HANOVER, Ind. -- The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology football team dropped their first HCAC contest of the season on Saturday with a 37-16 loss at Hanover.

After the Panthers scored the first two touchdowns of the game, the Fightin' Engineers got on the board on the first play of the second quarter with a 33-yard field goal by Kyle Rehberg to make it 13-3.

Hanover would drive back down the field for a field goal of their own to extend the lead to 13, but Rose-Hulman answered once again with a redzone trip where they settled for another 33-yard field goal by Rehberg to make it 16-6.

The Panthers would then score two touchdowns in the final three minutes of the half, sandwiching another field goal by Rehberg from 27 yards to make it 30-9 at the half.

To start the second half, the Fightin' Engineers had a deep ball over the top which would have gone for six, but it was dropped by the Fightin' Engineers. Hanover would answer with a touchdown of their own to make it 37-9.

Rose-Hulman found the endzone for the first time with six minutes remaining as Jay Smith found paydirt on the 2-yard touchdown run, capping off a whopping 18-play, 68-yard drive.

Rick Easterwood threw for 199 yards, and Smith added 53 yards and a score. Daniel Huery was the top receiver with 8 catches for 74 yards.

On defense, Jack LeCrone led the team with 7 tackles, and Augustus Shryock added the lone sack for Rose-Hulman.

With the loss, the Fightin' Engineers fall to 1-4 on the season and 1-1 in the HCAC. The team returns to Cook Stadium on Saturday, October 19 for their final non-conference game of the season as they host the Defiance Yellow Jackets for the final time at 1:30 PM.