In the 60th all-time meeting between Franklin College and Butler University, the Dawgs erupted for a 52-0 statement in the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl.
Franklin settled for the opening kickoff and from that point on, Butler did not hold back. The first play from scrimmage was a tackle for loss, a couple plays later, sophomore defensive lineman Okemdi Eze rushed off the edge for a sack and forced a fourth-down stop to flip the possession.
The Bulldogs, led by junior quarterback Gabe Passini, strutted down the field and scored a touchdown after a grueling nine play series. Senior wide receiver Nick Munson bounced off defenders in pursuit of an 11-yard score to finish the drive.
The momentum for the Bulldogs, however, did not stop there.
Franklin’s second drive was even more of a disaster than the first. On the first play from scrimmage, junior quarterback Marshall Kmiecik tossed a ball to wide receiver Jared Brooks, and fumbled. The ball was punched loose by senior defensive back Steven Stephany, and ultimately pounced on and recovered by sophomore defensive back Madden Beriault.
Although Butler had outstanding field position, a holding penalty set them back 10 yards, and set them up for a 44-yard field goal. However, first-year kicker Evan Windley pulled it just right of the post, settling the score back to 7-0.
The Bulldogs finally faced adversity for the first time Franklin had the ball with momentum. Three straight rush plays for the Grizzlies resulted in a first down. All of this would come to an end, as on the first play of the second quarter, Stephany struck gold again on his tackle and forced a fumble which was picked up by junior linebacker Tommy Diamond.
Again, Butler was in scoring position, and this time would not dismiss the opportunity. Passini sent a bullet to Munson and the duo connected for the second time that night for a touchdown. A 29-yard, wide open catch-and-run route capped off a seven-play drive for the Bulldogs.
Head coach Kevin Lynch was pleased with how his team turned the defensive momentum into points.
“It’s awesome,” Lynch said. “[Defense] did a great job tonight, and then we were able to score touchdowns. So to me that’s a big thing, we did not have to settle for a field goal. Anytime you [score] over 50 points, you had a great day, so I am very pleased.”
After returning the kickoff and getting stopped at the line of scrimmage on its first play of the drive, Franklin had its best play of the night. A pass caught for a couple of yards by junior wide receiver Brayden Wilkins ended up turning into a 34-yard gain after flying up the right side of the sideline. Then, a 10-yard pass completed to junior wide receiver Isaiah Miller got the Grizzlies into the red zone.
Just as hope was brewing for Franklin and their fans, senior defensive back Blair Schonhorst glided through the air to force the third turnover of the night.
After a penalty and an incomplete pass on third-down, Butler had to settle for a punt again.
Franklin started their drive on their own 33-yard line, and opened with a 7-yard rush. On the second play, Kmiecik dropped back to pass, fired over the middle and was intercepted by Stephany. This was his third turnover in the first half and capped off his career night.
Stephany read the offense like a book and said preparation during the week is what got him to that point.
“Fixing all of the mistakes that [the team] saw in the practice and scheming up formations in practice to prepare is what helped the most,” Stephany said. “I think we just stuck to our game plan that we had and just executed. Everybody did their job and we made the big play.”
This time, the Bulldogs would not leave empty handed. A 28-yard run on second down by sophomore running back Michael Dellumo, set up the Dawgs in plus territory. The next play, Passini found his favorite target of the night, senior wide receiver Blake Matthews, on a 28-yard pass into the back of the end zone. A short, three-play drive put the Bulldogs up 21-0 in the second quarter.
After another stop by the Butler defense, an eight-play, 53-yard drive to end the half was capped off by a 26-yard chip shot field goal by junior kicker Beck Janki.
To open up the second half, Butler received the opening kickoff and picked up where it left off in the first half. Rushes by Passini and Dellumo started the drive, and a 15-yard pass play to sophomore tight end Drew Sullivan set the Bulldogs up in the red zone. Dellumo then carried the ball six yards into the end zone to score his first collegiate touchdown of his young career.
Dellumo was engulfed in emotion as soon as he broke the plane.
“I was super excited,” Dellumo said. “Last year I was out the entire year with a torn labrum and an ankle injury, so with all of the hard work that I have put in the offseason and just trying to get back to playing the game I love, it was just amazing. It was awesome to celebrate with my guys. They helped me get to that, and it wouldn’t be possible without them.”
The Bulldogs kept a 31-0 lead as both teams punted on their next drives.
Franklin, after getting a stop for the first time since the first quarter, fumbled on its first play after the punt. The ball was punched out by graduate linebacker Will Beesley, scooped up and recovered by sophomore cornerback Tristan Johnson for four yards. This set up Butler within Franklin’s 35-yard line.
40 seconds later, graduate running back Desmin Jackson erupted for 33 yards in two rushes to score a touchdown in his third straight game.
Lynch was proud how his guys bounced back tremendously after falling to Montana State.
“I thought this week coming off of an environment in Montana State, and those types of turnarounds, rebounding this week and playing really hard in the fashion we did is rewarding,” Lynch said.
With the Dawgs capturing their first shutout win since 2024 and forcing the second-most turnovers in a single game in program history, the team will face Chicago State during Homecoming weekend at 1:00 p.m. on Sept. 19.