Olivet Snaps 21-Game MIAA Losing Skid With a 49-34 Win at Kalamazoo;

KALAMAZOO, MI. -- The Olivet College football team snapped a 21-game losing skid in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association with a 49-34 win at Kalamazoo College today at Angell Field in Kalamazoo. With the win, the Comets even their record at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the MIAA. It also marks the first MIAA victory for the Comet seniors. With the loss, the Hornets' record is 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the MIAA.

In the win, the Comets racked up 392 total rushing yards against the Hornets who entered the game ranked 15th in the nation in rush defense (74.4 ypg.). Olivet had three different ball carriers rush for more than 100 yards led by sophomore Mick Faasen (Belding High School) with 23 carries and 169 yards. Freshman Travis Sleight (Battle Creek Lakeview High School) had 22 carries for 109 yards and freshman Damien Brown (Harper Woods Gallagher) carried the ball 12 times for 103 yards. Each running back scored a touchdown.

In addition, sophomore quarterback Rick Mason (Belding High School) completed six of eight passes for 112 yards and three touchdowns. These passing touchdowns were the first ones for Olivet this season.

In the first half, the Hornets scored on their opening drive. The Comets then scored on their first drive when Mason connected with Sleight from 36 yards out. Senior linebacker Mike Hanna (Lake Odessa Lakewood High School) then intercepted a Hornet pass at the two-yard line and ran the ball back 42 yards. Olivet responded with a 10-play, 56-yard drive capped off by a one-yard run by Sleight. Kalamazoo then scored on its two possessions to take a 21-13 lead. The Comets battled back and Mason found freshman tight end Andy Storey (Battle Creek Harper Creek) in the back of the end zone. Faasen caught the two-point conversion pass to knot the score at 21 at halftime.

After taking the second-half kickoff, freshman running back Dwight Houston (Detroit Denby) plunged in from a yard out and senior Eric Pocan added the extra point kick. Brown added a seven-yard TD run and Fassen scored from 22 yards out to give the Comets a 42-21 lead with 13:01 left in the game. Sleight closed out the Olivet scoring with his third touchdown of the game when he caught a five-yard pass from Mason with 4:18 left.

Defensively, Hanna led the Comets with seven tackles, including five solo stops and a tackle for loss. Defensive backs Travis Lehman (Lake Odessa Lakewood High School) and Ryan Hayes (Livonia Franklin High School) had six tackles a piece.

Quarterback Bryan Gnyp led the Hornets as he completed 22 of 35 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns. T.J. Thayer had seven catches for 120 yards.

Olivet will next play on Saturday, Oct. 26, when it hosts Adrian College in a MIAA game at Griswold Field in Olivet at 1:00 p.m.