FRANKLIN, Ind. – For the first time since 2019, Faught Stadium played host to fall football on a beautiful Saturday (Sept. 11) afternoon when the Franklin College football team welcomed Rhodes College to town for their 2021 home opener.
The Grizzlies (2-0) and Lynx (0-2) traded blows all afternoon, with both teams holding multiple leads throughout the day. But thanks to two touchdowns less than a minute apart late in the third quarter and two huge defensive stands in the fourth, the Grizzlies came away winners by a 36-29 score.
How it Happened
The Lynx took advantage of a fumbled punt return to take an early lead, but Franklin answered in quick strike fashion on their first possession of the day. Three plays into their first drive, Dane Andrews hit a streaking Dylan McKinney over the middle and the sophomore wideout took it 47 yards to the house to tie the game at 7-7.
Rhodes' next drive produced a touchdown but a missed extra point left the Griz down by six. Franklin grabbed their first lead of the day on their second possession when Derek Thompson capped an eight-play drive with a two-yard run that put Franklin up 14-13.
A Rhodes field goal put the visitors back in front, but another big play late in the half gave the Griz the lead. On third-and-15, Andrews connected with Jarrett Gibson for a 57-yard pitch and catch to make it 21-16. But the Lynx would find the end zone right before the half, spotting Rhodes a 22-21 lead at the break following another missed point after.
Both offenses struggled to get going in the second half before another Lynx score made it 29-21 late in the third. A Franklin punt followed and gave the Lynx the ball back in great field position with 2:43 to go in the quarter, setting the stage for what would be a game-changing sequence of events.
On Rhodes' first play after the punt, Dwayne Johnson picked off a pass and raced 54 yards down to the Rhodes 10-yard line. Two plays later, Andrews lofted a ball over a defender into Gibson's hands for a touchdown and followed it up with a two-point conversion to Orrin Schmidt that tied it at 29.
On the ensuing kickoff, Gabe Crutchfield's short kick landed between three Lynx players and that allowed Cameron Johnson to fall on the live ball and give it back to the Grizzlies.
Two plays later, Andrews found Garrett Cora out of the backfield on a 19-yard touchdown pass, restoring Franklin's one-score lead.
Rhodes had two possessions in the final quarter, with the Grizzlies stuffing the Lynx on downs both times. With nine minutes to go in the game, Dante Darden and Nick Winders stuffed a Lynx run on fourth-and-one to get the ball back. The Lynx' final drive saw the Lynx march inside the 10 with less than a minute to go, but on fourth-and-goal, Charlie Moore broke up what would have been a Rhodes touchdown pass, sealing the win for Franklin.
Inside the Box Score
-Andrews was spectacular under center for Franklin, going 18-for-27 for 277 yards and four touchdown passes. Gibson was his favorite target, with the junior wideout catching nine passes for 124 yards and two scores.
-Johnson's interception was the first of his young career to go along with five tackles on the day.
-Aaron Black's nine tackles led all Franklin defenders with Winders, Kody Wilkerson, Cam Levers and Tanner Swindle all racking up eight stops.