HIRAM, Ohio - The Gallaudet University football team ran its new offense to perfection on Saturday as the Bison racked up 337 rushing yards en route to a huge 34-7 victory on the road against Hiram College before a crowd of 580 at Charles A. Henry Field.

"Obviously, we played very well today. I am excited for the players and for the community," said GU coach Ed Hottle. "We played all three phases of the game very well. We played better and with passion."

Senior quarterback Jimmy Gardner (St. Augustine, Fla.) had a career day as he ran for 130 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Sophomore running back Jacob Schlotthauer (Oshkosh, Wis.) ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns to give GU two 100-yard rushers in a game for the first-time under Hottle, now in his fifth year.  The team rushing mark is also a new high in the Hottle era.

Gardner scored the game's first points in the second quarter when he lunged in from a yard out at the 5:12 mark to give the Bison a 7-0 lead at the half.

In the second half, Gallaudet (1-1) scored a touchdown on four of its first six possessions. Schlotthauer scored back-to-back touchdowns for the Buff and Blue in the third quarter while Gardner finished off the scoring with two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Gardner's last touchdown came on a 43-yard run with 3:20 left in the game.

"Jimmy did a great job. He was a real leader out there," said Hottle.

Sophomore Mike Gimeli (Deerpark, N.Y.) and junior Cole Johnson (Edina, Minn.) were also vital in the first Bison victory this season by any GU athletic team. The pair combined to rush for 101 yards.

"All-and-all the offensive line did great. Mike earned 54 very hard fought yards while Cole picked up some key first downs," said Hottle.

Hiram (0-1) struggled against the pesky Bison defense as the Terriers were forced to punt or turn the ball over on downs on their first six possessions. On the seventh possession, the Terriers fumbled the ball away as sophomore defensive back Jared Vollmar (Delavan, Wis.) made the recovery. A Terrier penalty placed the Bison deep in Hiram territory as GU capped off a five-play drive with a 1-yard Schlotthauer score to give Gallaudet a 20-0 lead late in the third quarter.

The Terriers responded with a quick strike as freshman quarterback Brendan Rehor (13-for-21, 135 yards) connected with junior wide receiver Glenn Campbell (six receptions, 83 yards) for a 31-yard touchdown in 54 seconds.

"A shutout was within reach," said Hottle. "Our defensive line did a great job of holding Hiram to 66 rushing yards. The defensive unit, as a whole, cleaned up their tackling."

Senior linebacker Calvin Doudt (Medina, Ohio) led all Bison defenders with six tackles, two for a loss of five yards, while sophomore Jon Van Wey (Alexandria, Va.) and junior Richard Bailey (Willingboro, N.J.) recorded one sack apiece.

Gallaudet dominated the time of possession as the Bison had the ball nearly 37 minutes (36:55) while the Terriers had the ball for 23 minutes (23:05). The Bison were an impressive 3-for-3 in the red zone and converted 50 percent of their third-down opportunities (7-for-14) and both fourth down attempts.

This was the first-ever trip for the Bison to Hiram as the victory evens the young series between the two schools to 1-1. Hiram defeated GU 20-14 last year in overtime on a wet and rain soaked day in Washington, D.C.

The Bison will remain on the road next week as Gallaudet plays it's first-ever conference game in the new Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) against Mount Ida College at 1 p.m. in Newton, Mass.