DEFIANCE, Ohio -- The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology took down Defiance 78-54 in the penultimate game of the 2023 season. The Fightin' Engineers improve to 7-2 on the season and 6-0 in the HCAC. They clinched their spot in the 2023 HCAC Championship game against Mount St. Joseph next week.

Defiance took an early 7-0 lead, but the Fightin' Engineers answered as Miguel Robertson hit Ben Klein for a 42-yard touchdown to tie the game. Jailen Hobbs then returned a punt for a touchdown for the second consecutive week. His 79-yard punt return is the sixth longest in school history.

After Defiance tied the game, Rose-Hulman retook the lead after Christian Meyer blocked the extra point and Ryan Schmidt returned it back for 2-points and a 15-13 lead. Grant Ripperda would then add his first two touchdowns of the game for a 29-13 lead.

The Yellow Jackets would add another touchdown, but the Fightin' Engineers would answer with 24 seconds to go as Jay Smith added a 3-yard touchdown run to take the 36-20 lead in the locker room.

After Defiance scored on the first play out of the half, Rose-Hulman tacked on two more touchdowns as Robertson hit Daniel Huery for 18-yard and 26-yard touchdowns to lead 50-27.

Ripperda and Smith would each add one more touchdown before the end of the third quarter, and the Fightin' Engineers led 64-41 entering the final quarter of play.

In the fourth quarter, Ripperda would add his fourth and fifth touchdowns of the game as Rose-Hulman won 78-54. It is the second year in a row that the Rose-Hulman offense scored over 75 points against Defiance as the Fightin' Engineers won 76-35 in 2022.

Ripperda would finish the day with 38 carries (10th most in school history), 226 rushing yards (4th most in school history), and 5 rushing touchdowns (tied for most in school history). 

Smith added another 100-yard game with 113 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Hobbs finished with the second-most punt return yards in a single game with 130, including his second punt return touchdown of the season.

Huery led the team in receiving with 10 catches for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns. Robertson finished 17-25 through the air with 192 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Payton Gryniewicz led the Rose-Hulman defense with 9 tackles and 1.5 sacks in the win.

The Fightin' Engineers will host the Mount St. Joseph Lions in the 2023 HCAC Championship game on Saturday, November 11 at 1:30 PM. Rose-Hulman will honor their 2023 senior class prior to the start of the game.