Football team defeats Alma, 37-34, on Senior Day

OLIVET, Mich. – Lane Porter threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Jodway with 1:33 left, and sophomore Devin Pascavage intercepted an Alma College pass with 23 seconds left to lift the Olivet College football team past the Scots, 37-34, on Senior Day at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.

Final score: Olivet 37, Alma 34
Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Olivet 6-3 overall, 4-2 MIAA; Alma 1-8 overall, 0-6 MIAA

• The Comets jumped out to a 7-0 lead when senior Jamaul Martin scampered 29 yards into the end zone on their opening possession.
• The Scots leveled the score at 7-7 after Mason Ippel completed a 44-yard touchdown pass to Chase Hinkle.
• Following an Olivet turnover, Alma took a 10-7 lead after Jacob Plisko made a 31-yard field goal.
• The Comets answered on their next drive. Martin scored from seven yards out to put Olivet back on top, 14-10.
• The Scots drove down the field but had to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Plisko to make the score 14-13 at the 2:00 mark of the second quarter.
• The Comets responded by scoring a touchdown with 20 seconds left in the first half. Sophomore Matthew Ellis capped the 8-play drive with an eight-yard run into the end zone. The PAT kick was good for a 21-13 halftime lead. During the drive, Porter completed a 35-yard pass to senior tight end Chris Talbott on a second and 15 play.
• Alma was forced to punt the ball on its first possession in the third quarter.
• Olivet extended its lead to 24-13 midway through the third period after junior Douglas Pollard made a 27-yard field goal.
• The Scots closed the gap to 24-20 on a three-yard touchdown run by Steven Sowa.
• Alma then ran an onside kick and recovered the ball at the Comet 39-yard line. Five plays later, Ippel tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Mrock on the first play of the fourth quarter.
• Olivet failed to put any points on the scoreboard on its next drive as a field goal attempt missed wide left.
• The Scots took over at their own 20-yard line. After a loss on first down and two incomplete passes, Alma had to punt the ball back to the Comets. The punt was blocked by sophomore John Adams III and Olivet got the ball at the 13-yard line.
• On fourth down, Porter threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to senior Nick Thomas in the right-corner of the end zone. The PAT kick was blocked to keep the margin at three points, 30-27.
• On their next drive, the Scots faced fourth down from their own 34. Alma ran a fake punt for a first down to keep the drive alive. The Scots scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Ippel to Joseph Schaefer with 3:30 remaining in the game.
• Olivet started its next drive at the 34-yard line. The Comets got the ball cross midfield after a 14- and 3-yard runs for Ellis. Talbott caught a 7-yard pass for another first down, and another 3-yard run for Ellis put the ball at the 39-yard line. Jodway was open down the left sideline and hauled in the 39-yard touchdown pass at the 1:33 mark.
• The Scots used a fair catch on the kickoff to get the ball at their 25-yard line. Alma drove down to the Olivet 24. On a second down play, Pascavage deflected Ippel's pass to himself for the game-ending interception. One kneel down ended the game in the Comets' favor.

• Olivet recorded 477 yards of offense.
• Ellis had 18 carries for 136 yards, and five receptions for 61 yards.
• Martin rushed 17 times for 122 yards and two scores.
• Porter threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-26 passing.
• Jodway caught five passes for 79 yards.
• Senior Coleton Swims topped he defense with nine tackles, with seven solo stops.
• Senior Mo Young had eight tackles, including two for minus six yards.

• Alma totaled 370 yards – 102 on the ground and 268 in the air.
• Steven Sowa led the ground game with 14 carries for 67 yards.
• Ippel completed 19-of-34 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns.
• Chase Hinkle hauled in eight passes for 108 yards.

• This season, Ellis now has 995 rushing yards, tied for the fifth-most yards in school history. Martin has 967 rushing yards. Olivet has never had two running backs eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing plateau in the same season.
• Ellis and Martin both have 11 rushing touchdowns to tie Mick Faasen for the fifth-most in a season.

• Olivet closes out the 2018 season next Saturday, Nov. 10, when it travels to play Albion College. Kick-off at Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium in Albion is 1 p.m.