the visitors up 20-7 on a 4-yard run, FC closed to within a touchdown again when Fritz lobbed a 5-yard scoring toss to junior split end Luis Galeano in the end zone.
Franklin pulled into a tie for the first time when junior split end Devin Lipinski caught a 44-yard “jump ball” in the end zone. The other Grizzly scores were supplied by Brogan on a 5-yard run late in the third period and a 2-yard rush by freshman Mike Perkins early in the fourth quarter.
Those touchdowns sandwiched two rushing TDs by Ohio Wesleyan junior quarterback Ryan Sir Louis. The Bishops' QB rushed for a 3-yard score with 3:39 left in the third quarter. Sir Louis almost tied the game midway through the fourth quarter when he broke free and outran the Franklin defensive on an 85-yard touchdown play.
However, when he drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for somersaulting in the end zone after crossing the goal line, the subsequent penalty yardage forced OWU to attempt its extra point kick from almost 35 yards away. Kicker Jason Whitcomb narrowly missed, leaving the Bishops one point short.
The Grizzlies not only survived its fumbled kickoff at the start, but also committed two turnovers after driving deep into Ohio Wesleyan territory in the first and fourth periods.
Fritz completed 19 of 30 passes for 243 yards and three TDs and freshman quarterback Andy Clark hit on 11 of 15 passes for 149 yards. Brogan had seven receptions for 96 yards and gained 44 more yards and a TD on the ground.
Ohio Wesleyan out-gained Franklin on the ground 325 to 88 yards, but the Grizzlies amassed 392 yards passing to the Bishops' 103.
Press release submitted by Franklin on Sep 04 2004 at 08:20 PM