Football: Comets rolls past Kalamazoo, 30-14

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College football team defeated Kalamazoo College, 30-14, in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) contest today at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.

Olivet led 7-0 after the first quarter, 14-0 at halftime and 21-0 through three quarters of play. For the game, the Comets rolled up 332 yards of total offense, while holding the Hornets to 177 yards. Junior quarterback Braden Black completed 27-of-42 passes for 259 yards. Junior Kyle Bryson was his top receiver with 10 catches for 125 yards. Freshman Kornelius Saxton caught eight passes for 74 yards. Sophomore Damorria Lilly led the ground game with 19 carries for 47 net yards.

The Olivet defense recorded 17 total tackles for loss, including 11 quarterback sacks. Individually, senior Ryan Armstrong had a team-high 12 tackles. Seven and one-half were for loss yardage, with 3.5 sacks for negative 32 yards. One of the quarterback sacks was in the end zone for a safety. Sophomore Zechariah Jenkins finished with seven total tackles.

The Comets scored their only points in the opening quarter on a one-yard run by Black. The scoring drive was set-up by a Hornet muffed punt return. Olivet's defense scored its second-quarter touchdown. With Kalamazoo punting from the end zone, the Comets blocked the punt and the ball landed into the sophomore Javon Moore's hands for a touchdown.

Olivet added to its lead on its first possession of the second half. The Comets chewed up eight minutes and four seconds off the clock with a 17-play, 86-yard drive, capped off by a three-yard touchdown pass from Black to Saxton.

The Comets put two more points on the scoreboard on the second play of the fourth quarter when Armstrong tackled Kalamazoo quarterback Alex White in the end zone for a safety.

The Hornets got on the scoreboard for the first time with 10:48 left in the game on a one-yard keeper by White. Olivet answered with a touchdown on its ensuing drive. A 12-play, 72-yard drive ended with a five-yard touchdown run by Lilly. Freshman Gunnar Aper made his fourth PAT kick of the game. Kalamazoo scored a touchdown on its final possession on a 28-yard pass from White to Dan Grost.

Olivet makes the short trip to play Albion College next Saturday at 1 p.m.

NOTES: With his 42 pass attempts, Black has tied Bob Kubiak's career record for pass attempts with 596. Armstrong's 7.5 tackles for loss broke the single-game school record. The previous record was Mike Hanna who had six vs. Rockford (Ill.) College. In addition, Armstrong's total is tied for the fifth-most in a single-game in NCAA Division III history and the most this season by any player across all NCAA levels of football.