After an opening week loss at #1 UW-Whitewater, it was a potent ground game that propelled the Adrian College football team to a 40-14 win over Defiance College on Military Appreciation Day at Performance Stadium under the lights.

A career day by junior Jared Edwards and sophomore Justin Hemm led to a rushing attack which finished with 385 yards on 47 carries (8.2 ypr) and four scores. Edwards ran the ball 25 times for a career-high 208 yards and one touchdown. Hemm rushed eight times for a career-high 138 yards and a pair of scores. Junior Jeremy Southworth also had a rushing touchdown and carried for 33 yards on seven totes.

Edwards got Adrian on the board on the opening drive as he scampered 17 yards on the 11th play of the drive which used up 5:46 and covered 78 yards. After a Defiance punt, the Bulldogs drove 98 yards in nine plays capped off by a 19-yard scoring run by Hemm over right guard to stake AC to a 14-0 lead with 1:26 left in the opening quarter.

Defiance got a safety on the next Adrian possession as Hemm fumbled the shotgun snap in the end zone and third and 17 from the five-yard line and tried to throw under pressure out of the end zone, but stepped on the back line before getting the throw off. Defiance was driving after the free kick and pushed the ball down to the Adrian 33-yard line in seven plays. The Yellow Jackets had a costly miscue on the eighth play as quarterback Rick Powell scrambled for 16 yards down to the Adrian 17-yard line, but a big hit by Jake Duffey forced a fumble which was recovered by Jarred Kwiatkowski to end the scoring threat.

After Adrian led 14-2 at halftime, the Bulldogs put the game out of reach with 10 points in the third quarter. Logan Mitseff booted a 31-yard field goal on AC's first possession of the third quarter to give Adrian a 17-2 lead. After a three-and-out by Defiance's offense, Mike McGee hooked up down the visitor sideline with Mitch Gabriele on a 77-yard touchdown pitch and catch to make it 24-2 with 4:40 left in the quarter.

Defiance closed the gap to 24-8 with a Powell-to-Nick Wiedenhoft scoring strike of 22 yards early in the fourth quarter. On the two-point conversion attempt, Powell fumbled at the 10-yard line and Chris Cook scooped it up and rumbled 90 yards for two points to put Adrian ahead 26-8 with 14:08 left in the game.

After the kickoff, Southworth carried seven yards for a touchdown capping off a six-play, 60-yard drive with 11:11 to go making it 33-8. Powell gave the Yellow Jackets a little hope with a five-yard touchdown run on their next possession to cut the lead to 33-14 with 9:00 to play. It took AC just three plays to find the end zone for the final time as Hemm busted through the line and raced 60 yards to paydirt to cap off a 40-14 win.

Adrian finished with 497 total yards compared to 346 total yards for Defiance. Adrian was also 4-of-10 on third down conversions and 1-of-1 on fourth down. Defiance held the ball for 31:06 to 28:54 for the Bulldogs. McGee threw for 99 yards and one score bringing his career total to 31 touchdown passes.

Danny Taylor led Adrian's defense with 11 tackles. Kwiatkowski added seven tackles including three tackles for loss and one fumble recovery.