ADRIAN, Mich. – The Adrian College football team faced off with the Trine Thunder in the 25th edition of the Black and Blue Border Brawl. The Bulldogs entered today looking to earn their first conference victory of the season, while Trine entered tied for first in the MIAA.
Trine got on the board on the game's opening drive with a balanced offensive attack that culminated in a touchdown pass.
Offensively, Adrian started out slow, going three-and-out on their first drive.
The Thunder stormed down the field, entering the red zone on five plays. On second and long, Trine looked to the air but was met with Ethan Burrows as the Bulldog snagged his first interception of the season.
Utilizing Sebastian Boswell's legs, the Bulldogs found the endzone to open up the second quarter.
Trine's offense cut through the Adrian defense and found themselves with another red zone opportunity. A big sack by Andrew VanDyke held the Thunder offense to three points, making it 10-7.
On the next drive, Adrian created another scoring chance. A 41-yard field goal attempt failed to tie the game up, giving the Thunder the ball back at their own 24-yard line.
The Thunder established the run with three straight handoffs to start their next drive. On first down from the 50-yard line, Trine broke free for a massive rushing touchdown, extending their lead.
After both teams exchanged punts, Adrian started the drive on their own three-yard line. With not a lot of room to work, the Bulldogs wiggled their way to their own 17-yard line. On first down, Boswell connected with Braiden Whitaker for a ten-yard reception, but a fumble recovered by the Thunder ended the Adrian drive.
Two plays later, Trine found the back of the end zone to extend their lead to 24-7 at the end of the first half.
The second half opened with both teams trotting out their punters. Adrian's offense found a rhythm on their second drive of the half and cashed it in for a touchdown. It was Boswell to Whitaker on a 15-yard pass that helped cut into the deficit.
The Thunder were once again held quiet and punted the ball on their next drive.
As the Bulldogs tried to establish the run game, an Adrian turnover gave the Thunder great field position to start their following drive.
The Bulldogs' defense held strong again, forcing a turnover on downs. A five-play drive that included four runs helped Adrian find the end zone via Steven McCoy.
All it took was one play for the Thunder to extend their lead, as a 39-yard touchdown pass gave Trine a ten-point lead.
Trine got the ball right back after an interception on the second play of the Adrian drive.
Luckily, Ethan Burrows stopped the Thunder's scoring chances with his second pick of the game. Adrian's offense took over in Thunder territory.
The final quarter started with a crucial fourth-down conversion by the Adrian offense. The following play resulted in a 59-yard touchdown pass as Boswell once again found Whitaker for six. The extra point brought Adrian to within three points, 31-28.
Another defensive stop for the Bulldogs set the offense up with great field position. Taking over at the Trine 29-yard line, Adrian's offense had a six-play drive that was capped off with another McCoy touchdown. It was Adrian's first lead of the game.
Trine retook the lead, 38-35, with just under four minutes remaining in the game.
At the two-minute warning, Adrian converted on a pivotal fourth-down conversion. For the third time today, Boswell found Whitaker and Adrian took a 42-38 lead with 1:09 on the clock.
The Thunder offense found themselves staring at third down with 14 yards to go for the first down. They converted and two plays later connected on a 42-yard reception, taking them to the Adrian seven-yard line. With nine seconds left in regulation, Trine connected for the game-winning pass to seal the win, 45-42.
Up Next
Adrian will travel to the University of Olivet next Saturday at 12 PM.
