Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
The first game in Iowa in 15 years for the Hope College football team did not go as planned.
Coe College rode a strong rushing attack and capitalized on Flying Dutchmen miscues to win, 28-21, on Saturday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Hope dropped to 1-1 on the season. The Kohawks improved to 2-0 with the non-conference victory.
Running back Alphonso Soko propelled Coe by rushing for 284 yards on 33 carries for an average of 8.6 yards per attempt.
Soko ripped off a 74-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 Kohawks lead with 4 minutes, 17 seconds in the first quarter.
Hope rebounded to take a 14-7 lead behind second-quarter touchdown passes from quarterback Chase Brown to tight end Lucas Leak (6 yards) and wide receiver Ian Rampersad (5 yards).
Coe answered with two touchdowns in a span of 1:58 for a 21-14 halftime lead the Kohawks would not relinquish. Anthony Ballard's 50-yard interception of a Brown pass snapped a tie score three minutes before halftime.
Coe intercepted Brown three times and sacked him four times. The junior from Comstock Park, Michigan (Comstock Park HS) completed 24-of-47 passes for 319 yards in his first collegiate start.
Rampersad (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Northern) caught a career-high nine receptions for 97 yards.
Wide receiver Terrell Harris (Whitehall, Michigan / Whitehall) had four catches with 61 yards.
Coe's defense held Hope with 97 yards rushing after the Flying Dutchmen totaled 354 on the ground in a season-opening win at home vs. Anderson University (Indiana). Running back Daniel Romano (Royal Oak, Michigan / Shrine Catholic) scored on a 10-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Hope also could not overcome a bad snap on a first-half field goal attempt and committing six penalties for 57 yards.
This was the first all-time meeting between Hope and Coe. It was Flying Dutchmen's 80th different opponent.
Hope returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 18, at home against Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Kickoff is 2 p.m at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.