Football team falls to Hope, 21-7

OLIVET, Mich. – A valiant comeback for the Olivet College football team came up short, as the Comets fell to Hope College, 21-7, today at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. With the win, the Flying Dutchmen gain sole possession of first-place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) standings.

Final score: Hope 21, Olivet 7
Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Michigan
Records: Olivet 6-1 overall, 3-1 MIAA; Hope 6-1 overall, 4-0 MIAA

• Hope scored a touchdown on each of first two series to take a 14-0 lead with 3:19 left in the opening quarter.
• The Comets put together a drive spanning the end of the first stanza and start of the second quarter, but it stalled at the Hope 35-yard line.
• The Flying Dutchmen drove down to the Comet 35-yard line but turned the ball over on downs.
• Olivet got two first downs on its next possession. On fourth and 2 from the Hope 31, the Comets were stopped inches short of the first down mark.
• Hope went down the field but missed a 27-yard field goal as the first-half clock expired.
• The Flying Dutchmen received the ball to start the second half. Hope marched down to the Comet 35 before an incomplete pass was thrown on fourth down.
• Both teams punted on their next drives.
• Olivet then strung together an 11-play, 54-yard drive to get on the scoreboard. Senior Noah McMinn capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. Sophomore Tyler Peck made the PAT kick to make the score 14-7 with 12:40 left in the game.
• The Comet defense forced Hope to a three-and-out.
• A 12-yard punt return by junior Hayden Barry-Coulier helped start the Olivet series at its own 47-yard drive. The fifth play of the drive saw the Comets get inside the Flying Dutchmen 5-yard line but a holding call wiped out the big gain. A bad snap for a 14-yard loss on the next play, followed by two complete passes for eight and 16 yard were not enough to keep the drive alive.
• After getting two first downs, the Flying Dutchmen punted the ball back to the Comets. The ball was downed at the Olivet 1-yard line. The Comets were able to get one first down before an incomplete pass on fourth down ended their series.
• Hope scored a touchdown on the first play of its ensuing drive to cap the scoring.

• Olivet finished the game with 220 yards of offense on 56 plays.
• McMinn had 24 carries for 111 yards.
• Freshman Kaleb Jarrett completed 11-of-19 passes for 117 yards.
• Freshman Brandon Major-Kailing hauled in three passes for 27 yards.
• Sophomore Seth Young caught two passes for 52 yards.
• Sophomore Anthony Merriman led the defense with 11 tackles, including 10 solo stops.
• Senior Coleton Swims added eight tackles.

• Hope recorded 371 total yards of offense, including 310 on the ground.
• Mason Opple rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. He also threw for 61 yards on 7-of-13 passing.
• Lou Baechler had four grabs for 33 yards.
• Nick Holt and Chandler Brown each had seven tackles.

• Olivet travels to play Kalamazoo College next Saturday, Nov. 2. Kick-off at Angell Field is at 1 p.m.