Franklin, Ind. - After a week off from the schedule, the nationally ranked Franklin College football team returns to the gridiron with a home contest against Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in a key Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) contest on Saturday, October 22 at 1:30 p.m. from Faught Stadium.
Before and during the game, the Franklin football program will help raise money and public awareness for the HCAC's Samaritan's Feet initiative. Fundraising proceeds will provide shoes and socks to fight diseases for people living throughout the world.
Franklin, ranked No. 14 by D3football.com and No. 16 by American Football Coaches Association pollsters, has won four consecutive games to stand alone atop the HCAC with a 4-0 mark. Overall, the team is 5-1 on the season.
Rose-Hulman is 5-2 overall and 4-1 in league play. The Fightin' Engineers' lone league loss came at Mount St. Joseph University on October 8. The team is one of three schools with one HCAC loss.
The two teams have had classic matchups during the past two seasons. Last fall, the Grizzlies overcame a 21-0 first-quarter deficit and trailed 35-28 heading into the fourth quarter before scoring two touchdowns over the final 15 minutes for a 42-35 victory in Terre Haute, Indiana. Then, in 2014, the Grizzlies outscored Rose-Hulman 20-0 in the fourth quarter for a 41-21 victory at Faught Stadium.
Franklin junior quarterback Chase Burton ranks among the top passers in NCAA Division III. His 24 touchdown passes rank third best, while he stands seventh with 2,053 passing yards. Burton is completing 70.5 percent of his passes – the fifth-highest mark in the nation.
Junior wingback Darrell Crenshaw leads the receiving unit with a team-high 45 catches. He has caught four touchdown passes and stands second on the team with 481 receiving yards.
Junior split end Deontez Alexander is tops on the team with 505 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches. He has 33 receptions on the season. Junior wingback Lee Wroblewski has added six touchdowns among his 28 receptions.
Senior running back Ty'Ronte Files has caught 20 passes and is averaging 12.3 yards per catch out of the backfield. He has recorded 315 rushing yards and four scores on the ground this fall, with a season-high 87 yards against Bluffton University on September 24. He has rushed for a touchdown in three of the team's four HCAC games this fall.
Defensively, senior lineman Devante Ash leads the team with 28 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. Senior defensive back Taylor Christensen and junior defensive back Ryan Conner are tied for team-high honors with two interceptions. Junior lineman Zach Turner has registered 4.5 quarterback sacks on the season.
Rose-Hulman is led by veteran offensive and defensive units. Quarterback Austin Swenson is the reigning HCAC Offensive Player of the Week following a four-touchdown performance against Manchester University last Saturday. Rose-Hulman's defense is allowing a league-best 17.1 points per game.
Live video and statistics of Saturday's game will be available. In-game updates will also be available on Twitter (@FCAthletics). Like the Grizzlies on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinCollegeAthletics).