Hope College didn't let a torrential rainstorm get in the way of a win while hosting Alma College Saturday evening at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
The Flying Dutchmen dominated the Scots through one dry quarter and three rainy ones for a 36-14 victory.
Hope is now 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play — its best start since the 2001 season.
The Flying Dutchmen led 17-0 at the end of a dry first quarter with touchdowns by Christian Bos of Hudsonville, Michigan (Unity Christian HS) and Brandan Campbell of Otsego, Michigan (Otsego), and a 22-yard field goal by Darren Ford of Howell, Michigan (Howell).
Campbell crossed the career 2,000-yard rushing mark for Hope on a 55-yard run with 3:15 left in the first quarter. He finished the game with 226 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries.
It marked the third time a Hope rusher eclipsed 200 yards twice in a season. He now has 2,156 yards for ninth place all-time with the Flying Dutchmen.
"He's a horse," Hope head coach Peter Stuursma said. "Brandan has been outstanding for us. He has great patience, great field vision. I think his biggest strength is when he's going downhill, shoulder pads squared to the line of scrimmage.
Stuursma said it's hard to believe someone with Campbell's size and strength can run that fast.
"He has another gear in the second level and if you're a defensive back you really don't want to hit him when he's going that fast," Stuursma said of the 211-pound running back.
Post-game video: Peter Stuursma
Campbell said he took his gloves off after the rain started to get a better grip on the ball. He put them back on late in the second quarter to test his grip but removed them again after fumbling with 5:26 left in the first half.
"It was just one of those chunk-by-chunk-by-chunk games that just don't seem like you're getting that many yards until you look at it at the end," Campbell said. "It's just our O-line, they've always been great this whole year, even last year they were awesome. They allow me to do a lot of stuff. Without them it would be really tough to come up on the yards I have. I've been really blessed so far."
The rain began with the start of the second quarter and with it came Alma's only score in the first half; a 15-yard run by Dylan Zaborowski to make the score 17-7.
Both teams struggled in the wet conditions and committed fumbles in the second quarter. The Flying Dutchmen relied on kicker Darren Ford for two field goals (both from 34 yards) to extend their lead into halftime, 23-7.
Hope quarterback Mason Opple of Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville) charged forward with a 3-yard touchdown run to start the Flying Dutchmen attack in the third quarter and the momentum was helped along with an interception from Hope safety Luke Beckhusen of Coldwater, Michigan (Coldwater).
Beckhusen's grandfather, Dennis Boester, was honored after the first quarter for his service as a U.S. Army officer in Vietnam where he received the Purple Heart.
Beckhusen said it was a fitting tribute to a man who has meant so much to him.
"He's one of the most influential people in my life and to be able to recognize him like that is huge," Beckhusen said. "He doesn't get that all the time and to do it here when he's cheering on Hope and cheering me on. There's no way to describe it.
"I know he was feeling pretty emotional and I was feeling pretty emotional. I went out and gave him a hug, it was pretty cool."
Oppel threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to halfback Chris Kelly of Troy, Michigan (Royal Oak Shrine Catholic), his first college career reception and touchdown, to make it 36-7 with 8:03 left in the third quarter.
Alma scored once more on a 7-yard reception by Chase Hinkle with 7:02 left in the game.
Oppel completed 13-of-19 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns and ran 11 times for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Stuursma said his team was focused on getting a quick start as they knew about the impending rain, but the help the team got from kicker Darren Ford was pivotal.
"First of all he kicked three out of the end zone to start the game as far as those first three possessions, which is huge," Stuursma said. "Then he had a couple big (field goals) down there and then to kick one into the wind, that three points before half was significant."
In addition to his three field goals, Ford punted four times for 46.5 yards with a long of 53 yards.