FRANKLIN, Ind. – Albion College scripted a perfect ending to the first half and the start of the second half to boost it to a 48-26 victory over Franklin College in a non-league football game Saturday night.

Quarterback Kyle Thomas hooked up with his brother, Justin, on a 9-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter as Albion took a 27-13 lead at halftime.

Tyrone Collins pushed the Albion lead to 34-13 when he returned the second half kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown.

Albion started fast by scoring on its first two possessions – Isaiah Gibson scored on a 9-yard run and Thomas brothers connected on a 31-yard score – while the defense held Franklin without a first down for the first 11 minutes of the first quarter.

Franklin came back to tie the score at 13 with 10 minutes left in the second quarter as Jacob Earl got loose for a 61-yard touchdown run and Austin Grunden scored from a yard out.

Albion never surrendered the lead, however, as it responded when Marlon Martin hauled in a 13-yard pass from Kyle Thomas. The Britons led 20-13 with 7:15 left in the second quarter and never trailed again.

Albion finished the night with 464 yards of offense. Kyle Thomas completed 22-of-30 passes for 272 yards and a single-game school record tying six touchdowns. Kolby Canfield hauled in five passes for 90 yards.

The defense surrendered 467 yards, but it made important stops. The defense forced Franklin to turn the ball over on downs near midfield late in the first half and that set up the scoring drive that put Albion ahead 27-13 at halftime. Kalil Brown and Drew Shafer picked off passes deep in Albion territory in the second half.

Albion will return home Sept. 21 for its final non-league game of the season and a reunion of the 1994 team that captured the NCAA Division III national championship. Eureka College will provide the opposition for the 1 o'clock kickoff at Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium and Schmidt-Fraser Field.

Follow the Albion football team on Twitter (@AlbionFootball) and Instagram (@albionfootball_). General athletics news can be found @GoBrits on Twitter, AlbionAthletics on Instagram and at facebook.com/albionathletics.

Joe and Julie Serra have given a $5 million leadership gift to launch a fundraising initiative to make two dreams a reality at Albion College. The first is a newly expanded fitness and student activity facility at the site of the current Dow Recreation and Wellness Center. The second is a new or renovated competition facility for the volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball teams that currently call Kresge Gymnasium home.

The College is continuing to raise funds in support of both projects. To learn more, call 517/629-0446 or email advancement@albion.edu