by Greg Chandler
The Hope College football team suffered its first defeat in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play Saturday, falling to Albion College 41-38 on Senior Day at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Flying Dutchmen (4-1 MIAA, 7-2 overall) and dropped them into a three-way tie for first place with Albion and Trine University in the MIAA standings heading into next Saturday's regular-season finale at Trine. The loss also snapped a 17-game winning streak for Hope against MIAA opponents, dating back to the 2018 season.
Hope battled back valiantly from an early 21-3 deficit to take the lead in the third quarter but could not hang on to that lead.
"I said to our guys, sometimes it just isn't fair. It hurts, it stings, but yet we still have a chance to win a share of the conference championship," head coach Peter Stuursma said after the game.
The Flying Dutchmen played from behind almost from the outset. Albion struck for a 61-yard touchdown pass on the second play from scrimmage, and the Britons led 7-0 just 35 seconds into the game. Two more touchdown passes extended the Albion lead to 21-3 early in the second quarter.
But Hope stormed back, driving 75 yards in 13 plays for its first touchdown. Junior quarterback Chase Brown of Comstock Park, Michigan (Comstock Park HS) capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run. Junior placekicker Dylan Hillger of Holly, Michigan (Lake Fenton HS), who had earlier tied the school record with a 46-yard field goal, booted the extra point to cut the lead to 21-10.
Hope capitalized on two special teams turnovers to score two touchdowns in the final minute of the first half. First, sophomore cornerback Momodou Colley of Novi, Michigan (Walled Lake Western HS) recovered a muffed punt at the Albion 18. That set up a 4-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Elijah Smith of Hastings, Michigan (Hastings HS) to cut the lead to 24-17 with 36 seconds left in the first half.
Then on the ensuing kickoff, a jarring hit by freshman running back Drew Knieper of Lake Orion, Michigan (Lake Orion HS) dislodged the football, and freshman linebacker Andrew Debri of DeWitt, Michigan (DeWitt HS) recovered for Hope at the Albion 30.
With three seconds remaining in the half, Brown found junior wide receiver Carter Nofziger of Pandora, Ohio (Pandora Gilboa HS) in the back of the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown pass. Hillger's conversion tied the game at 24-all.
Hope then took the second-half kickoff and marched 65 yards in seven plays to take its first lead of the game. Smith took it in from five yards out for his second touchdown of the day, and the Dutchmen led 31-24.
"We just settled down and made some plays. We didn't give them the ball back at all," Stuursma said.
Hope then got a stop on Albion's next possession, but a fumble on the punt return gave Albion the ball inside the 35-yard-line of the Flying Dutchmen. The Britons would score moments later to tie the game, then took the lead early in the fourth quarter.
A critical fumble recovery by senior cornerback Trevor Sutton of Bay City, Michigan (All Saints HS) gave Hope new life. Hope then drove 72 yards in six plays, with junior running back Daniel Romano of Royal Oak, Michigan (Shrine Catholic HS) tying the game at 38-38 on a 4-yard touchdown run with less than 10 minutes remaining.
The Britons drove back down the field again, but Hope held in the red zone. Jackson Cooney's 36-yard field goal with 5:09 remaining put Albion in the lead at 41-38.
Hope came right back. A 39-yard pass from Brown to Nofziger put the ball at the Albion 36. However, Hope fumbled inside the Albion 5 on the next play. The Britons picked up one first down and ran the clock out.
"I tip my hat to Albion. They won, fair and square. It was a good football game. We can't go down 21-3 and expect to clamor back, but we did," Stuursma said.
The loss was the final home game for 16 Hope seniors, who have posted a 24-6 record during their tenure and won one MIAA championship with a shot at a second.
"I'm real proud of our seniors for what they have accomplished," Stuursma said. "I don't want our guys to feel like anything at the end cost us the game. The game just ended in the way that the ball didn't bounce our way.
Hope finished with 448 yards total offense but committed three turnovers. Brown completed 19 of 26 passes for 295 yards and a touchdown, while Smith rushed for 105 yards on 21 carries, his second straight 100-yard performance. Sophomore wide receiver Terrell Harris of Whitehall, Michigan (Whitehall HS) had a career-best nine catches for 111 yards.
Defensively, Sutton and junior safety Dylan Green of Vandalia, Michigan (Cassopolis Ross Beatty HS) each made 10 tackles. Green had 2-1/2 tackles for loss and senior linebacker Jeremiah Purnell of Dorr, Michigan (Wyoming HS) had 2-1/2 sacks.
Hope can still win a share of its 22md MIAA football title at Trine on Saturday, Nov. 13, with kickoff at 1 p.m.
"We have to keep the same message that we always have and what we believe in – you win or lose for 24 hours," Stuursma said. "I told our guys that this is when families and the brotherhood of a team really is going to be tested and you have to stay together. I know the character of our guys and they'll stay together."