ANGOLA, Ind. – Alex Price set single-game program records for the second week in a row, as Trine University football picked up a 58-43 victory against visiting Franklin College.
After just breaking the record last week, the senior set a new program benchmark for single game passing yards by throwing for 439 against the Grizzlies. In addition, he total seven touchdowns through the air, breaking the old program record by two. Classmate Brandon Kline tied the record for most receiving touchdowns in a game by hanging on to four of Price's throws.
Despite the gaudy final score, the game started slowly. Of the seven total drives starting in the first quarter only two ended in points for either team. After forcing a Franklin punt on the opening drive of the game, Price ended the team's first drive with his first passing touchdown, connecting with Kline on a 29-yard slant route.
The Grizzlies got their first points of the day with just 1:32 remaining in the quarter. They rushed up the middle for eight yards for the touchdown and converted the extra point to tie the game at seven.
In contrast to the first both teams scored on all but one of the six drives beginning in the second quarter. Price connected with senior Kale Lawson and Kline for two more touchdowns in the half bringing the team's score to 21. On the other end of the field Franklin converted two touchdowns of their own and added a last second field goal to build their score to 23. They would have had 24, but sophomore Elijah Bouyer blocked his second kick of the season to interrupt the attempt.
Right out of the half the teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter. Price connected with Kline twice in the quarter and then converted on a pair of two-point conversion throws to give the team 16 points. The Grizzlies posted two passing touchdowns of their own in the period converting on both extra points for 14 points. The end of the third saw the two teams tied at 37.
Trine finally took complete control of the game in the fourth quarter. Price recorded his final two touchdown passes of the game, connecting with sophomore John Clampitt and Lawson, and senior Xaine Kirby added a rushing touchdown to build the Thunder lead to 58-37 with just 2:26 remaining.
Not to be forgotten, the Trine defense finally had success in the quarter, forcing two punts on the first Franklin drives of the quarter. Then, with the score 51-37 and the Grizzlies driving, sophomore Konstantine Thrasivoulou made two spectacular pass breakups in a row. The second turned into his third interception of the season and gave the Thunder the ball on the Franklin side of the field. The crucial turnover let the offense milk over two minutes off the clock and put the game out of reach.
The Grizzlies scored the final points of the day with a touchdown as time expired to make the score final at 58-43.
Kirby finished the game with 116 yards on the ground, his second-straight 100-yard performance in as many weeks. Kline led receivers with 189 yards and his four touchdowns. Lawson came in second with 109 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Connor Arthur missed out on a touchdown but finished with 93 yards in the game.
Defensively, junior Vinny Ambrose led the way for the team with 10 total tackles. Seniors Kendall Himes and Joseph Johnson along with junior Matthew Jimenez all tied with seven tackles to finish second. Thrasivoulou finished his game with a team high two breakups along with his interception and six total tackles.
The Thunder improve to 2-1 following the victory. They will finish the nonconference portion of their schedule next week, traveling to face Hanover College on Saturday, September 23. That game is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m.