Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
Rain proved to be the biggest challenge on a homecoming Saturday for the Hope College football team.
The Flying Dutch came prepared to take care of the ball against Adrian College amid a second consecutive week of soggy conditions, committing no turnovers in a 22-3 victory.
Kicker Darren Ford of Howell, Michigan (Howell HS) got the Flying Dutchmen off on the right foot with a 42-yard field goal with 9:32 left in the first quarter.
Quarterback Mason Opple of Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville) then took control of the game behind a charging offensive line. The 6-foot-2, 236-pound sophomore, who came into the game as the second-leading runner for Hope, ran for three touchdowns from distances of 2 yards, 36 yards and 2 yards; all in the second quarter.
"He's a 228-pound quarterback, you're not going to just give a good shot on him," Hope head coach Peter Stuursma said. "He's going to barrel ahead and make those three, four, six and seven yard gains that keep the chains moving."
Opple finished the day with 74 yards on 20 carries and completed 12-of-24 passes for 136 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers.
"They were obviously keying (on Brandan Campbell) after his track meet last week, so we had to do some things differently," Opple said. "I ended up with the ball a couple times and made the most of it, I guess."
Hope was able to control the time of possession with 36 minutes of offense to wear-down the Adrian defensive line.
Brandan Campbell of Otsego, Michigan (Otsego) accounted for 38 of those yards, while Chris Leigh of Lake Orion, Michigan (Lake Orion) ran for 14 yards.
Cameron Cook spoiled Hope's shutout with a 43-yard field goal at the buzzer to end the game.
Mason Rosado of Holland, Michigan (Holland) had two picks and six solo tackles to highlight Hope's defensive work.
Griffin Weigl of Saginaw, Michigan (Nouvel Catholic Central) finished with seven solo tackles (two for a loss of 14 yards) and one sack.
Hope will be on the road next Saturday as the Flying Dutchmen face off against unbeatenTrine.