Box Score Franklin & Marshall 35, Lebanon Valley 20
 
LVC Offense
QB Kegarise, TB Wilson, FB Steinhilber, WR Diggs, WR Niemeyer, TE Clark, LT Klinger, LG Johnson-Ortiz, C Thompson, RT Heft, RG Redmon
 
LVC Defense
DE LaPorta, DT McLeod, DT Miller, DE Brubaker, LB Gerhart, LB Lutz, LB Estes, CB Okomba, SS Jenkins, FS Yetter, CB Gaumer
 
F&M Offense
QB Perschy, TB Hartley-Vittoria, WR Focht, WR Lammers, WR Walter, TE Benfatti, LT Denoncour, LG Weiser, C Sellers, RT Fink, RG Ioannides
 
F&M Defense
DE Bertone, DT Gault, N Snopek, DE McGlinchney, LB Hamby, LB Krippner, LB Silva-Muniz, CB Chery, SS Fenstermacher, FS Leone, CB Boston

ANNVILLE, Pa. - Lebanon Valley fell 35-20 in its home opener to Franklin & Marshall on Saturday after at Arnold Field. The Dutchmen fell to 0-1, while the Diplomats jumped to 1-0. Today marked the 40th-ever meeting between the two squads.
 
After the Flying Dutchmen's (0-1) defense forced a three-and-out in the visitor's opening drive, the offense showed itself for the first time in a regular season game and didn't disappoint. Hunter Wilson began the drive with a seven-yard rush to LVC's 15, and on the very next play, Wilson broke loose and outraced the defense for an 85-yard touchdown that rocked the crowd and gave the home squad a 7-0 advantage after Nick Bentz's good point-after attempt.
 
On the visitor's ensuing drive, the stout Dutchmen defense stood tall and forced another punt, but on LVC's next drive, Thomas Downs picked off Kody Kegarise at the LVC 46 on a 4th and 8 play. F&M took advantage of the Dutchmen miscue and capped off a four-play, 46-yard drive with a 33-yard rushing touchdown by Keshon Farmer to even the game at 7-7 with 7:08 remaining in the opening quarter.
 
On the Dutchmen's next drive, the Diplomats' Downs again intercepted a Kegarise pass and returned it seven yards to the Dutchmen's 33-yard line. Once again, the visiting squad turned an LVC turnover into points, as Joe Hartley-Vittoria registered F&M's second rushing TD of the afternoon with a 7-yard run, putting the Dips ahead 14-7 with 5:39 left in the first.
 
On LVC's final drive of the first, the Dutchmen put together a long drive, including 49 rushing yards from Hunter Wilson and eight more from Michael Are. On the first play of the second quarter with the Dutchmen at F&M's one-yard line, Kegarise snuck it in for the touchdown. Despite the missed PAT, LVC was just a point behind F&M at 14-13 early in the second.
 
Later in the second quarter, F&M kept its offense on the field for 5:31 with a 12-play, 56-yared drive, capped by QB Garrett Perschy's one-yard run from the goal line to put the visitors ahead 21-13. After LVC's ensuing drive stalled out, the Dips had 2:14 left on the clock to try to increase their lead, but on fourth down and 16 at LVC's 30, Perschy tossed a pass to the endzone and Anthony Jenkins picked him off as time expired in the second quarter, keeping LVC down by just eight at halftime.
 
Early on in the third quarter, the visitors distanced themselves from LVC with Farmer's second rushing TD of the game, this time a one-yard run. The Dutchmen had an answer, however, as Wilson continued his best game wearing a Dutchmen uniform and received a pass from Kegarise on a wheel route and Wilson juked the defense and scored on a 39-yard pass from Kegarise, bringing LVC back to within eight points at 28-20 with 6:08 to go in the third.
 
From there, the Dutchmen were unable to generate anymore offense for the remainder of the third quarter and the fourth. On the Diplomats' opening play of the fourth, they went ahead by 15 at 35-20 on Farmer's third rushing TD of the game, putting the game out of reach.
 
Inside the Numbers
 - LVC led in total offense at 341-321.
 - The Dutchmen held the edge in passing yards at 149-83.
 - F&M outran LVC as a team 238-192.
 - Hunter Wilson enjoyed a career-day, rushing 21 times for 169 yards and one touchdown, his 85-yarder in the opening quarter.
 - Michael Are added three rushes for 19 yards.
 - Tyeair Diggs went for six catches for 66 yards.
 - Cameron Niemeyer caught two balls for 20 yards.
 - QB Kody Kegarise went 12-for-28 for 149 yards and a touchdown.
 - F&M's QB Perschy went 10-for-17 in the air for 83 yards.
 - Hartley-Vittoria was the Diplomats' leading rusher, going for 116 yards on 18 carries.
 - On defense for LVC, Tyler Lutz was all over the field and made a game-high 17 tackles.
 - Dillon Estes was also up there with Lutz, making 14 tackles.
 - Anthony Jenkins added nine tackles, one sack, and broke up a pair of throws and Brandon Brubaker made five tackles.
 - F&M's Kevonte Beard led his team with eight total tackles.
 - LVC was 3-of-10 on third-down conversions and F&M went 3-of-11.
 
Who's Next?
LVC head to Wilkes-Barre next Saturday for a non-conference matchup at Wilkes University. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m.
 
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