UOlivet opens home schedule with 45-28 loss to Madonna

OLIVET, Mich. – The University of Olivet football team was defeated by Madonna University, 45-28, today in its home-opener at the Cutler Athletic Complex.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Madonna 45, Olivet 28
• Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 0-2 overall, Madonna 1-1 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Madonna received the opening kickoff and marched down the field to take a 7-0 lead when Kwame Miller rushed seven yards into the end zone.
• Both teams were forced to punt and then stopped on fourth down on their next two possessions.
• The Comets took over at their own 47-yard line. On the fifth play of the drive, sophomore quarterback Daniel Avila completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to freshman Wade Brashears.
• The Crusaders responded with a 78-yard touchdown pass to go up 14-7 with 29 seconds left in the first quarter.
• Olivet fumbled the ball near midfield on its next possession. Madonna answered with a touchdown to extend its lead to 21-7 at the 11:14 mark of the second quarter.
• The Comets put together a 9-play series to cut their deficit back to seven points, 21-14. The scoring play was a 7-yard touchdown pass from Avilia to freshman Jaylan Johnson.
• Madonna made the score 24-14 at halftime on a 22-yard field goal by Jordan Zimmerman.
• Olivet closed the gap to three points early in the third quarter when Avila rushed eight yards into the end zone.
• Junior Montreal Reid returned an interception 25 yards to the Madonna 7 on the Crusaders' first possession of the second half. On the first play, Avila tossed a seven-yard pass to junior Rashawn Mersier. Freshman Angel Potter made the PAT kick to give the Comets their first lead in the game, 28-24.
• The Crusaders won the game after scoring 21 unanswered points on three touchdowns – a 37-yard pass, a 67-yard pass and 4-yard run.

FOR THE COMETS

• For the game, Olivet totaled 375 yards of offense.
• Avila completed 26-of-48 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns.
• Brashears hauled in seven passes for 106 yards.
• Mersier caught nine passes for 94 yards.
• Johnson led the ground game with 11 carries for 40 yards.
• Defensively, freshman Jordan Brown and junior Draven Langston each had six tackles.

UP NEXT

• Olivet hosts Bluffton (Ohio) University next Saturday, September 20, at 12:30 p.m. The game is a part of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Challenge.