Football team improves to 3-0 with 44-14 win over Aurora

OLIVET, Mich. – Junior Braden Black accounted for 412 yards of offense to help the Olivet College football team defeat Aurora (Ill.) University 44-14 today at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. Black was 30-of-36 for 350 yards and had 10 carries for 62 yards. The 350 passing yards and 412 total offensive yards are the fourth-most, and the 30 pass completions tie for third-most in school history for a single-game.

After getting the ball to start the game, the Comets needed 16 plays to cover 77 yards, capped by a two-yard touchdown run by sophomore Christopher Jones. The Spartans were forced to punt the ball on their first possession. On Olivet's first play from scrimmage, Black completed a pass but the ball was fumbled and returned by Aurora for a touchdown. The PAT kick was good and the Spartans led 7-6 with 6:07 left in the opening quarter.

The Comets answered with a touchdown on their ensuing drive. Black ended the 8-play, 70-yard drive with a four-yard sneak into the end zone. Again, Olivet missed the PAT kick to make the score 12-7.

Aurora attempted a fake punt on its next possession, but the Comets stopped the punter before he gained a first down. Olivet responded with another scoring drive. On the seventh play from scrimmage, Black completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Kornelius Saxton. Olivet went for two, and the pass play was no good for an 18-7 score with 13:25 left in the second quarter. The score stayed that way at halftime.

The Spartans received the ball to start the second half before turning the ball over on downs. The Comets put together a 13-play, 77-yard drive to surge ahead 24-7 on a three-yard touchdown run by Jones. Aurora scored its only offensive touchdown of the game on its next series.

Olivet wasted no time getting those points back on the scoreboard, as Black threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to senior Jason Barbosa. The two-point conversion try failed for a 30-14 Comet lead. Olivet put seven points on the scoreboard on a drive spanning the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter. Jones completed the drive with a one-yard run into the end zone.

The Comets scored their final touchdown with 11:05 remaining in the game when Black hooked-up with junior Mitchell Bailey from 32 yards out. The defenses traded stops on fourth down before Olivet went into victory formation and used two kneel-downs to end the game.

For the game, the Comets totaled 551 yards of offense compared to 246 for the Spartans. Jones had 17 carries for 73 yards and three touchdowns. Saxton caught eight passes for 88 yards, while Barbosa had six receptions for a game-high 99 yards. Defensively, junior Garrett Reid registered a team-leading eight tackles. Senior Curtis French was next with seven stops.

For Aurora, Brandon Evans led the ground game with 13 rushes for 76 net yards. Kendall Lawson completed 9-of-21 passes for 139 yards. Peter Rizzi was the top receiver with three catches for 62 yards. Cody Patchett topped the defense with 11 tackles.

The Comets are off next week and will host Adrian College Oct. 3 for Homecoming and their Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association opener. Game time is 2 p.m.