Football team clinches share of MIAA title with 44-37 win at Adrian

Comets also secure the MIAA's automatic bid to the NCAA DIII Championships

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College football team clinched a share of the 2016 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship with a 44-37 win over Adrian College this afternoon at Docking Stadium in Adrian. With the win and also with Alma College beating Trine (Ind.) University, 41-33, the Comets secure the MIAA's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championships.

THE BASICS          
Final score: Olivet 44, Adrian 37
Location: Docking Stadium; Adrian, Mich.
Records: Olivet 8-1 overall, 5-0 MIAA; Adrian 4-5 overall, 2-3 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bulldogs took a 13-0 lead by scoring a touchdown on their first two possessions of the game.
• Olivet got on the scoreboard for the first time with 3:13 left in the opening quarter when freshman Douglas Pollard made a 39-yard field goal.
• Adrian faced a fourth down at the Comet 33-yard line late in the first quarter. The Bulldogs elected to go for a first down and on the play, junior Javon Walker stepped in front of a Stephen Milarch pass and returned the interception 69 yards for a touchdown. The PAT kick was good to make the score 13-10.
• Milarch fumbled the ball on the Bulldogs' next series, and sophomore Brian Freiberger recovered the ball at the Adrian 41.
• Olivet took advantage of the short field, and senior Damorria Lilly capped the seven-play drive with a one-yard scamper into the end zone. Junior Gunnar Aper made the PAT kick to put the Comets ahead for the first time, 16-13.
• On the Bulldogs' next drive, the snap was high on the punt attempt. Olivet got the ball back at the Adrian 18-yard line. Using another short field, junior Jerome Washington ended a four-play drive with a six-yard rumble into the end zone. Aper's PAT kick made the score 23-13.
• Sophomore Jaquan Short intercepted a Milarch pass on Adrian's next drive. The Comets took over at their own 26-yard line.  Olivet marched down the field and extended its lead to 30-13 with 16.6 seconds left before halftime when senior quarterback Braden Black completed an eight-yard touchdown pass to junior Kornelius Saxton.
• The Comets could not turn two Bulldog turnovers into any points in the third quarter.
• Adrian trimmed its deficits to 10 points, 30-20, on an 83-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Hamm to Darius Philon with 6:07 remaining in the third stanza.
• The Bulldogs closed the gap to four points on an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown by Pat Stephenson with 51.5 seconds left in the third quarter.
• Walker recovered a muffed punt by Adrian. On the fourth play of the ensuing Olivet drive, Lilly rushed 21 yards into the end zone. Aper's PAT kick was good to put the Comets ahead 37-26 at the 13:40 mark of the fourth quarter.
• After forcing a punt, Adrian took over at its own 22-yard line. On the first play, Hamm threw a 78-yard touchdown pass to Philon. The two-point conversion was good and the Bulldogs trailed by three points, 37-34, with 7:24 left in the game.
• The Comets were forced to punt and senior Ryan Anderson pinned the Bulldogs on their own 2-yard line. On Adrian's first play, Short intercepted a Hamm pass. There was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the play and Olivet took over at the 15-yard line. Lilly then scored on a six-yard run to put the Comets back ahead by 10, 44-34.
• A 46-yard field goal by Cameron Cook made the score 44-37 with 1:17 left.
• The Bulldogs attempted an on-side kick and Anderson recovered the ball. Olivet took three kneel-downs to run out the clock and secure the Comets' win.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet finished the game with 355 yards of offense, 161 on the ground and 194 through the air.
• Washington and sophomore Andre Houston each rushed for 55 yards on 16 and 10 carries, respectively.
• Lilly had 17 rushes for 39 yards and three touchdowns.
• Black completed 17-of-32 passes for 194 yards.
• Saxton caught four passes for 69 yards.
• Senior Mitchell Bailey had eight receptions for 63 yards and is now eight yards shy of breaking the single-season school record of 793 yards.
• Defensively, Walker recorded a team-best nine tackles, including eight solo stops.
• Freshman Coleton Swims was next with six tackles.
• Freiberger had three tackles to go along with an interception, forced fumble, recovered fumble and tackle for loss.

FOR THE BULLDOGS

• Adrian finished the game with 386 total yards of offense, including a negative 30 rushing yards.
• Hamm and Milarch combined to throw for 416 yards on 21-of-42 passing.
• Philon caught 10 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns.
• D'Angelo Gaines had 10 carries for 24 yards.
• Angus Arthur led the defense with 13 total tackles.

UP NEXT

• Olivet wraps-up the regular season next Saturday when Trine visits the Cutler Athletic Complex for a 1 p.m. game. With a win, the Comets would secure an outright MIAA title for them for the first time since 1974. Olivet shared last year's title.