Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
The Hope College football team rode a dominating first-half performance to its fourth straight victory Saturday afternoon as the Flying Dutchmen defeated the Scots of Alma College, 52-23.
The Flying Dutchmen improved to 4-1 in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and 6-2 overall heading into their Wooden Shoe rivalry game with Kalamazoo College on Saturday, November 3 at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
Hope scored on each of its first five possessions, while holding Alma (0-5 MIAA, 1-7 overall) without a first down for the game's first 27 minutes.
"Our defense was outstanding," head coach Peter Stuursma said. "Number one, I thought we had great pressure on their quarterback. I thought we played the run really well. Our safeties and corners, in run support, played really well, our linebackers played well. I was just real pleased with the effort. They had energy, they had excitement. It was fun to watch."
The Flying Dutchmen piled up a season-high 529 yards of total offense, including 375 on the ground, and had 27 first downs.
Miklusicak rushed for 210 yards on 20 carries, making him the 10th Hope back in school history to top 2,000 career rushing yards. He now has 2,062 rushing yards for his career. He has gone over the 100-yard mark in a game eight times in his career and more than 200 yards twice.
Opple added 97 yards rushing on 16 carries. He was near-perfect through the air, completing 10 of 12 passes for 134 yards and two scores.
The Hope defense limited the Scots to 271 yards total offense, most of the yards coming after the game was in hand. Freshman linebacker Jacob Hoekstra of Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville) and sophomore defensive back Liam Tobin of Auburn, Michigan (Bay City Western) each recorded eight tackles, while Hoekstra recovered a fumble to set up a Hope scoring drive.