Alma, Mich. - The Alma College football team suffered a heartbreaking defeat on Saturday (Oct. 3) afternoon at Bahlke Field, as the visiting Trine University Thunder overcame a 13-point deficit to stun Alma and take a 21-20 victory in the MIAA opener for both teams.
The Scots (2-2 overall, 0-1 MIAA) rolled up 418 yards in total offense, including 213 on the ground, as junior Nick Sullivan (Flushing, Mich./Flint Powers Catholic) tallied 220 yards of total offense and three scores. Defensively, Alma allowed Trine (3-1, 1-0) to gain 342 yards but held one of the league's top rushing offenses to 165 yards, as Lamar Carswell posted a 115-yard day along with a score.
Alma looked poised to take an early lead, but were stopped on the one-yard line twice on their opening possession. The Scots found the end zone on their next possession when Sullivan went on a 50-yard run to put Alma up 7-0.
The Scots held the lead and forced a turnover on Trine's next possession when senior Justin Thelen (Westphalia, Mich./Pewamo-Westphalia) knocked the ball out of Carswell's hands and junior Aaron Davis (Detroit, MIch./Redford) recovered the ball as the Thunder were entering the red zone.
Alma had a chance to add to the lead midway through the second after freshman Dylan Demo(Shelby Township, Mich./Utica) blocked a punt, giving the Scots the ball on the Trine 14. Alma would fail to convert, however, as sophomore Ryan Maguire (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven) missed the first of three field goals on the afternoon.
In the third quarter, the Scots built a 14-0 lead when sophomore Dylan Zaborowski (Jackson, Mich./Michigan Center) connected with Sullivan on a 25-yard pass. Zaborwoski finished the day completing 15 of his 34 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, Trine's Jeffery Barnett returned the ball 92 yards for the score to cut the deficit in half.
Alma increased its' lead to 13 on the next drive when Sullivan scored for the third time in the game. The extra-point try was missed, but the Scots held a 20-7 lead with 8:14 to go in the third. Sullivan finished with a career-high 182 yards on the ground, and posted his third three-TD game of the season.
Alma held Trine on its next drive, but a 12-yard punt by sophomore Edward Inglsbee (Waterford, Mich./Kettering) gave the Thunder the ball on the Alma 40, and they too five plays before Carswell scored from 11 yards out to close the gap to 20-14.
The Scots appeared to put the game away with just under 13 minutes remaining in the game when Sullvan found the end zone on four yard run, but a personal foul penalty erased the score. Alma would settle for a 25-yard field goal try, which Maquire pushed wide right. Trine would take the lead for good with 6:13 left in the game with Taylor Masiewicz scored on a seven-yard run.
Alma had an opportunity to win the game with three minutes left to go up by two, but Mquire's 38-yard attempt sailed wide to the right.
On defense, sophomore Zac Peterson (Holt, Mich./Holt) paced the Scots with 13 tackles, including one sack. Senior Troy Gahm (Gaylord, Mich./Gaylord) tallied a career-best 12 stops, including a career-high four tackles for loss. Sophomore Colton Tyson (Vassar, Mich./Vassar) also contributed a personal-best 11 tackles and a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss.
The Scots will hit the road next week, traveling to Adrian, Mich., to take on the defending MIAA champion Adrian College Bulldogs. Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m. at Docking Stadium on the campus of Adrian College.
NOTES
• Nick Sullivan's 182 yards rank ninth in Alma history for rushing yards in a single game and were the most since Ed Mason posted a school-record 228 yards against Rockford in 2011.
• Sullivan has nine touchdowns this season and has scored three times on three occasions.
• Sullivan's 30 carries and 182 yards were both career-highs.
• Senior Eric Hines (Menominee, Mich./Menominee) caught three passes for 50 yards, extending his pass reception streak to 24 games. Hines also had a career-long 32-yard kickoff return.
• Troy Gahm posted career-highs in tackles (12) and tackles for loss (4).
• Colton Tyson also recorded career-highs in tackles (11) and tackles for loss (2.5).
• Senior Terry Calagon (Jackson, Mich./East Jackson) tallied 2.5 tackles for loss and now leads the team with 10. Calagon also forced a fumble for the second time this season.
• Sophomore Cameron Lee (Lansing, Mich./Waverly) recovered his fourth fumble of the season.
• Justin Thelen recorded his career-best second interceptions this season. He has three in his career.
• The Scots defense added two sacks and now has 17 for the season after four games. Last year, Alma recorded 20 sacks.
• Alma has dropped its last eight MIAA games.
QUOTES
Head Coach Greg Pscodna
On the game...
"We played hard today and we played good enough to win, but we lost because of five or six different plays. We preach this all the time that you have to play every play because you never know what's going to happen. Between missed opportunities - field goals and scoring chances - we just didn't get it done. We didn't execute when we needed to and you have to give Trine credit for coming back and making some plays at the end of the game.
Nick Sullivan played a great game and the defense did a great job. The effort was there, we just gave up some big plays at bad times. We were down in their red zone, we just didn't execute when we needed to. We've got to get better on third downs and convert those scoring chances."