Grant’s 410 yards and six touchdowns help UOlivet win at Kalamazoo, 47-44

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Senior Charlie Grant threw for 410 yards and six touchdowns to lead The University of Olivet football team to a 47-44 win over Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Kalamazoo College today at Angell Field.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Olivet 47, Kalamazoo 44
• Location: Angell Field; Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 1-4 overall, 1-1 MIAA; Kalamazoo 3-2 overall, 0-2 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Comets received the opening kickoff and marched down the field, scoring a touchdown on a 2-yard run by freshman Jaylan Johnson.
• Olivet was forced to punt on its next possession. Kalamazoo responded with an 8-play scoring drive, capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass from Dawson Skupin to Aaron Zekman. The Hornets made a two-point conversion to make the score 8-6 with 41 seconds left in the opening quarter.
• The Comets took the lead back, 13-8, when Grant completed a 35-yard touchdown pass to freshman Wade Brashears.
• Olivet extended its lead to 20-8 on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Grant to freshman Carter Leatherwood.
• Kalamazoo answered with 20-yard touchdown pass with 4:03 until halftime.
• The Comets were not done in the first half, as Grant tossed a 52-yard touchdown to Brashears for a 26-15 halftime lead.
• The Hornets scored a touchdown and two-point conversion on their first possession of the second half to cut their deficit down to three points, 26-23.
• A bad snap on a Kalamazoo punt gave the ball to Olivet at the Hornet 25-yard line. On fourth down, Grant threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to freshman Julian Toscano.
• Kalamazoo closed the gap to three points, 33-30, with a one-yard touchdown run with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter.
• On the first play of the fourth quarter, Grant passed six yards to Brashears for a touchdown to make the score 40-30.
• The Hornets scored two touchdowns to take a 44-40 lead with 3:02 left in the game.
• Freshman Herbert Crawford hauled in a 65-yard touchdown pass and freshman Angel Potter made the PAT kick to put Olivet back on top, 47-44, with 2:26 showing on the game clock.
• Kalamazoo drove the field and were on the cusp of field goal range at the Comet 31-yard line. Junior Kaeden Maynard intercepted a Brayden Ledin pass with 1:25 remaining. Olivet got a first down and a kneel down ended the game.
• For the game, Olive totaled 22 first downs and 495 yards compared to 25 first downs and 456 yards for the Hornets. The teams combined for 816 passing yards.

FOR THE COMETS

• Grant completed 27-of-40 passes for 410 yards.
• Brashears caught six passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns.
• Crawford had three catches for 87 yards.
• Leatherwood finished with four receptions for 67 yards.
• Johnson topped the ground game with 17 carries for 70 yards.
• Defensively, freshman Amyre Carter recorded a team-best seven tackles.
• Four other players each had six stops.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Grant's 410 passing yards and 414 total offensive yards are the second-most in a game in UOlivet history. The school records are 422 passing yards and 452 total offensive yards by Braden Black against Kalamazoo on November 16, 2013.
• Grant's six touchdown passes ties Black for the single-game record. Black threw for six touchdowns against Wilmington (Ohio) College on September 7, 2013.
• Brashear's three touchdown receptions ties the single-game record. Five other times in school history, a player has caught three touchdowns.
• The 91 combined points are tied for the 11th most in UOlivet history.
• It is the first time that an Olivet football game has ended in a 47-44 score.

UP NEXT

• Olivet has a bye week next Saturday and is back on the field Thursday, October 16, when it hosts Trine (Ind.) University. Kick-off from the Cutler Athletic Complex is 7 p.m.