RIPON, Wis. - Ripon picked up its first win of the 2017 season Saturday afternoon, defeating Grinnell College in dominating fashion by a score of 55-0 for their first shutout victory at home since 2009. The Red Hawks held a 30-8 advantage in first downs, while out-gaining the Pioneers in total offensive yards 445-139. Ripon gained 364 rushing yards, while holding Grinnell to just 57 yards on the ground, which was a big reason Grinnell averaged just 2.7 yards per play throughout the game.

"I was really proud of the entire team today," Ripon Head Coach Ron Ernst said. "We had great intensity during practice all week, and our players really responded in all three phases of the game. This was a total team victory.

The Red Hawks (1-3) set the tone early, taking the opening drive 57 yards on seven plays, capped by a one-yard run by Julian Patton, which gave Ripon its first lead of the season. Patton added a second touchdown later in the quarter, capping an eight-play, 67-yard drive. Patton added a third TD early in the second quarter, scoring on a 24-yard run. Ripon would go into halftime with a 28-0 lead after Patton found Tyler VanDeVelde for a 13-yard scoring strike just before intermission.

Ripon continued to pour it on in the second half, scoring another touchdown on their first possession of the third quarter when VanDeVelde scored on a two-yard run to put Ripon up 35-0. The Red Hawks scored twice more in the quarter on runs by Brandon Barnes and Sam Shroyer, who would add a second TD run in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.

Patton finished the game with 83 yards on 16 carries (5.2 ypc), including three TDs, while also completing 5-of-7 passes for 81 yards and a score. Barnes and VanDeVelde each added 62 yards on the ground, while Brett Garst gained 59 yards on eight carries (7.4 ypc). Every single healthy member of Ripon's team played in the game.

"It's so much fun to see every player get into the game," Ernst said. "Everyone works hard in practice throughout the week, so I was really happy to see them all get some playing time."

Defensively, Ripon recorded four sacks and four interceptions. Lane Barnes led the way with two sacks, to go along with a team-high nine tackles, while forcing a fumble and breaking up one pass. Brock Schneider recorded 1.5 sacks, with Kaden Graham posting the team's other sack. Cameron Gruenwald intercepted two passes on the day, while Hunter Gruenwald and Bennett Groves each recorded one INT.

"We have a very good defense that is very coachable," Ernst said. "They hold each other accountable, but they have fun, and they're playing very well right now."

Grinnell (1-3) sustained just two drives of more than 40 yards, while three of their five first half possessions ended in an interception. The Pioneers were led by Carson Dunn, who gained 60 yards on 19 carries. Defensively, Grinnell was led by Ryan Slager, who recorded 19 tackles, adding to his conference-leading 14 tackles per game.

The Red Hawks will try to use this momentum next weekend as they'll open conference play against St. Norbert College in what will be Ripon's annual Homecoming celebration. That game will kickoff at 1 p.m. at Ingalls Field in Ripon and can be seen live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/.

"This win will give us some confidence," Ernst said. "We'll have a tough opponent next week, but I think today's game will give us a lot of energy going into next week, and I think we'll play well against St. Norbert."

Next Saturday's game will follow the grand opening of the newly-renovated Willmore Center on Ripon's campus in which there will be an open gym beginning at 8 a.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. There will also be a Homecoming Tailgate Picnic from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. across the street from Willmore Center on Lower Sadolff. After the game, there will be "The Fifth Quarter", which will be held at Bovay's Study Bar & Mercantile on Watson Street, featuring live music.