For an afternoon game, Franklin College’s homecoming date with Anderson featured a healthy dose of fireworks.
The host Grizzlies scored two touchdowns in the first five minutes and never let up, steamrolling the winless Ravens in a 54-14 rout at Faught Stadium.
Franklin (2-3, 2-0 HCAC) racked up 618 yards of total offense while yielding just 198. The Grizzlies outgained Anderson on the ground by an overwhelming 317-2 margin.
Kai Ross got the home team on the board quickly with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Cora just 2:21 into the game. He followed up with a 56-yard scoring toss to Dylan McKinney less than two minutes later, the second of five TD passes for Ross on the day.
The Grizzlies upped the lead to 21-0 early in the second quarter when Ross and McKinney linked up again, this time for a 22-yard touchdown. The Ravens answered back to get within 14, but Franklin College scored twice in the final 1:29 of the half — first on a 1-yard run by Cameron Johnson and then on a 48-yard Derek Baldin field goal — to go into the half with a 31-7 cushion.
That margin expanded to 48-7 by the end of the third quarter. Ross completed two more scoring passes, a 4-yarder to Spencer Wright and a 43-yarder to Dejon Winburn, and Baldin split the uprights from 30 yards out.
Kam Jennings scored the Grizzlies’ final touchdown on a 1-yard run with 8:24 left in the game.
Franklin College’s final offensive numbers came straight out of a video game. Ross finished 22 of 30 passing for 301 yards, hitting nine different receivers. Cora’s 98 rushing yards paced a group of four rushers who gained at least 55 yards, and McKinney gained 101 yards on his five receptions.
Defensively, Beau Hess led the Grizzlies with eight tackles and two of the team’s six quarterback sacks while Jireh Ojata had seven tackles and 1.5 sacks.
The Grizzlies will be back at home this coming Saturday against Defiance.
