Football team stuns Hope 31-27 behind two touchdown passes late in game

OLIVET, Mich. – Senior Kyle Bryson caught two touchdown passes and a two-point conversion pass in the final 1:49 of the game to help the Olivet College football team stun Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association rival Hope College, 31-27, today at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.

The Flying Dutchmen took a 27-16 lead with 3:55 left in the game when Zac Boersma rushed in from a yard out. Behind the arm and feet of junior quarterback Braden Black, the Comets used an 8-play, 61-yard drive to cut their deficit to 27-24 at the 1:49 mark. On the drive, Black used his feet to gain 15 yards and then completed four passes, including a 9-yard touchdown strike to Bryson. On the two-point conversion try, Black completed the pass attempt to Bryson into the end zone.

Olivet then executed a perfect on-side kick attempt by sophomore Gunnar Aper, with junior Mitchell Bailey falling on the ball right at midfield. On the eighth play of the drive, Black threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Bryson with 26 seconds remaining in the game. Aper's PAT kick split the uprights.

On the ensuing kickoff, Hope started a drive at its own 48-yard line. After a complete pass down to the Comet 39 and an incomplete pass, the Flying Dutchmen had one more chance but a throw into the end zone was intercepted by freshman Jaquan Short, capped Olivet's incredible comeback.

In the first quarter and start of the second quarter, Hope piled up 203 yards to take a 13-0 lead. The Comets then put together a 14-play, 80-yard drive to cut their deficit down 13-7 at the 7:56 mark of the second stanza. The touchdown was a 16-yard scoring strike from Black to Bryson.

Olivet's defense forced the Flying Dutchmen to punt on their next possession. The Comets responded with another scoring drive. On a fourth and one play, Black completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to Bailey. The PAT kick was good and Olivet led 14-13. The score stayed that way at halftime.

Both teams punted the ball three times in the third quarter. Hope took the lead back, 20-14, on a drive spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter. The Comets pinned the Flying Dutchmen at their own 1-yard drive following a 59-yard punt by sophomore Ryan Anderson. On the first play, the Hope running back was stopped in the end zone by junior Justin Madar for a safety to make the score 20-16 midway through the final quarter.

Since the free kick was a live ball, the Flying Dutchmen jumped on it at the Comet 38-yard line. After two pass completions and two running plays, Hope had the ball inside the five-yard line for a first down. Following three rushes, the Flying Dutchmen elected to go for it on fourth down and Boersma scored his one-yard touchdown for the 27-16 score.

Statistics for the game were nearly equal. Olivet had 419 yards of offense, 185 on the ground and 234 through the air, compared to 393, 147 rushing and 246 passing, for Hope.

For the Comets, junior Damorria Lilly had 17 carries for 85 yards. Black was 22-of-33 for his 234 yards and four touchdowns along with 19 rushes for 53 yards. Bailey was the top receiver with eight catches for 104 yards. Bryson hauled in four passes for 40 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Zechariah Jenkins topped the defense with 11 tackles. Senior Curtis French had nine tackles, including two for loss yardage.

Boersma led Hope with 16 rushes for 127 yards and three touchdowns. Rob Kish completed 18-of-29 passes. Matt Kroll had nine receptions for 91 yards. Kirk Gibson registered a team-leading 11 tackles.

The Comets travel to play Kalamazoo College next Saturday. Kick-off at Angell Field is scheduled for 2 p.m.