Posted: Sep 12, 2015
No. 3 Hutchinson scored first and last but the eighth-ranked Butler Grizzlies controlled everything in between on their way to a 52-28 win in a top-10 showdown Saturday night at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson.
Hutchinson scored first in the contest, getting a touchdown just 29 seconds into the contest with an explosive two-play drive. Butler then fumbled on its opening drive. At that point, the Blue Dragons seemed to have the momentum.
The Butler defense, however, forced Hutchinson to punt on its next possession. Butler would get a 41-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justice Hansen to receiver Julian Burris to tie the game 7-7 and Butler would not look back.
Butler would score 45 consecutive points in the contest, fueled in part by the precision passing of Hansen and also by four turnovers generated by the Butler defense. The Grizzlies twice led by as many as 38 before Hutchinson scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Hansen would finish the first half with four passing touchdowns - two to Burris, one to Byron Pringle and one to McKinley Johnson - and 284 passing yards in his first collegiate start. Two of those touchdowns came in the final two minutes of the first half, sandwiched around a Hutchinson turnover, and Butler led 35-7 at the break.
Butler used special teams to add to its lead in the third quarter. Lane Brewer knocked in a 21-yard field goal to make it 38-7. Hutchinson answered with a solid drive and lined up to kick a field goal of its own. Patrick Dugan blocked the kick and Octavious Morgan scooped up the ball. He raced 66 yards for a touchdown to put Butler up 45-7 with 8:53 left in the third quarter.
Hutchinson would get a passing touchdown before Kobe McCrary scored again for Butler, making it 52-14 with 10:09 to play. It was his second touchdown run of the game and gives him seven touchdowns in three games. He has scored at least two touchdowns in each game this season.
Defensively, Butler was led by Patrick Dugan with 14 tackles. Demarcus Lloyd has 12 tackles with three tackles for loss, an interception a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
Butler is now 3-0 overall and 2-0 in Jayhawk Conference play, tied with Dodge City for first place in the league standings. Hutchinson falls to 2-1 overall, 1-1 in conference.
Butler will be on the road again next weekend to take on Fort Scott (1-2, 0-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Frary Field. Fort Scott had led at halftime at No. 4 Coffeyville before falling 48-25.
