The Adrian Bulldogs defeated Albion on Saturday to improve to 5-0 on the season
ADRIAN – This past Saturday the Adrian Bulldogs were back home as they played host to the Albion College Britons for another week of college football action, facing off in their second conference game of the season. Adrian controlled things from start to finish, improving to 5-0 for the first time since the 2011 season with a 28-7 win over the Brits.
What Happened?
Behind the tough running of Trey Brueggemann the Bulldogs took control of the contest early and never looked back, beginning with a Bruggemann 6-yard touchdown run with 5:42 left in the first quarter, a 7-0 lead that would hold throughout the first quarter.
Both teams battled neck-and-neck for much of the first half until Adrian capped off a 5 play, 46-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run by Brueggemann, extending the Bulldogs lead to 14-0 late in the second quarter.
Albion was not about to go away so quietly however, and it was a pair of turnovers that led to the Brits touchdown. Albion took over after the Adrian touchdown and quickly moved down the field, however a great defensive play by Adrian saw Ethan Burrows pick off an Ali Murray pass attempt at the 20-yard line with just 1:07 left in the half, giving the Bulldogs possession.
The action was far from done, however, as Adrian’s Noah Beaudrie dropped back to pass and scrambled before being sacked for a 16-yard loss. The ball came loose and was recovered by Albion’s Alex Olenik who was tackled just before the goal line, giving Albion a first and goal from the 1 with 1:00 left in the half.
One play later it was Albion getting on the board as Alex Trudell rushed up the missed for the 1-yard touchdown run, closing the game to 14-7 heading into the half.
The second half saw more back-and-forth play, as the teams traded punts until the Bulldogs were able to hit on a big play to bring the home crowd to its feet. Adrian capped off a 3 play, 76-yard drive thanks to the big play ability of Beaudrie who took a quarterback keeper 69-yards for a touchdown. The extra point was good, pushing the lead to 21-7 with 4:37 left in the third quarter.
Albion put together a solid drive to end the third quarter and into the fourth, however the drive stalled and a missed field goal from 39-yards out kept the score at 21-7 in favor of Adrian.
The Bulldogs took advantage of the missed Albion opportunity, eating up the clock and yards before finishing off a 13 play, 79-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Brueggermann, extending the lead to 28-7 with 4:10 left in the game.
A pair of sacks by the Bulldog defense derailed the final Albion drive and it was the guys from Adrian kneeling down in victory formation to take the 28-7 win.
Stats tell the tale
Stats always tell the tale, and Saturday was no different as Adrian out gained Albion 206 -28 on the ground and 162-128 through the air for a total of 368-156. Adrian managed to convert 20 first downs compared to just 10 for Albion.
Top Performances
Trey Brueggemann, RB, Adrian – Brueggemann was a monster on the ground for Adrian, carrying the ball 26 times for 144 yard and three touchdowns.
Noah Beaudrie, QB, Adrian – Beaudrie had a big day for Adrian, carrying the ball 11 times for 92 yards and one touchdown while also completing 20 of 25 passes for 162 yards.
Liam Karry, LB, Adrian – Led the Adrian defense with eight tackles, including one for a loss
Bennett Gilde, Ath., Adrian – Gilde had six tackles, including a half of a sack and a half tackle for a loss. Gilde also had a pass break up.
Ethan Burrows, Ath., Adrian – Burrows had five tackles, including two for a loss and one interception.
Ethan Abberger, WR, Adrian – Abberger hauled in 12 catches for 76 yards to lead all receivers on the day.
Chris Jackson had four tackles, one and a half for a loss and one and a half sacks while Steven Moreno d three tackles and one sack.
Bulldogs finally getting their due
Adrian is finally getting their due as teams across the nation are starting to notice the Bulldogs as Adrian cracked into the receiving votes category of the D3football.com Top 25 Rankings. The Bulldogs received 19 total voting points in the week 5 poll and earn the honor for the first time this season.
What’s Next?
Adrian improves to 5-0 on the season with the win, 2-0 in the MIAA, and will next see the field Oct. 18 when they travel to Calvin University in Grand Rapids.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Adrian College defeats Albion College to improve to 5-0 in football
Category: General Sports
