ADRIAN, Mich. – The Adrian College football team has at least a share of its first Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) title for the first time since 1997 after a convincing 38-7 win over visiting Kalamazoo College on Saturday, Oct. 27. The Bulldogs won for the seventh straight time this season and improved to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in the MIAA with another great defensive effort. The Bulldogs have yet to allow a conference opponent to score double digits and square off with Albion College next Saturday (Nov. 3) with an outright title and NCAA appearance on the line.

The Bulldogs came out firing offensively in the first quarter building a 21-0 lead. Senior Justin Hemm had a huge opening quarter catching touchdown passes of 81 and 43 yards midway through the quarter. Kalamazoo drove 56 yards on 10 plays on the opening drive but stalled and punted to the Adrian 13-yard line. After a four-yard run by Dae'Von Robinson, Hemm hauled in the 81-yard bomb from Taylor Copacia to give Adrian a 7-0 lead. Adrian's defense forced a three-and-out and the offense got the ball back at their own 45-yard line. Robinson carried for three yards followed by a nine-yard catch by Hemm and then a beautiful pass from Copacia in stride to Hemm for a 43-yard score giving AC a 14-0 lead.

Kalamazoo quarterback Aaron McGuire was intercepted by Curtis Rhoden on the next play for the Hornet offense and returned it 30 yards to the Kalamazoo 20-yard line. Adrian kept it on the ground five straight times before Damon Brown carried it in from one yard on fourth-and-goal with 4:53 left in the quarter to give Adrian a 21-0 lead.

The Hornets got on the board with 10:53 left in the second quarter for their lone score in the contest. McGuire connected with Mikael Lott on a 18-yard strike capping off an 11-play, 75-yard drive which lasted 4:45. Adrian answered the Kalamazoo score with a Dustin Salliotte 39-yard field goal which just cleared the crossbar with 5:44 left in the second to make it 24-7. Kalamazoo drove 70 yards in 10 plays on the next possession but on fourth-and-goal from the one it was an incomplete pass by McGuire broken up and nearly intercepted by senior Joe Makowski that ended the scoring threat with 31 seconds left until halftime.

The Bulldogs scored with 3:40 left in the third quarter to take a 31-7 lead after the Bulldogs recovered a punt that was touched by a Kalamazoo player at the Hornet five-yard line. On third-and-goal from the six it was Copacia and Hemm hooking up for the third time on the scoring play. Adrian took their second drive of the fourth quarter and put an exclamation point on this win. Nine straight runs yielded 45 yards as Kyle Smock carried in from one yard with 1:57 left in the game. Corey Thomas kicked the extra point and Adrian lead 38-7.

Adrian finished with 312 yards outgaining the Hornets by 16 yards. The Bulldogs rushed for 137 yards and threw for 175 yards. AC was also 5-for-11 on third down and went 4-for-4 in the red zone. Hemm's final home game might have been his finest with five catches for 151 yards and three scores. Robinson led the ground game with 59 yards as four backs had at least five carries. Junior Hunter Juntunen led the Bulldogs with 13 tackles including 10 solo stops. Rhoden had six tackles including the interception as the Bulldogs recorded two sacks and five tackles for loss. The Adrian-Albion showdown begins at 1 p.m. next Saturday with Adrian looking for their first NCAA postseason berth since 1988.