Football team rolls past Kalamazoo, 49-7

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College football team scored a touchdown on six of seven drives in the first half on its way to a 49-7 victory over Kalamazoo College in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) contest this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex.

Final Score: Olivet 49, Kalamazoo 7
Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Michigan
Records: Kalamazoo 1-8 overall, 0-5 MIAA; Olivet 5-3 overall, 2-3 MIAA

• The Comets won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball. On the first play from scrimmage, sophomore Cortaveon Barnett rushed 72 yards for a touchdown.
• Olivet was forced to punt on its next possession. On the punt, a Kalamazoo player touched the ball and senior long snapper Jack Ennis jumped on the loose ball. The Comets used a couple pass completions to move the ball down to the Hornet 29-yard line. After a 1-yard run, Barnett ran 28 yards for a touchdown.
• A three-and-out for Kalamazoo gave the ball back to Olivet at its 18-yard line. Following two first downs, Barnett rumbled 43 yards for a touchdown to make the score 21-0 with 5:06 left in the first quarter.
• The Hornets punted the ball back to the Comets. A 13-play, 83-yard drive spanning the end of the first stanza and start of the second quarter was capped by a 19-yard touchdown run by sophomore Jeremiah Sterling.
• Another three-and-out for Kalamazoo followed by a 15-yard punt return by sophomore Akeem Benjamin helped Olivet start its next drive at the Hornet 40-yard line. On a second and 14 play, senior David Coffey tossed a 28-yard touchdown pass to junior Jalen Broussard.
• A short punt set-up the Comets at their Kalamazoo 47-yard line to begin their next possession. With 15 seconds left before halftime, Coffey completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to sophomore SirQuarius Ball.
• In the opening 30 minutes of the game, Olivet totaled 17 first downs and 390 yards compared to zero first downs and 19 yards for the Hornets.
• The Comets scored their final touchdown in the fourth quarter when Coffey threw a 6-yard pass to sophomore Josiah Ellison.
• Kalamazoo had an 18-play drive to put their only points on the scoreboard. Bubba Wilson rushed three yards into the end zone for the touchdown with 3:17 remaining in the game.

• Olivet finished the game with 24 first downs and 494 yards – 307 rushing and 187 passing.
• Making his first collegiate start, Coffey completed 19-of-24 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns.
• Benjamin hauled in six passes for 56 yards.
• Sophomore Deonte Higgins caught four passes for 37 yards, while Broussard and Ball each snagged two passes for 36 and 16 yards, respectively.
• Barnett had 17 carries for 208 yards and three touchdowns.
• Sterling rushed nine times for 74 yards.
• The Comet defense held the Hornets to 10 first downs and 137 yards, with 90 of the yards coming on their scoring drive.
• Senior Ta'Mar Heart-Wilkins had five total tackles, with 4.5 for minus 21 tackles. Three of the tackles for loss were quarterback sacks.
• Sophomore Spencer Tyler also tallied five tackles.

• Josh Nichols threw for 116 yards on 14-of-26 passing.
• Bubba Wilson had five receptions for 39 yards.
• Jon Brunette had 10 carries with 0 net yards.
• Payton Fleming and Jamison Brown, Jr. each registered eight tackles.

• Olivet goes on the road to play Adrian College. Kick-off from Docking Stadium is 1 p.m.