Football team closes out season with 45-20 loss at Adrian

The Olivet College football team closed out the 2009 season with a 45-20 loss to Adrian College this evening at the Multi-Sport Performance Stadium in Adrian.

Even before the Comets took their first snap of the game, they had a 14-0 lead. Adrian got the ball to start of the game, and on its eight play of the game, senior Jared Thornton (Colon) stepped in front of a Mike McGee pass and returned the interception 96 yards for a touchdown. Senior Graham Lockwood (Haslett/Williamston) made the PAT kick.

The Bulldogs received the kickoff and on their second play, freshman Jarred Goodman (Portland) picked off McGee for the second time, and returned the pick 46 yards for a touchdown. Lockwood nailed the PAT kick. Olivet led 14-0 after the first quarter of play.

In the second quarter, Adrian put together a 13-play, 92-yard scoring drive, which was capped by 26-yard pass completion from Justin Hemm to Nick Hemmingsen. Justin Warner converted the PAT kick to cut the Bulldogs in half.

After forcing the Comets to punt, Adrian marched down the field and cut its deficit to four points on a 23-yard field goal by Warner. On the ensuing possession, Olivet had to punt, but Jared Edwards fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by Thornton.

The Comets took advantage of the turnover to push its lead back to 10 points. Freshman Tony Phillips (Lansing/Waverly) connected with sophomore Mike Martin (Caledonia/Wayland Union) foran 18-yard touchdown with 26 seconds showing on the clock. The PAT kick was no good. The Bulldogs needed just two plays, including a 28-yard touchdown run by Hemm, in the closing seconds to make the score 20-17 at halftime. At the half, Adrian had 259 yards of offense to just 97 for Olivet.

The Bulldogs scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to pull away from the Comets. All three scores came on pass plays. Hemm connected with Stevie Freeman for the first two scores, one from 19 yards and second from 56 yards out. The third was a 29-yard reception by Edwards.

Adrian padded its lead in the fourth quarter with a nine-yard pass by Hemm to Jackson Hanks. The PAT kick was good, and the Bulldogs led, 45-20. There was no more scoring in the game.

Olivet finished the game with 213 total yards offense, while the Bulldogs had 513 yards. Senior Pat Clasgens (Livonia/Stevenson) led the Comet ground game with nine carries for 50 yards. Making his first collegiate start, Phillips completed 15-of-27 passes for 131 yards. Junior Ben Sherman (Charlotte) caught five passes for 36 yards. Martin ran the ball for 31 yards and had 30 receiving yards. Defensively, Thornton and junior Chris Behnke (Olivet) each recorded 12 total tackles. Behnke had a 3.5 tackles for loss, including a quarterback sack.

Hemm was near-perfect, throwing for 300 yards and five touchdowns on 16-of-18 passing. Freeman had a game-high 107 receiving yards, while Joe Beehler had seven receptions for 91 yards. Edwards topped the Bulldog rushing attack