No. 15 Butler Crushes Ellsworth in Home Opener
11 different players found the endzone, including two on special teams, as No. 15-ranked Butler walloped Ellsworth 86-0 on Saturday at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
|
34 | 24 | 7 | 21 | 86 |
Team Stats
Ellsworth (Iowa)
| Game Statistics | Ellsworth (Iowa) | Butler |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 126 | 157 |
| Rushing Yards | 2 | 389 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of Poss. | 26:30 | 33:30 |
EL DORADO, Kan. – 11 different players found the endzone, including two on special teams, as No. 15-ranked Butler walloped Ellsworth 86-0 on Saturday at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex.
The Grizzlies (2-0) put up the second-most points and the second-largest margin of victory in the history of the program in the victory.
It didn't take long for the Purple and Gold to get going as Markellus Bass rumbled into the end zone from nine yards out, capping off a six-play, 60-yard opening drive for the Grizzlies.
After the teams traded turnovers, Levi Wittenberg blocked and returned an attempted punt by Ellsworth for a touchdown, giving the Grizzlies a 13-0 advantage.
The Grizzly defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing Panther possession, and the Butler special teams again broke through, as Isaac Martin blocked the punt, giving the Grizzlies excellent field position. Butler capitalized on the block two plays later when Nakai Poole made a sensational diving grab in the end zone on a pass from Dylan Dunn, giving the Grizzlies a 20-0 lead just seven minutes into the game.
After another quick stop by the Butler defense, Bass ran for 69 yards over two plays and Dunn scampered in from eight yards away for another Grizzly score, extending the lead to 27-0.
The Grizzly defensive unit got another stop that led to another touchdown as Dunn dropped one in the basket of Leashaun Atchison from 40 yards away, giving Butler a 34-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Kaden Moorman drew first blood, punching his way across the goal line to give Butler a 41-0 lead. Butler got the ball right back from Highland, and Markellus Bass sprinted 20 yards to the endzone soon after to go up 48-0.
After an interception by Tieon Jones returned inside the Ellsworth 20-yard line, Hunter Rioux chipped in a 29-yard field goal to put the Grizzlies over the half-century mark with two minutes to go in the first half.
Ellsworth's final meaningful drive of the half ended in disaster, as Butler blocked their fourth punt of the game, and Martin returned it for another Grizzly score, putting the hometown team up 58-0 at the break.
In the second half, backup quarterback Davion Wilson fooled the Ellsworth defense on an option, allowing him to run in for a 16-yard touchdown.
Neither side scored the rest of the third quarter, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, Daimont Mucker escaped a tackle swarm in the backfield, diving for the pylon and knocking it over for another Grizzly touchdown from three yards away.
After another special team miscue by Ellsworth, Lucas Dickman scored another touchdown for Butler, increasing the lead to 79-0.
The Grizzlies scored again on their next possession as Joseph Vick found the end zone to make the score 86-0.
The score held the rest of the way, as Butler collected their second-largest margin of victory in program history, only falling short of an 89-0 win over Highland on September 10, 2011. 86 points is the most scored by Butler at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex since the facility's opening.
Next up, the Grizzlies will host Independence on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 1:00 PM at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex.
