Football team suffers 21-7 loss at Tri-State

The Olivet College football team suffered a 21-7 loss against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) foe Tri-State (Ind.) University today at Shive Field in Angola, Indiana.

The Thunder (1-6, 1-3 MIAA) scored first when Adam Garvin returned an Olivet fumble 30 yards for a touchdown with 10:25 left in the opening quarter. Justin Hoover made the PAT kick. After forcing the Comets (4-3, 3-1 MIAA) to punt on their next possession, Tri-State marched down the field and made the score 14-0. Courtney Sanders capped the eight-play, 63-yard drive with an 11-yard scamper into the endzone. Hoover's PAT kick split the uprights.

Olivet's next series ended when a 50-yard field goal attempt was blocked. Tri-State at its own 24-yard line with 1:31 left in the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Levi Knach connected with Sanders for a 72-yard scoring strike. Hoover nailed the PAT kick to make the score 21-0.

The Comets scored when sophomore Carl Mulder (Battle Creek/Lakeview) returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown with 8:55 left before halftime. Sophomore Kyle Zabel (Sturgis) converted the PAT kick. The score remained 21-7 at halftime. There was no scoring in the second half as the two teams combined for only 147 yards of offense.

For the game, Olivet had 246 yards of total offense, including 197 through the air. Freshman Pat Clasgens (Livonia/Stevenson) led the ground game with 21 carries for 66 yards. Juniors Calvin McNamara (Gaylord) and Rob White (Caledonia/South Christina) combined to complete 17-of-34 passes. McNamara was eight-of-16 for 94 yards, while White was nine-of-18 for 103 yards. Each quarterback threw two interceptions. Senior Ryan Boone (Muskegon/Catholic Central) was the leading receiver with eight catches for 82 yards.

Defensively, senior Nate Hughes (Marshall) finished with a team-high 12 tackles. Jerry Fields (Mount Morris) and Marc Miller (Sunfield/Lake Odessa) each had eight tackles. Fields' eight stops included three quarterback sacks for minus 16 yards.

Sanders was the leading ball carrier (16 carries for 69 yards) and leading receiver (three catches for 81 yards) for Tri-State. Knach completed nine-of-14 passes. Courtney Pearson and Travis Foster had 14 and 12 tackles, respectively.

The Comets look to rebound from the loss when they host Alma College next Saturday, Oct. 28. Kickoff from the Cutler Athletic Complex is 1 p.m.