Football team ends season with 43-24 win at Kalamazoo

The Olivet College football team defeated Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Kalamazoo College, 43-24, in its season-finale this afternoon at Angell Field in Kalamazoo. With the win, the Comets end their season with a 6-4 overall record and tied for second-place in the MIAA with a 5-2 record.

After a scoreless first quarter, the teams combined for 27 points in the second quarter. Olivet got on the scoreboard first when freshman Brandon Seays (Clinton Twp./Clintondale) scampered 58 yards for a touchdown. Sophomore Kyle Zabel (Sturgis) made the PAT kick. Kalamazoo (2-7, 2-5 MIAA) answered with a touchdown as Mike Benson caught a 71-yard pass from Jordon Tallman. Jon Rea converted the PAT kick to tie the game at 7-7 with 9:11 left before halftime.

The Comets grabbed the lead back on its next possession. A nine-play, 53-yard drive was capped off by a seven-yard touchdown pass completion from junior Rob White (Caledonia/South Christian) to junior tight end Rod Sanders (Detroit/H.W. Notre Dame). Zabel's PAT kick was good. Olivet took a 17-7 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Zabel with 1:25 remaining in the quarter. The Hornets cut their deficit back to seven points when Rea made a 12-yard field goal as the first half clock expired.

Olivet received the second half kickoff. On the eighth play of the drive, White connected with senior Ryan Boone (Muskegon/Muskegon Catholic) for a 22-yard scoring strike. Kalamazoo returned the ensuing kickoff back 65 yards to the Comets' 15-yard line. Using a short field, Tallman scored from a yard out. Olivet went ahead by 13 points, 30-17, as White tossed a 38-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Carl Mulder (Battle Creek/Lakeview).

The Comets scored 13 points off two Kalamazoo turnovers in the fourth quarter. The first six came when sophomore Michael Terranova (Lansing/Lansing Catholic) returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown. Zabel made the PAT kick with 13:17 left. After Olivet recovered a fumble, junior Calvin McNamara (Gaylord) tossed a 33-yard touchdown pass to senior Chris Smith (Dimondale/Holt). The Hornets closed the scoring when Stephen Johnston rumbled 76 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the game.

For the game, Olivet had 381 yards of total offense, including 272 yards through the air. White was 15-of-27 for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Boone caught five passes for 64 yards. Smith had four receptions for 88 yards, while Mulder had 85 receiving yards on three catches. Making his first collegiate start, Seays led the ground game with 20 carries for 107 yards.

Defensively, Joe Cleveland (St. Joseph), Marc Miller (Sunfield/Lake Odessa) and DeRan Thomas (Detroit/H.W. Notre Dame) each had six tackles. Thomas' tackles were all solo stops. Senior Ryan Adams (Middleville/Thornapple Kellogg) had five tackles, including three for minus 12 yards.

Johnston topped the Hornet ground game with 17 carries for 94 yards. Tallman had 254 yards on 22-of-45 passing. Mike Leifeld and Randy Rzeznik each caught five passes for 49 and 25 yards, respectively. Brandon Foutz had three receptions for a team-high 56 yards. Jim Backoff led the defense with seven tackles.