Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

CHICAGO, ILL. – Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology relied on its second consecutive shutout to move to 3-1 on the season and earn a 25-0 victory over North Park University in NCAA Division III football action on Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore Tim Schrock (Avon) rushed for a pair of touchdowns and 48 yards on nine carries, while sophomore Bryan Wong (Warsaw/Tippecanoe Valley) surpassed the 100-yard mark with a career high 113 yards on 17 carries for Rose-Hulman.

Senior Cameron Hummel (Dunkirk/Jay County) added 58 yards on 10 carries as part of a 256-yard rushing attack. Junior Jeremy Sharp (Warsaw) tied a career-high with three field goals to key the special teams effort.

Jeremy Sharp tied a career-high three field goals.

“Special teams were huge today. I can’t say enough about Jeremy Sharp. He hasn’t let us down yet, and it was great to see a field goal and punt block today,” said Englehart.

Rose-Hulman’s defense was a key story, however, by recording its second consecutive shutout. The Engineers topped Concordia Chicago 56-0 last week and have tallied back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1987 with the effort.

Rose-Hulman held the Viking offense to -8 yards rushing, the second time in four games that the Engineers have held an opponent to negative rushing yardage.

“We had some great hits and may need a highlight film on just this game. Coach (Ralph) Clark and the entire defense are doing a great job, and we gave him the game ball after the game after the second straight shutout,” said Rose-Hulman head coach Steve Englehart.

Rose-Hulman took a 7-0 advantage on its second possession of the game. Schrock returned the opening kickoff 44 yards to get the Engineers a field position advantage that led to the score after an exchange of punts. Schrock capped a three-play drive with a 20-yard touchdown scamper with 11:00 left in the opening half.

The Engineers pushed the lead to 10-0 with a 12-play, 69-yard drive midway through the second quarter. A 35-yard quarterback scamper by Hummel put the Engineers in position for a 27-yard field goal by junior Jeremy Sharp (Warsaw).

Rose-Hulman gained a 12-0 advantage early in the third quarter, courtesy of a defensive unit and special teams combined effort. Freshman Derek Eitel (Marshall) booted a career long 61-yard punt that was downed at the North Park three-yard line to open the drive.

Defense was key in the second straight shut out of the season.

Three plays later, a North Park fumble was recovered outside the endzone by junior Steve Hawkins (Casey, Ill./Westfield), resulting in a safety and a 12-point Rose-Hulman lead.

The Engineers increased the lead to 15-0 on an eight-play, 46-yard march late in the third quarter. Sharp booted a game-long 38-yard field goal with 3:15 left in the frame, with a 21-yard run by Wong highlighting the drive.

Sharp added his third field goal with seven seconds left in the third quarter, a 31-yard boot that capped a seven-play march. Hummel led the drive with a 20-yard quarterback scamper.

Rose-Hulman finished the scoring with 5:21 left in the fourth quarter, when Schrock scored again from 14 yards out for his second touchdown of the game.

The Engineer defense took over in the final quarter, holding North Park to a combined 155 yards in 60 plays in the game. Junior Austin Hastings (Santa Ana, Calif.) paced the defense with nine tackles and one tackle-for-loss, while junior Steve Hawkins (Casey, Ill./Casey Westfield) added nine tackles, three tackles-for-loss and one sack in the effort.

Rose-Hulman improved to 3-1 on the season, while North Park dropped to 1-2. The Engineers return to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action at Hanover College (0-3) next Saturday at 1:30 p.m.