Football team escapes Hope with 15-13 win in MIAA-opener

HOLLAND, Mich. – The Olivet College football team escaped Hope College with a 15-13 win in its Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association opener this evening at Ray & Sue Smith Stadium in Holland.

THE BASICS          
Final score: Olivet 15, Hope 13
Location: Ray & Sue Smith Stadium; Holland, Mich.
Records: Olivet 3-1 overall, 1-0 MIAA; Hope 1-3 overall, 0-1 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Senior Mitchell Bailey returned the opening kickoff 48 yards to the Hope 46-yard line. On the third play of the drive, Bailey caught a 43-yard pass from senior Braden Black, and on the fourth play, freshman Tyler Mojet scampered four yards into the end zone. The PAT kick was blocked and Olivet led 6-0.
• The Flying Dutchmen was stopped on fourth down on its first drive of the game.
• The Comets marched down the field before a 30-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.
• Hope took over at its own 20-yard line. After the fourth play from scrimmage, the game was delayed due to lightning for more than an hour. Once play was resumed, the Flying Dutchmen fumbled the ball on a punt attempt.
• Olivet could not capitalize on the turnover, as a fourth down pass in the red zone fell short.
• Hope was forced to punt and on the play was called for kick-catching interference penalty. The Comets took over at the 39-yard line. A couple pass plays got them in the red zone, but they had to settle for a 27-yard field by freshman Douglas Pollard to make the score 9-0 with 7:35 left in the second quarter.
• The Flying Dutchmen used a 14-play, 61-yard drive, capped by a 35-yard field goal by Darren Ford, to trim their deficit down to six points, 9-3, with 1:30 left before halftime.
• Hope got the ball to start the second half. The Flying Dutchmen put together a 50-yard drive to make the score 9-6 on a 39-yard field goal by Ford.
• The Comets were forced to punt on their first series of the second half.
• Hope responded with an 80-yard drive to take a 13-9 lead. Mike Miklusicak ended the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run with 3:12 left in the third quarter.
• On its ensuing drive, Olivet drove 75 yards to gain the lead back, 15-13, at the 10:07 mark of the fourth quarter. Sophomore Jerome Washington capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
• Both teams had a three-and-out on their next drive.
• Hope had to punt on its next drive, giving the ball to the Comets at their own 17-yard with 5:04 left in the game. Olivet secured three first downs to run out the clock and seal its win. The biggest first down of the drive was a 16-yard run by Black on a third-and-10 play.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet finished the game with 20 first downs and 341 total yards – 137 on the ground and 204 through the air.
• Black completed 15-of-21 passes for 204 yards. He also gained a team-best 50 rushing yards on 15 carries.
• Junior Kornelius Saxton was the leading receiver with seven catches for 103 yards.
• Washington had 12 rushes for 48 yards.
• Senior Thomas Gary-Homes topped the defense with eight total tackles tackles.
• Senior Robert Cuba and junior Walter Love III each recorded seven tackles. Two of Cuba's tackles were for loss yardage.

FOR THE FLYING DUTCHMEN

• Hope had 13 first downs and 242 yards.
• Bruce Schroeder was 11-of-20 passing for 97 yards.
• Cooper Cecchini caught four passes for 44 yards.
• Christian Bos also had four receptions with 41 yards.
• Miklusicak had 10 carries for 71 yards.
• Andy Lucas led the defense with 13 tackles.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Combined with last year's win against Hope, the Comets have beaten the Flying Dutchmen in back-to-back seasons for the first time 1964 and 1965.
• The last time Olivet won an MIAA game by scoring 15 or fewer points was Oct. 15, 2011, when it beat Kalamazoo, 14-10.
• The Comets' last win on Hope's home field was Nov. 3, 2007 – a 28-25 victory.

UP NEXT

• Olivet celebrates Homecoming next Saturday, Oct. 8, when it welcomes the Kalamazoo College Hornets to the Cutler Athletic Complex for a 2 p.m. contest.