Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

PARIS, FRANCE – Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology senior quarterback Jared Tharpe (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) hit sophomore Sean Ruberg (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) with a 58-yard touchdown pass to break a fourth-quarter tie and lift the Engineers to a 34-26 victory over the French National Team in Paris on Saturday evening.

The shootout featured over 600 yards of total offense, with Rose-Hulman passing for 222 and France rushing for 204. Tharpe completed seven of 13 passes for 105 yards and rushed for one score, while fellow senior Josh Willis (Franklin/Indian Creek) finished 9-12 for 117 yards and also rushed for one touchdown (SEE GAME STATS).

Ruberg emerged as an unlikely standout with six receptions for 140 yards and two touchdowns in his first college start. Graduate Jake Yoder (Nappanee/Northwood) added four receptions for 42 yards for the Engineers.

“I was real nervous before my first college start,” said Ruberg. “I just wanted to help the team win. Scoring two touchdowns was just icing on the cake.”

The fourth-quarter scoring strike broke the second tie of the game and gave Rose-Hulman the lead for the fourth time in the back and forth contest. Tharpe hit the streaking Ruberg with a deep pass down the middle, exploiting the French zone defense.

“We made the play look different with motion. The offensive line blocked well and Jared threw a great ball. I just had to sprint, beat one guy and take off for a touchdown,” said Ruberg.

“I faked a screen pass to Jake (Yoder) and then threw the ball the deep. I think that I had an adrenaline rush, because that was the hardest ball I threw all day,” said Tharpe.

Graduate Jim Munafo tossed his game gloves to a young Parisian after the game, then signs them for Rose-Hulman’s newest fan.

Rose-Hulman amassed 317 yards of total offense in 53 plays, while France tallied 314 yards in 64 plays. The Engineers won despite making three turnovers, including a first-quarter interception returned 90 yards for a touchdown. Rose-Hulman’s victory came over a team comprised of the 40 top professional football players in France, brought together in training for the European World Cup in October.

“I thought our kids responded well to a tremendous challenge. We kept pace and even with a shortened team kept our composure and played one series at a time,” said Rose-Hulman head coach Russ Mollet.

Sandino Octobre led the French offense with 139 rushing yards on 21 carries, while quarterback Mickael Donati completed 10 of 23 passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Donati added 28 rushing yards and one score, while Cedric Bacot led the receivers with 58 yards on three receptions with two scores.

“The French National Team had some extremely good athletes. We felt a little extra pressure, because we felt like we were representing our country and our institution. This is truly a great win for our program,” said Mollet.

Defensively, junior Andy Gullone (Clinton, Ill.) led Rose-Hulman with eight tackles and two tackles-for-loss, while senior Matt Zuber (Paris, Ill.) recorded seven tackles. Juniors Matt Colatruglio (Vermilion, Ohio) and Nick Dames (La Porte) both had six tackles, with Colatrgulio making an interception in the final minute to seal the win.

Rose-Hulman received a fortunate break on the opening kickoff to take an early 6-0 lead. Senior Nat Hill (Bloomington/South) booted a squib kick off the leg of a French defender that bounced directly into the hands of two Engineers to give Rose-Hulman the opening possession. Nine plays later, Tharpe capped the drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak to give the Engineers a 6-0 lead.

Dames snagged an interception on the first France drive, setting up another scoring opportunity. Rose-Hulman marched to the France two-yard line, courtesy of a 23-yard scamper by Tharpe. Defensive back Jallal Meridja turned the course of the game on the next play, grabbing an interception and streaking 90 yards for a touchdown that put France in front 7-6.

The Engineers pose for a team picture prior to the game in Paris.

“It was a game of big plays for both teams,” said Tharpe. “I just enjoyed watching our team come together and make both plays. Our defense made some key plays and we moved the ball against the best defense that I’ve faced this year.”

Rose-Hulman regained the lead at 12-7 on the first possession of the second quarter. Willis engineered an eight-play, 72-yard drive that featured two personal fouls against the French defense. Senior B.J. Dames (La Porte) capped the drive with an 11-yard run with 9:20 remaining in the first half.

France answered on the next possession with a five-play, 62-yard drive to gain a 13-12 lead midway through the second quarter. Donati connected with Bacot on a 29-yard strike to give France an advantage, which remained at one point due to a low snap on the extra point.

Rose-Hulman took just four plays to regain the lead at 20-13. Senior Josh Reed (New Palestine) started the drive with a 49-yard kickoff return and a seven-yard rush. Willis connected with Yoder on a 15-yard strike, then handed to senior Jason Short (Niles, Mich./St. Joseph) who rushed for six yards. Willis capped the drive with a two-yard run, then pushed the lead to seven points on a two-point pass to Short.

“The offensive line did a great job opening up holes on the quarterback sneak. The two-point play was a big key in the game. The play was a simple pass route, Jason was my first read, and he made a great catch,” said Willis.

France had one more first-half march to knot the score at 20-20 at the break. The nine-play, 57-yard drive ended with a two-yard sprint by Donati at the 1:44 mark of the second quarter.

Rose-Hulman regained the lead at 26-20 on the second possession of the second half. Willis hit a streaking Ruberg for a 61-yard touchdown to cap a three-play drive at the 9:15 mark of the third quarter.

2002 Rose-Hulman graduates (L to R) Ben Shanks, Jim Munafo, Jason Lanie, Brandon Shields, B.J. Dames, Chad Weber and Jake Yoder pose for a postgame photo with coach Russ Mollet (front).

“The pass to Sean was the same play that we ran with Jared in the fourth quarter. It was a solid play against the defensive scheme that France was running. He made a great catch and did the rest of the work,” said Willis.

France tied the contest again with a 39-yard drive late in the third quarter. Donati completed the march with an 18-yard pass to Bacot with 3:00 left in the frame.

Rose-Hulman marched to the France 43-yard line before Yoder booted a coffin-corner kick out of bounds on the 3-yard line. France began a sustained 13-play march that finally ended 57 yards later on a pair of incomplete passes by Donati. The march claimed more than half of the fourth-quarter clock.

Rose-Hulman broke the tie just two plays later on Tharpe’s 58-yard pass to Ruberg with 5:33 left in the contest. A subsequent two-point play from Tharpe to Yoder gave the Engineers an eight-point lead.

France marched to the Rose-Hulman 26-yard line before a key sack by Gullone and Zuber set up a fourth-and-22 situation. Colatruglio thwarted the drive by grabbing an interception at the one-yard line with 52 seconds remaining.

The Engineers still needed one first down to secure the win. On third-and-six, Short gained seven yards off tackle to earn the critical yardage that secured Rose-Hulman’s victory.

“This game helps us build tremendous momentum for the 2002 season,” said Mollet. “Now, we can set our sites on the ‘Battle of the Borders’ opener and kick the fall off right.”

Rose-Hulman will remain in Paris for two more days, then return to the United States on Tuesday evening. The 2002 campaign begins on Sept. 7 with a home game against Earlham College at 7 p.m.