Defense has become a calling card for the Franklin College football team during what has now grown into a three-game win streak.
After allowing an early touchdown at Defiance on Saturday, the Grizzlies tightened up and played more than 55 minutes of shutout ball, paving the way to a 13-7 victory.
Franklin (5-3, 3-2 HCAC) has allowed just 13 points over its last three games.
The Yellow Jackets drove 75 yards for the game’s first score but managed just 159 yards of offense the rest of the day as the Grizzlies gradually gained control of the game.
Derek Baldin got Franklin on the board with a 40-yard field goal, his career long, at the 6:45 mark of the first quarter, and Carter Brown added a 28-yarder with a minute left in the period to cut the deficit to 7-6. The score remained the same until the third quarter, when Garrett Cora scored the decisive points on a 1-yard touchdown run. That rush capped a short 43-yard drive aided by a pair of Defiance penalties.
Cora finished the day with 86 yards rushing on 25 carries, while Jarrett Gibson caught nine passes for 148 yards. Freshman quarterback Kai Ross was 14 of 27 passing for 182 yards in his first career start.
Defensively, Jireh Ojata led the way with a career-best three quarterback sacks, pushing his conference-leading total to 12.5 for the season. Nick Winders had eight tackles and Aaron Black added seven, while Darian Porter added an interception.
The Grizzlies will play their final home game of the season this Saturday against Rose-Hulman.
