Jackets End Season With Win Against Bluffton

BLUFFTON, OHIO  --  A late interception by sophomore Beau Barkley (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Churubusco) with Bluffton University looking to score a potential game-tying score, sealed a 28-20 victory for the Defiance College football team in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and season finale in Bluffton, Ohio.

Barkley's interception came on a play that began at the Defiance 22-yard line and with just seconds remaining in the contest.  Defiance (5-5, 4-4 HCAC) led by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter, 28-7, but two scores by Bluffton (7-3, 5-3 HCAC) narrowed the gap to 28-20.  The final three possessions for the Beavers ended in a pair of interceptions and a turnover on downs, keeping the Yellow Jackets out in front when time expired.

After a career-day rushing last week, senior Cody Wilson (McComb) posted back-to-back 100-yard games rushing with a game-high 129 yards on the ground against Bluffton to go along with a pair of touchdowns.  He also caught three passes for 24 yards.  Sophomore Corey Bennett (Tampa, Fla./Blake) rushed for 64 yards to put the Jackets above 200 yards rushing as a team for the second straight game.  

Junior quarterback Logan Scott (Curtice/Genoa) completed 15-of-31 passes for 106 yards and two TD.  Bennett was Scott's top target with a team-high five receptions for 27 yards and a score.

On defense, senior Keandre Gilmer (Toledo/Rogers) led the team tackles with nine (all solo), including a tackle for loss.  He also intercepted three passes which was a career-high and tied the school single-game record.  As a team, DC picked off four passes to bring its season total to 25 INT's. 

Defiance scored the only points of the first quarter on an eight-yard pass play from Scott to Bennett to cap a drive that was set up by Gilmer's first interception of the game.  

Just before the end of the first stanza, the Yellow Jacket defense forced a fumble that was recovered by DC at the Bluffton six-yard line.  As the second quarter began, DC got to the one-yard line, but the drive ended on a fourth-down play as the Beavers held the Jackets out of the endzone.  Defiance found the endzone on its next possession when Scott connected with freshman DeVonte Cravin (Ama, La./Hahnville) for a five-yard completion to extend the margin to 14-0 with 10:12 to go in the half.

Bluffton answered the DC score with a touchdown of its own to get on the board and cut the deficit in half, 14-7, at the intermission.

Late in the third quarter, Gilmer stepped in front of another Bluffton pass, this time at the Beaver 15-yard line and returned it 14 yards to put the Jackets in excellent scoring position at the one-yard line.  Defiance took advantage of the opportunity and scored on the first play from scrimmage on a one-yard run by Wilson as the Yellow Jackets regained their 14-point advantage, 21-7.

Defiance got the ball back just before the end of the third period and turned a nine-play drive into seven points to begin the final 15 minutes, when Wilson recorded his second rushing TD, this time from four yards out as the Yellow Jackets led, 28-7, with 14:55 left in the game.  Bluffton again answered a DC score with a TD of its own on its ensuing possession that ended an eight-play, 62-yard drive.  The extra point attempt missed its mark, however, as the Jackets led, 28-13, with 11:59 to go.

The Beavers found paydirt again on its next drive to make it a one-score game, 28-20, with under 10 minutes remaining.  But those would be the final points of the game for either team as the DC defense forced the Beavers into three turnovers on its final three possessions to seal the 28-20 victory.

Defiance ends the 2016 season with a 5-5 overall mark.  It is the first time the Yellow Jackets have finished at .500 or better since the 2010 season when they posted a 6-4 campaign.