Football team opens MIAA play with 49-24 loss at Alma

The Olivet College football team opened Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play with a 49-24 loss today at Alma College.

The Comets (1-3, 0-1 MIAA) received the opening kickoff and used a nine-play, 71-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead at the 11:02 mark. Senior Travis Sleight (Battle Creek/Lakeview) capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Senior Justin Hunwick (Sterling Heights/ Stevenson) made the PAT kick. The Scots (3-1, 1-0 MIAA) answered by tying the game on a 29-yard run by Mat Lambourn and PAT kick by Dan Noll.

After forcing Olivet to punt, Lambourn broke loose for an 81-yard touchdown run with 2:55 left in the first quarter. Noll converted the PAT kick for a 14-7 Alma lead. On their next possession, the Comets scored as junior Drew Nielsen (Belding) had a 10-yard touchdown run with just under one minute to play in the opening quarter. Hunwick's PAT kick tied the game at 14-14.

The Scots' answered with a drive that spanned the final 54 seconds of the first quarter and the first 2:37 of the second quarter. Josh Brehm hooked up with Nate Jervey for a 22-yard scoring strike. Noll made the PAT kick and Alma led 21-14. Hunwick cut the Olivet deficit to four points with a 27-yard field goal at the 5:44 mark of the second quarter. On the Scots' next series, Noll missed a 27-yard field goal. Olivet punted with 1:15 left in the first half. Alma worked quickly and took a 28-17 lead with one second left before halftime on a 11-yard touchdown pass by Brehm to Kelly Nezwek.

In the third quarter, Alma stretched its lead to 42-17 on a two-yard run and a 29-yard pass completion. The Comets' final touchdown came with 12:24 left in the game senior Chris Quackenbush (Waterford/Mott) scampered in from two yards out. The Scots used eight minutes, ten seconds of the fourth quarter clock with a 18-play, 72-yard scoring drive.

Alma had a balanced offensive attack, gaining 312 yards on the ground and 311 yards through the air. Lambourn had nine carries for 168 yards. Brehm threw for four touchdowns and completed 27-of-43 passes. Joe Cline was the top receiver with six catches for 84 yards. Ryan Coon and John Ditmar led the Scot defense with seven tackles apiece.

Olivet had 280 yards of total offense. Freshman Lonnie Jones (Niles) topped the ground attack with 11 carries for 71 yards. Sleight had 12 rushes for 57 yards. Quackenbush completed five-of-12 passes for 90 yards. Junior Chris Smith (Dimondale/Holt) caught four passes for 81 yards. Defensively, sophomores Craig Duncan (Apopka, Fla.) and DeRan Thomas (Detroit/H.W. Notre Dame) each recorded 11 tackles. Duncan had 2.5 stops for minus nine yards.

The Comets are next in action Saturday, Oct. 8, when they host Hope College on Homecoming. Kickoff from the Cutler Athletic Complex is 2 p.m.