DECATUR, Ill. – Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology junior Kevin Dufauchard rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 42 carries, and the Fightin' Engineers scored 19 consecutive first half points to defeat Millikin University 26-14 in college football action on Saturday afternoon.
Rose-Hulman rushed 63 times for 224 yards in the contest, and senior Austin Swenson finished 18-34 through the air for 125 yards to lead the Fightin' Engineer offensive attack. Stanley Hogan III added 18 rushes for 75 yards. Alec Fisher and Nathaniel Stewart led the receiving corps with 41 and 39 yards on receptions.
Defensively, senior Connor Kispert led the Engineers with six tackles. Junior Kaelen Garner recorded two sacks, and sophomore John Kirby added an interception to lead the Rose-Hulman statistical performance.
The Millikin offense was led by quarterback Nicco Stepina with a 15-36 performance for 257 yards along with 83 rushing yards. David Jackson led the receivers with five catches for 133 yards.
Millikin jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a 71-yard touchdown run by Stepina with 12:48 left in the first half. The Rose-Hulman defense would buckle down for the remainder of the opening 30 minutes, shutting out Millikin and scoring two points of its own.
Rose-Hulman dented the scoreboard with 9:29 left in the first quarter on a 30-yard field goal by Bryan Gish. The drive was set up by a fumble recovery from senior Nate Jackson.
Later in the first quarter, Rose-Hulman marched 65 yards in 10 plays to take a 10-7 advantage. Dufauchard and Hogan led the drive with 10-yard rushes. Swenson capped the scoring march with a one-yard touchdown run.
Rose-Hulman pushed the lead to 12-7 on a safety late in the first quarter. Jackson sacked Stepina in the endzone to give the Engineers points and another possession.
The first half ended with a nine-play, 55-yard scoring march that put Rose-Hulman ahead 19-7 at the break. Dufauchard reached the endzone on a two-yard run.
In the third quarter, Millikin closed within 19-14 on a 62-yard pass from Stepina to David Jackson. Rose-Hulman answered with a key drive of its own, pushing the edge to 26-14 late in the third quarter. Dufauchard capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run on fourth down, as the lead increased to two scores.
Millikin threatened to close within one touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but a 4th-and-1 run was stuffed on a tackle by Rose-Hulman's Zach Kanz. The Engineers had another goal line stand in the fourth quarter, stopping the Big Blue on the 7-yard line.
Rose-Hulman improved to 1-1 on the season and returns to action next Saturday at Hanover College. Millikin also stands 1-1 on the campaign.
