Football team falls to Albion, 42-24

OLIVET, Mich. -- The Olivet College football team outgained Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Albion College in yards of total offense, 416-254, but three big plays led to 21 Albion points, and the Comets lost, 42-24, to the Britons today at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.

Albion led 7-0 with 5:26 left in the first quarter on a 2-yard run by Clinton Orr. The Britons tacked on seven points when Spencer Kraus found Zach Brewer in the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown reception. Albion made the score 21-0 when Dustin Hess returned an interception 38 yards for a score. Later in the second quarter, Kraus connected with Dave Wunderlich for a 44-yard touchdown pass to make the score 28-0.

Olivet dented the scoreboard for the first time when sophomore Blake Iobe (Marshall) made a career-long 44-yard field goal. As the first half of action was winding down, the Britons blocked the second Comet punt of the game and returned the ball for a touchdown for a 35-3 lead at halftime.

On the Comets' first play in the second half, sophomore Edric Miller (Battle Creek/Central) broke loose for an 80-yard touchdown run. It was the longest run from scrimmage for an Olivet player since Kemp Luchie also ran 80 yards against Kalamazoo Oct. 18, 2003. Iobe's PAT kick made the score 35-10. Orr ran the ensuing kickoff back 89 yards for a touchdown.

With 6:02 left in the third quarter, sophomore Jake Messner (Niles) threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Miller. The teams traded punts on the next five possessions. Olivet got on the scoreboard one more time with 3:19 remaining in the game when Messner found junior James Williams (Battle Creek/Central) over the middle and in the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. Iobe nailed his third PAT kick for the final margin of defeat.

Olivet had 253 rushing yards and 163 passing yards to account for its 416 yards, while Albion had 136 rushing yards and 118 passing yards for its 254 yards. For Olivet, Miller carried the ball 20 times for 188 yards, caught two passes for 77 yards for and returned a kickoff 18 yards, which gave him 283 total all-purpose yards. That total is the most since Travis Sleight had 306 yards against Hope Oct. 8, 2005.

Also, sophomore Jon Martin (Detroit/Mt. Clemens) had 10 rushes for 62 yards. Messner completed 5-for-11 passes for 142 yards and two scores. Defensively, senior Nick Glass (Flint/Powers) had nine total tackles, including five solo stops. Sophomore Glenn VanNortwick (Wayland/Wayland Union) recorded five tackles, including two for loss yardage.

For the Britons, Orr rushed 130 yards on 29 carries. Krauss threw for 118 yards on 8-of-19 passing. The leading receiver was Brian Spencer with five catches for 52 yards. Tony Brown and Julian Paksi each posted eight tackles.

The Comets will play two of their final games of the season on the road, beginning next Saturday at first-place Trine (Ind.) University. Game time at the Fred Zollner Athletic Stadium is 1 p.m.