DEFIANCE, Ohio – Quarterbacks Kyle Thomas, Sam Blanzy and Steve Seccia II combined to throw for 390 yards and five touchdowns as Albion College cruised to a 59-6 victory over Defiance College to open the football season.

Thomas threw for four scores, a career-high. He hooked up with his brother, Justin, for strikes from 12 and 41 yards in the second quarter. Darius Case was on the receiving end of a 6-yard scoring pass late in the second quarter and Marlon Martin hauled in a 30-yard pass in the third quarter.

Kyle Thomas finished the day completing 23 passes for 267 yards before giving way to Blanzy in the third quarter.

Blanzy completed six passes for 98 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Gibson.

Doug Freeman, who averaged nearly eight yards a carry, scored on runs from two and 16 yards out in the first quarter.

Patrick Czarnecki scored Albion's final touchdown on a 1-yard run late in the third quarter.

The Briton defense yielded just 194 yards. Mitchell Arendsen was credited with three sacks, while Quinten Jackson collected two and Chase Knopf had one and assisted on another.

El'Verson Mitchell came away with a pair of tackles for loss.

Game Notes

• The Briton defense wrapped up nine sacks on the day. That's the most for Albion since collecting eight in a victory over Wheaton College during the 2012 season.
• Albion's 59 points were its most in a season opening game since earning a 65-52 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to launch the 2015 campaign.
• Gibson (six receptions for 110 yards) and Justin Thomas (six receptions for 100 yards) were Albion's first duo to record at least 100 receiving yards in a game since Brian Spencer (16 receptions for 213 yards) and Cody Crawford (three receptions for 104 yards) in the 2012 game against Hope College.

Albion will play at home for the only time in September next Saturday (Sept. 8) when it challenges Franklin College, picked as the favorite to win the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championship.

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