ADRIAN, Mich. – The Adrian College football team hosted its first-ever top-25 matchup in program history on Saturday afternoon. The No. 25 Bulldogs, appearing in the national rankings for the first time, welcomed No. 19 Hope College to Docking Stadium. In a defensive battle that came down to the final seconds, the Bulldogs fell to the Flying Dutchmen, 19-17.

Adrian jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter after a 15-yard touchdown pass from Noah Beaudrie to Ryan Brumley, followed by a 27-yard field goal from Jack Boike after the defense forced a fumble. Hope answered with a 48-yard touchdown strike late in the quarter to make it 10-7.

Early in the second quarter, Hope found the end zone again to take a 14-10 lead marking the first time Adrian had trailed in a game since its season opener against Valparaiso. With 1:51 remaining in the half, Trey Brueggemann powered in a touchdown run to send the Bulldogs into halftime with a 17-14 advantage.

In the third quarter, Hope threatened to retake the lead but was denied when Koronnis Davis intercepted a pass at the one-yard line. However, on the ensuing possession, Beaudrie was sacked in the end zone for a safety, cutting Adrian's lead to 17-16. The score remained unchanged until the final moments, when Hope converted a 45-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining to secure the win.

Adrian totaled 217 yards of offense, while Hope finished with 320. Beaudrie completed 16 of 21 passes for 143 yards and one touchdown. Brueggemann added 44 rushing yards on 18 carries, and Braiden Whitaker led the receiving corps with nine catches for 113 yards. Defensively, Maddox Woods led the way with 11 total tackles, while Liam Karry recorded nine tackles and a forced fumble.

With the narrow loss, the Bulldogs fall to 6-1 on the season and 3-1 in MIAA play. Adrian will look to bounce back next week when they travel to face Kalamazoo College on Saturday, November 1, at 1:00 PM.