GAME NOTES

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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology hits the road for a key Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football matchup at Franklin College on Saturday afternoon.

The Fightin' Engineers stand 5-1 overall and 3-1 in HCAC play, while Franklin enters with a 5-2 mark and a 5-0 record in conference games.  The winner of Saturday's game will take a major step forward in the race for the HCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs.

Rose-Hulman enters with one of the nation's top ranked offenses as part of its best start to a season since 1987.  The Fightin' Engineers rank No. 2 nationally in passing offense (387.5 ypg), No. 6 in total offense (528.5 ypg) and No. 16 in scoring offense (43.0 ppg). 

Sophomore Austin Swenson ranks No. 2 nationally in passing yards (2,300), passing yards per game (383.3) and total offense (384.3), while sophomore Alec Fisher has set a school record with 11 touchdown catches to rank No. 3 nationally.  Swenson also ranks No. 3 nationally in completions per game (31.7) and No. 6 in passing touchdowns (20) entering this week's action.

Defensively, sophomore Kevin Nowak ranks No. 7 nationally in passes defensed at 2.0 per game, and the Fightin' Engineer defense enjoyed its top performance of the year in a 28-12 win at Defiance last week.  Rose-Hulman held the Yellow Jackets without a point in the second half and scored on its own with an interception return for a touchdown.

Franklin has won four straight HCAC championships, 19 consecutive conference home games and 38 of its last 39 conference games entering Saturday's matchup.  The Grizzlies have not lost a conference game at home since October 24, 2009, against Mount St. Joseph.

After Saturday's game, Rose-Hulman returns home to face Manchester University on Nov. 1 at 1:30 p.m.