Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
HOLLAND, Mich. - Albion College drove 99 yards for the go-ahead score and it covered the receivers on a two-point conversion with 16 seconds left to walk out of Ray and Sue Smith Stadium with a 21-20 victory over Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association rival Hope College.
With the windy, wet and raw conditions complicating the Britons passing attack, Albion kept the ball on the ground for eight of the 12-play scoring drive in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Dominic Bona chewed up 11 yards with a run on the first play, and Colin Parks followed with two runs totaling 18 yards.
The only completion on the drive was a 33-yard connection between Bona and Chris McCall.
Mike Czarnecki covered the final 12 yards as Albion forged a 21-14 lead with 4:23 left.
"It showed character to go 99 yards and we overcame losing the turnover battle," Albion Head Coach Craig Rundle said. "The weather was a factor, but I think it hurt us more in the passing game."
Hope converted on 4th-and-9 and 3rd-and-19 to finish a 70-yard scoring drive with 16 seconds left. Chris Leigh ripped off a 9-yard scoring run, but quarterback Rob Kish found his options covered on the two-point conversion and under pressure his throw intended for tight end Kody Alber sailed out of the back of the end zone.
"It was a play we had seen, but we were pretty fortunate," Rundle said.
"With that said, our guys found a way to win," Rundle added. "It's hard to win games, period. It's hard to win on the road."
Albion marched into Hope territory late in the first quarter, but the possession ended on an interception. Albion also lost a pair of fumbles in the second half. To the credit of the defense, Hope did not score off the turnovers.
Parks gained two tough yards on fourth down and he tore off a 13-yard run on the next play as Albion took a 7-0 lead with 53 seconds left in the first half.
Hope came back for the tying score before halftime. Kish connected with Matt Kroll for a 22-yard touchdown to cap a 5-play, 60-yard drive.
Hope took the second half kickoff and marched 68 yards in 7 plays for its only lead of the day. Kish scored on a 26-yard run with 11:21 left in the third quarter.
Albion forged a tie at 14 on Czarnecki's 4-yard run with 3:18 left in the third quarter.
Albion's offense generated 392 yards. Czarnecki averaged six yards per carry, gaining 129 yards on 22 attempts. Parks gashed Hope for 83 yards on 17 carries for an average of nearly five yards. Bona completed 14 passes for 153 yards. Chris McCall hauled in seven passes for 75 yards.
David Simon led the defense with 12 tackles.
Albion, 4-0 overall, travels to Kalamazoo College next Saturday.