Football team loses to Trine, 21-10

The Olivet College football team dropped its third straight Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) game with a 21-10 loss today at Trine (Ind.) University.

After a fumble by the Comets, Trine put seven points on the scoreboard with 23 seconds left in the first quarter when Eric Watt connected with Jeff Langley for a 14-yard touchdown. Jeremy Howard made the PAT kick.

Olivet tied the game at 7-7 on a possession spanning the final 11 seconds of the first quarter and the first 2:14 of the second quarter. The 6-play, 39-yard drive was capped by a six-yard touchdown run for junior Pat Clasgens (Livonia/Stevenson). Senior Kyle Zabel (Sturgis) nailed the PAT kick.

Junior Ryan Patten (Charlotte) pinned the Thunder at their 20 yard line with a 54-yard punt. On Trine's second play, Watt completed a 79-yard pass to Lemar Qualls for a touchdown. Howard's PAT kick made the score, 14-7. There was no more scoring in the first half.

On their first series of the second half, the Thunder stretched their lead to 21-7. Watt found Troy Hirschy for a two-yard scoring strike and Howard converted the PAT kick. With 4:12 remaining in the third quarter Zabel cut Olivet's deficit down to 11 points with a 25-yard field goal.

For the game, the Comets had 247 yards of total offense to 284 for Trine. Clasgens led the Olivet ground game with 23 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown. Junior Lukas Linn (Harbor Beach) threw for 112 yards on 10-of-18 passing. Junior Dustin Kapral (Lapeer/East) was 7-for-10 with 73 yards passing. The leading receiver was senior Carl Mulder (Battle Creek/Lakeview) with seven catches for 80 yards.

Defensively, junior Hakeem Yakubu (Kalamazoo/Central) topped the team with seven total tackles, including five solo. Alex Hill (Berrien Springs) and Michael Terranova (Lansing/ Lansing Catholic Central) each had six tackles. Hill also intercepted two passes and broke three passes.

For the Thunder, Langley carried the ball 10 times for 50 yards and caught two passes for 26 yards. Mikael Glidden rushed nine times for 47 yards. Watt completed 10-of-23 passes for 150 yards with two interceptions and three touchdowns. Qualls caught two passes for a team-leading 86 yards.

Olivet will be back in next Saturday, Oct. 25, when it hosts Alma College. Kickoff from the Cutler Athletic Complex is 1 p.m.