Nov. 1, 2008

Final Stats

ALMA, Mich. - The Adrian College football team can now look towards next week's MIAA title showdown with Trine University after a 45-24 win at Alma on Saturday afternoon. The Scots carried a 15-4 home record since 2005 into the game but in the end it was the Adrian attack which proved to be too much for the hosts.

The first quarter was seemingly all Alma as they took control of the game early with a 10-3 lead after 15 minutes. Jeremy Stephens got Alma on the board with an eight-yard TD grab from Mackenzie McGrady at the 6:22 mark to give the Scots a 7-0 lead. Justin Warner cut the lead to 7-3 at the 4:09 mark after a 63-yard kick return by Joseph Beehler which started the drive at the Alma 15-yard line. Warner's 24-yard field goal was his sixth of the season. Dan Seals booted a 31-yard field goal on the Scots' next possession capping off a 12-play, 51-yard drive at 14:14 of the second quarter.

The second quarter after that was all Adrian as they scored 21 straight points going into the locker room with a 24-10 lead. Troy Niblock had the game-changing play as he ran around left end on a quarterback bootleg keeper on fourth and goal from the two-yard line to tie the game at 10-10 at the 7:27 mark of the second. After a defensive stop by Adrian, Mike McGee tossed a 77-yard TD pass to Beehler at the 5:52 mark to give Adrian a 17-10 lead they would not relinquish. Niblock's 13-yard TD run with just 57 seconds left until halftime was a big boost heading into the locker room with a 14-point cushion.

The scoring continued in the third quarter as Adrian took their first possession and drove 50 yards in three plays capped off by a 40-yard TD scamper by Jared Edwards. Adrian scored 35 straight points as Myke Johnson ran it into the end zone with 41 seconds left in the third to make the score 38-10. Johnson was not finished as he had a Barry Sanders type highlight reel run for 49 yards to paydirt with 6:14 left in the game. He was originally stopped after seven yards but broke out of the pile and sprinted to the end zone.

Adrian finished the game with 404 yards of offense while Alma had 383 yards on offense. Edwards carried seven times for 90 yards to lead the ground game for Adrian. Johnson rushed for 79 yards and two scores on 13 carries. Niblock now stands at nine rushing TD's on the year and carried for 67 yards. McGee was 4-of-9 passing for 96 yards and a score. Danny Taylor led the defense with nine tackles. The Bulldogs had 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks on the day. Justin Judd had two of those for a loss of 19 yards and finished with seven tackles. Adrian (7-1, 4-0) has won seven in a row and square off with Trine (9-0, 5-0) for the league title at Adrian next Saturday at 1:00 p.m.