Football: Olivet stunned by Hope, 42-35, in overtime

HOLLAND, Mich. – The Olivet College football team was stunned by Hope College, 42-35, today in overtime at Smith Stadium in Holland.

Both teams scored on their opening possession of the game. Hope scored on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Robert Kish to Taylor Bryant. The Comets tied the game on a one-yard quarterback sneak by junior Braden Black. Olivet took a 19-7 lead on back-to-back touchdown passes from Black to junior Kyle Bryson. The first from nine yards out and the second from 11 yards out.

The Flying Dutch fought back to cut their deficit down to five points, 19-14, at halftime on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Kish to Matt Kroll.

Olivet stretched its lead back to 11 points with 9:19 left in the third quarter when Black snuck in a one-yard sneak into the end zone. Hope quickly answered with a one-yard touchdown run by Reggie Duncan. The scoring drive was set-up by a 78-yard kickoff return after the Comet score.

Olivet made the score 28-20 when freshman Gunnar Aper made a 34-yard field goal with four seconds left in the third quarter. Hope tied the game on its first series of the fourth quarter when Kish threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Brynaert.

The teams exchanged turnovers on each of their next possessions. The Comets took a 35-28 lead when sophomore Damorria Lilly capped a 10-play, 60-yard drive with an 11-yard run into the end zone.

The Flying Dutch came back with a 5-play, 60-yard scoring drive to knot the score at 35-35 with 2:40 left in regulation. Olivet had one more chance to win the game but a pass was intercepted on the final play.

The Comets won the coin toss to start overtime and elected to go on defense first. On Hope's second play from scrimmage, Kish tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Brynaert to take their first lead of the game since the score was 7-0. Olivet picked-up 11 yards on its first play of overtime before an interception was thrown in the end zone to end the game.

For the game, the Comets out-gained the Flying Dutch in total yards, 547-320. Lilly led the ground game with 26 carries for 149 yards. Black rushed for 55 yards, while throwing for 353 yards on 34-of-51 passing. Freshman Kornelius Saxton caught 15 passes for 137 yards. Junior Jason Barbosa had six catches for 64 yards, while Bryson had five receptions for 77 yards. Defensively, sophomore Zechariah Jenkins recorded nine total tackles, including six solo stops.

Olivet plays three of its next four games at home, beginning next Saturday, Oct. 25, against Kalamazoo College. Kick-off at the Cutler Athletic Complex is 1 p.m.

NOTES: The field goal by Aper was the first by an Olivet kicker since Oct. 23, 2010, when Blake Iobe made a 44-yard field goal. Black's 51 pass attempts tied an Olivet single-game school record, while his 34 pass completes broke the single-season record.