BLUFFTON, OHIO -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology scored one touchdown rushing, one passing and one on special teams to earn a 21-12 victory over Bluffton University in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football action on Saturday. 

Freshman Derek Eitel (Marshall, Ill.) led the Engineer offense with 13 completions in 27 attempts for 218 yards and one touchdown through the air.  Senior Ryan Robinson (Danville) led Rose-Hulman with three receptions.   

Key catches were made by sophomore Nate Richter (Zionsville) with a 51-yard touchdown, sophomore Tim Schrock (Avon) on a 36-yard screen pass and junior Thomas Reives (Indianapolis/Tech) with a 31-yard reception. 

The ground attack also gained 183 yards as part of a 401-yard team effort.  Freshman Calvin Bueltel (Huntingburg/Southridge) led the Engineers with 66 rushing yards on four carries, while sophomore Bryan Wong (Warsaw/Tippecanoe Valley) added 44 yards on 13 carries.  Schrock added 34 rushing yards, with Eitel contributing 25. 

“This is a huge win for our football team.  After losing the last two weeks, it was important that we came on the road and played well.  We traveled everyone that could dress, because this game was that important.  Everyone made a contribution today,” said Rose-Hulman head coach Steve Englehart. 

Jared Owens finished 15-32 through the air for 183 yards and one interception for Bluffton and led the Beavers with 80 yards rushing on 19 carries. 

Defensively, sophomore Paul Spreen (Williams/Bedford North Lawrence) led the effort with two sacks and two pass breakups.  Senior Drew Lopshire (South Whitley/Whitko) added an interception, while senior Mike Alto (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) with a team-high 10 tackles. 

Rose-Hulman jumped out to a 7-0 lead with a key special teams play late in the first quarter.  Bluffton was forced to punt from its own 40-yard line, and Engineer senior Adam Helmerich (Huntingburg/Southridge) blocked the punt by Kyle Coleman to the 25-yard line, when freshman Kyle Stevens (Santa Cruz, Calif.) sprinted to the endzone for seven points. 

Bluffton closed within 7-6 midway through the second quarter, when Owens sprinted 55 yards for a touchdown with 9:25 left in the opening half.  The extra point attempt was missed as Rose-Hulman maintained a one-point lead. 

The Engineers had an opportunity to extend the lead on its final possession of the first half.  Rose-Hulman marched 42 yards in 11 plays to the Bluffton one-yard line, but the Beaver defense tackled Eitel just in front of the pylon with 24 seconds left in the half to force a turnover on downs. 

Rose-Hulman increased the lead to 14-6 on its first drive of the second half.  Eitel connected with Richter on a 51-yard touchdown strike to give the Engineers an eight-point lead with 11:34 left in the quarter. 

Bluffton closed within 14-12 on a 13-play, 73-yard drive that ended on a 27-yard pass from Owens to Drew Lovelace at the 9:59 mark of the fourth quarter.  Helmerich intercepted a two-point conversion pass as the Engineers maintained its 14-12 edge. 

Rose-Hulman added another touchdown just one minute later to take a 21-12 lead.  Bueltel scampered 60 yards down the left sideline for his first career touchdown on the longest run of his college career. 

Rose-Hulman improved to 4-3 on the season and 1-3 in HCAC play, while Bluffton dropped to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in league contests.  The Engineers travel to Franklin College next Saturday at 1:30 for another league matchup.