CARLISLE, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall football team reclaimed the Wagon and evened its Centennial Conference record with a 17-13 win against Dickinson on Saturday. Franklin & Marshall ate up over 40 minutes of possession time in the controlling victory as the Diplomats ran the ball 51 times for a total of 175 rushing yards.

The big play of the contest came when Colin Lavigne picked off a Dickinson pass deep in Diplomat territory and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown. The Diplomats' biggest play of the day offensively was an 18-yard pass from Logan Clouse to Drew Benfatti just before the half as F&M took a lead it would never relinquish.

First Quarter (Dickinson 7, F&M 0)

The only scoring of the first quarter also followed a turnover as the Red Devils intercepted a pass in F&M territory and capitalized on the short field with a 33-yard touchdown drive. The big play on that drive preceded the touchdown as Caleb Pruitt ran for 28 yards to set up a five-yard touchdown.

Second Quarter (F&M 14, Dickinson 7)

After watching one drive stall out in Dickinson territory and another reach midfield, Jack Rodenberger had the Red Devils pinned deep at the end of the first quarter. Nevertheless, a 61-yard run flipped the field position. However, that was only a slight shift in momentum as two plays later Lavigne took his interception 95 yards the other way to even the score after Rodenberger's PAT.

Turnovers were again crucial in the Diplomats' second touchdown drive as Jake Perloski forced a fumble that was recovered by Thomas Downs at the Dickinson 33. The Clouse-Benfatti connection extended that ensuing drive on a third down before an 18-yard touchdown reception on third-and-six to give F&M a lead it would not surrender the rest of the afternoon.

Third Quarter (F&M 17, Dickinson 7)

Another turnover set up F&M's final score of the game. This one came immediately after the kickoff as the Diplomats forced a fumble to start deep inside Dickinson territory. That set up the short field for an eventual 34-yard field goal from Rodenberger.

Fourth Quarter (F&M 17, Dickinson 13)

With the lead, the defense began to take over as it forced a turnover on downs and a three-and-out. The offense was able to truly assert its will on the Dickinson defense during a drive that started midway through the third quarter and lasted 17 plays as Franklin & Marshall took nearly 10 minutes off the clock. Ultimately, it was the Red Devils who had the final say as they blocked a field goal to end the drive, but were now in a hurry up mode chasing down a two score deficit. The Diplomats defense held tough on a pair of fourth down attempts from Dickinson to deny the Red Devils any chance of making it a one possession game. The Red Devils did get a touchdown, but it came on the final play of the game, as a 42-yard pass with time expired counted for nearly 20 percent of Dickinson's offense on the afternoon.

Franklin & Marshall Notables

With a number of carries to hand out, Jermaine Conyers led the rushing efforts with 106 yards on 29 carries. Keshon Farmer averaged 5.5 yards per carry, buoyed by a 53-yard run, as he racked up 79 yards on 14 carries. As a team, F&M averaged 3.4 yards per rush attempt. Matt Scully also helped the offense during his one kickoff return which went for 55 yards.

Saturday was certainly a full team effort on the defensive side of the ball with 12 players recording multiple tackles. Peyton Snopek recorded a team leading five tackles. Three of his five tackles went for a loss, including the Diplomats' lone sack of the day. As a team, F&M made seven tackles for loss and recovered three fumbles. Kell Hall and Dan DiBeneditto also had five tackles in the win.

About the Wagon

Since 1963, the Diplomats and Red Devils have battled each other for a model of the wagon that transported the two teams to play each other in both meetings back in 1889. The trophy is a gift from former athletic directors Dave Eavenson (DC) and J. Shober Barr (F&M) and is meant to symbolize the gridiron rivalry between the two programs.

Up Next

The Diplomats will be back at home next Saturday for a battle against nationally-ranked Muhlenberg. The Mules were ranked 18th in the most recent D3Football.com poll. Kickoff against Muhlenberg is slated for 1 p.m. inside Shadek Stadium.