KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Up 26-23 with just over two minutes left in their game against Kalamazoo, the Albion football team squandered away an opportunity to earn their first conference win of the season.
The Britons gave up a 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with 16 seconds remaining and fell to the Hornets, 30-26, at Angell Field.
After three straight punts to open the game,
Davis Crossman orchestrated a nine-play, 68-yard scoring drive in which he dove for the pylon on the right side to get in on a six-yard rush and take a 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing possession, the Hornets' Conner Bell ran 74 yards untouched up the middle for the score on the first play of the drive.
Rodney Chapman blocked the point after as Albion maintained their lead.
Four more punts occurred before the Britons cashed in next in the second quarter.
Crossman capped off the seven-play, 65-yard drive by zipping a 14-yard pass to
Dilon Denison on the left side of the end zone with 12:04 left in the half.
Albion's next drive was one marred by penalties, as they drove to Kalamazoo's six yard line but were backed up to the 21 once the back-to-back infractions were called. The Britons had to settle for a 38-yard field goal from
Logan Grwinski for a 10-point advantage with 3:52 remaining.
A 16-play drive ensued for the Hornets, as a
Marion Baxtresser breakup on third down held Kalamazoo to a field goal with 12 seconds left to make it 16-9 still in favor of Albion at the half.
Albion gambled on the opening drive of the second half on a fourth down and six at the Kalamazoo 16 yard-line but could not convert.
After a punt,
Dilon Denison fumbled after a catch on the third play of the drive to give Kalamazoo excellent field position at the Albion 30.
They found paydirt just two plays later on a 13-yard scoring pass to tie the score up at 16-16 with just under three minutes left in the period.
Another missed fourth down occurred for the Britons at the 50, and the Hornets swarmed at the opportunity to take the lead with a first-play score on a deep pass to go ahead, 23-16, where it stood at the end of the third.
Alex Trudell got churning on the ensuing drive as he raced 42 yards for a score to tie the game up again, this time 23-23.
Three drives later,
Adam Mills forced a fumble while making a tackle that Baxtresser returned to the Kalamazoo 19.
Five plays later, Grwinski made a 27-yard field goal to make it 26-23 before Kalamazoo's game-winning drive.
Crossman finished his second career start by going 24-of-37 for 230 yards and a score as the Briton offense held possession for 38:15. Trudell ran 18 times for 159 yards, while
Connor Davey posted a career-best six catches for 71 yards.
Adam Mills made 14 tackles, including the Britons' lone sack, and Baxtresser recorded four pass breakups.
Up Next
Albion will head home to play Hope on Saturday, November 1 at 1 p.m.
