Football team scores in all three phases to beat Aurora, 37-21, in MIAA-NACC Challenge

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College football team scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams to beat Aurora (Ill.) University, 37-31, this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.

THE BASICS
Final score: Olivet 37, Aurora 21
Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Olivet 2-1, Aurora 1-2

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Comets won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. On the Spartans' fifth play from scrimmage, freshman John Adams III stepped in front of a Geron Rogers pass and returned the interception 50 yards for a touchdown.
• Aurora drove down the field on its next series but Zac Mirabelli missed a 25-yard field goal attempt.
• On Olivet's next drive, sophomore Jamaul Martin scampered eight yards into the end zone. Sophomore Douglas Pollard made the PAT kick for a 14-0 score.
• The score stayed that way until the 11:23 mark of the second quarter when Pollard made a 37-yard field goal.
• With 4:33 left in the second stanza, junior quarterback Lane Porter threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Jacob Jodway. The PAT kick was blocked and the Comets led 23-0.
• The Spartans scored a touchdown in the final minute of the quarter to make the score 23-7 at halftime.
• Aurora added a touchdown on its only possession of the third quarter and its first drive of the fourth quarter to close the gap to 23-21 with 13:23 left in the game.
• Adams III returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and put Olivet back ahead by nine points, 30-21.
• On the Spartans' next series, the quarterback tried to pitch the ball behind the line of scrimmage to a running back but senior Walter Love III fell on the loose ball.
• The Comets immediately answered with a 43-yard touchdown pass from Porter to Jodway. Pollard converted the PAT kick to cap the game's scoring.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet finished the game with 331 yards of offense – 100 rushing and 231 passing.
• On the ground, senior Jerome Washington had 15 carries for 95 yards.
• Porter completed 23-of-27 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns.
• Senior Kornelius Saxton caught 12 passes for 75 yards.
• Jodway had four receptions for 98 yards.
• Defensively, Love III tallied a game-high 13 tackles.
• Adams III finished with four tackles, including a pair for negative five yards.

FOR THE SPARTANS

• Aurora was balanced on offense with 157 passing yards and 177 rushing yards for a 334 total.
• Rogers was 19-of-31 passing for 157 yards. He also had 11 rushes for a team-best 54 yards.
• Connor Olson had 13 carries for 53 yards.
• Emilio Starks and Chirs Villafuerte each recorded 34 receiving yards.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Today's game was a part of the MIAA-NACC Challenge. Olivet now owns a 5-1 record in the challenge and has scored more than 30 points in all five wins.
• The 99-yard kickoff return for Adams III is the second-longest in school history. The Comets have now returned two kickoffs for a touchdown this season.

UP NEXT

Olivet hosts Hope College in two weeks, Sept. 30, for its MIAA-opener and Homecoming contest. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.