Football team wins overtime thriller against Benedictine, 54-48

OLIVET, Mich. – Senior Braden Black threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Andre Houston in overtime to lead the Olivet College football team to a thrilling 54-48 win over Benedictine (Ill.) University today at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.

THE BASICS          
Final score: Olivet 54, Benedictine 48 (OT)
Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Olivet 6-1 overall, Benedictine 4-3 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Eagles scored on the opening possession of the game, as Ryan Sample completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Paul Gray. The PAT kick was blocked.
• The Comets answered with a touchdown on their first drive when Black scampered nine yards into the end zone. Junior Gunnar Aper made the PAT kick.
• Benedictine took the lead back on a three-yard pass from Sample to Gray.
• On the last play of the opening quarter, freshman Tyler Mojet rushed a yard into the end zone. The PAT kick was blocked, and the score was tied at 13-13.
• The Eagles surged ahead 20-13 on a one-yard touchdown run by Sample.
• Olivet leveled the score at 20-20 when Black tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Trenton Monroe.
• Benedictine quickly answered with a 61-yard touchdown pass from Sample to Elijah Walker.
• The Comets lined-up for a 30-yard field goal in the final seconds of the second quarter. The Eagles blocked the kick and returned the ball the other way for a touchdown. The PAT kick was missed, and Benedictine led 33-20 at halftime.
• On the Eagles' first possession of the second half, Olivet blocked its punt and took over at the BenU 12-yard line. Two carries for sophomore Jerome Washington, with the last one going for five yards into the end zone and make the score 33-27.
• The Eagles had to punt the ball on their next drive and the punt only traveled nine yards.
• The Comets then used a 10-play, 40-yard drive, capped by a four-yard touchdown run by Washington to them ahead 34-33.
• Benedictine responded with a seven-play touchdown drive to take the lead back, 40-34, at the end of the third quarter.
• Olivet had to punt on its next drive. On the first play of the fourth quarter, junior Javon Walker intercepted a Sample pass.
• The Comets took advantage of the turnover with a nine-play, 65-yard scoring drive. On a fourth and one play, Washington broke several tackles to rumble 31 yards into the end zone, and Olivet led 41-40.
• The Eagles had another answer, with a five-yard touchdown pass from Sample to Gray. The two-point conversion pass was good and they led 48-41 with 9:22 left in the game.
• With the game on the line and 2:04 showing on the clock, the Comets faced fourth down from the Benedictine 7. Black was nearly brought down in the back field before throwing a seven-yard touchdown pass to Mojet.
• Benedictine got the ball but was forced to punt with less than a minute left. After unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Eagles, Olivet took over at the BenU 48-yard line. The Comets marched down the field but a 31-yard field goal attempt as time expired was blocked as time expired.
• Olivet won the toss to start overtime and elected to go on defense first.
• After getting a first down to the 15, Sample threw an incomplete pass before getting sacked for an eight-yard loss on second down. Sample also threw incomplete passes on third and fourth down.
• The Comets faced a 3rd and 16 in overtime when Black completed a 16-yard pass to junior Kornelius Saxton. Olivet got another first down before two negative rushing plays set-up a third and goal play. Black then completed the nine-yard pass to Houston for the winning touchdown.

FOR THE COMETS

• For the game, the Comets totaled 557 yards – 228 on the ground and 329 through the air – of offense.
• Washington had 15 rushes for 114 yards and three touchdowns.
• Black was 29-of-38 for 329 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 15 carries for 69 yards.
• Senior Mitchell Bailey caught eight passes for 88 yards.
• Saxton had six receptions for 68 yards.

• Senior Thomas Gary-Homes led the defense with 11 tackles, including a pair of quarterback sacks for negative 13 yards.
• Junior Walter Love III was next with nine tackles and two pass break-ups.
• Senior Justin Madar finished with two tackles, and both were quarterback sacks.

FOR THE EAGLES

• Benedictine rolled up 479 total yards, but only four net rushing yards.
• Sample completed 28-of-51 passes for 475 yards with five touchdowns.
• Elijah Walker had a team-leading 181 receiving yards on seven catches.
• Luke Ludolph caught six passes for 148 yards.
• Gray finished with nine receptions for 78 yards and four touchdowns.
• Scottie Bobeck topped the defense with 13 tackles.
• Danielle Chism and Jarrett Lecas recorded 10 tackles apiece.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• With his four touchdowns (one rushing and three passing), Black now has been responsible for 102 touchdowns in his Olivet career. With his 398 total yards, Black surpasses the 10,000 career plateau in total offensive yards, and now has 10,135 yards. He is only the second player in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association history to reach this milestone.
• With his two quarterback sacks, Madar needs one-half sack to break the single-season record of 10. He is 2.5 quarterback sacks shy of tying the Olivet career record of 24.5 by Ryan Armstrong.
• The 102 combined points is the most in an Olivet game since the Comets and Franklin (Ind.) combined to score 125 points (63-62 Olivet win) on Sept. 11, 2004.
• The Comets have now only played five overtime games in school history. It's only their second win in overtime, as the other victory was 20-13 over Alma College on Oct. 5, 2013.

UP NEXT

• Olivet resumes Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play next Saturday with a 1 p.m. home game against Alma.