Football team loses season-opener to Heidelberg, 40-24

OLIVET, Mich. – Junior quarterback Lane Porter threw for 283 yards in his first collegiate start but the Olivet College football team fell to Heidelberg (Ohio) University, 40-24, this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.

THE BASICS                              
Final score: Heidelberg 40, Olivet 24
Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Olivet 0-1, Heidelberg 1-0

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After forcing the Student Princes to a three-and-out on the opening series of the game, the Comets scored on their third play from scrimmage when Porter connected with senior Kornelius Saxton for a 62-yard touchdown pass. The PAT kick by sophomore Douglas Pollard was good.
• On a fourth and seven play, Heidelberg scored a touchdown when Tyler Stoyle found Cameron Vocke wide open in end zone from 30 yards out. The PAT kick was missed.
• Olivet answered immediately when sophomore Brandon Benac returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Pollard nailed the PAT try to put Olivet ahead 14-6 with 10:11 left in the opening quarter.
• The Student Princes closed their deficit back to a single point after Vocke rumbled 22 yards for a touchdown.
• The Comet offense then chewed up almost nine minutes off the clock on a drive spanning the end of the first quarter and start of the second quarter. Olivet only managed to put three more points on the scoreboard when Pollard made a 20-yard field goal.
• Heidelberg scored three unanswered touchdowns to end the first half of play to take a 33-17 lead at the break.
• The Comets got the ball to start the second half after they deferred the coin toss to start the game. A 57-yard pass from Porter to sophomore Jacob Jodway set-up an eight-yard run followed by a one-yard touchdown run by senior Jerome Washington. Pollard's PAT kick made the score 33-24.
• The Student Princes scored the final touchdown late in the third quarter.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet totaled 383 yards of offense – 100 on the ground and 283 through the air.
• Washington had 23 carries for 63 yards.
• Porter completed 16-of-32 passes for his 283 yards.
• Jodway caught three passes for 121 yards, while Saxton had five receptions for 113 yards.
• Senior Walter Love III and junior Raltheal Cornish each recorded six tackles. Love III led the way with five solo stops.

FOR THE STUDENT PRINCES

• Heidelberg finished with 405 yards – 309 passing and 96 rushing.
• Vocke had 15 rushes for 72 yards and three touchdowns, and four catches for 45 yards and a touchdown.
• Stoyle was 25-of-42 passing.
• Demetrius Magee led all players with nine receptions for 136 yards.
• Jermaine Burkett and Trevor Summers topped the defense with eight tackles apiece. All eight for Burkett were solo stops.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• With his five catches, Saxton moved into a tie with Mitchell Bailey for third-place on Olivet's all-time list. He needs only five more to become the career leader. The 113 receiving yards pushed him into fifth-place all-time with 1,569 yards.
• Benac's 95-yard kickoff returns ties for the second-longest in school history. The record is 100 yards by Cam Bramer against Trine on Oct. 17, 2009, and DeShaun Warren also had a 95-yard return against Elmhurst on Sept. 23, 2006.

UP NEXT

• Olivet is on the road to play Elmhurst (Ill.) College next Saturday, Sept. 10. Kick-off is set for 2 p.m. ET.