PDF version of this week's Game Notes
OPENING DRIVE
The Alma College football team concludes the 2016 season this afternoon, hosting the Adrian College Bulldogs in the season finale for both teams. Today is also Senior Day, with the program's 10 seniors – Justin Thelen, Grant Wilson, Nick Sullivan, Cody Coleman, Jonny Mundt, Brandon Erwin, Jacob Chittenden, Ty Jensen, Nick Mangutz and Troy Gahm – being honored prior to the start of the game.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Adrian is looking to snap a two-game losing streak after falling to Trine and Olivet over the past two weeks. The Bulldogs average over 387 yards per game offensively, with most of the yardage coming through the air. Hunter Hamm has been the primary signal-caller in the Bulldogs' recent games, completing 53.4 percent of his passes for 938 yards and five TDs. On the receiving end, Darius Philon averages over 100 yards a game and has caught five touchdown passes, while Jerron McGaw has four scores and is averaging over 65 yards per game. Kyle Nutter and David Nutter power the Adrian ground game, with David averaging 72.3 yards per game with six TDs and Kyle averaging 52.0 yards per game average with four scores. Defensively, Jacob Davis leads the team with 69 tackles, while Angus Arthur has 66 stops. Damon Fuller is also in the mix with 53 tackles, including a team-high 10.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss.
THE SERIES
Alma and Adrian are meeting for the 78th time today in a series that began in 1911. The Scots lead the all-time series, 46-30-1, but have dropped the last nine meetings with the Bulldogs. Alma's last victory over Adrian came during the 2006 campaign.
ZABOROWSKI NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dylan Zaborowski was named the MIAA's Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season after factoring into four of Alma's touchdowns during last week's comeback win at Trine. Zaborowski completed 12 of 25 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns and also ran the ball 14 times for 32 yards and a score. Zaborowski engineered the Scots' 15-play, 82-yard drive to win the game in the fourth quarter, connecting with Lars Murray on a 20-yard pass to put Alma ahead with 42 seconds remaining.
SIX WINS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE '06
With six wins this season, the Scots have recorded the most wins under Head Coach Greg Pscodna and the most victories since the 2006 campaign, when Alma went 6-4. The last time Alma recorded seven or more wins in a season was 2004, when the Scots posted an 8-3 record en route to the MIAA title. Only 13 teams in Alma College history have reached the seven-win mark.
RUSHING INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
Alma has racked up 2,055 yards on the ground this season, marking the fifth time in school history a team has run for more than 2,000 yards and the first since the 1984 squad tallied 2,275 yards on the ground. In addition, the Scots have 26 rushing touchdowns – second most in school history – and are two shy of the record 28 scored during the 1969 campaign.
CLOSING IN ON 1,000
Danny Hugan II is 71 yards away from becoming Alma College's fourth 1,000-yard receiver and enters today's game with 929 yards and eight TDs on 61 catches. The last player to record 1,000 or more yards in a single season was Joe Cline, who caight a school record 98 passes for a school-record 1,256 yards in 2006. Hugan leads the MIAA in receiving yards per game (103.2) and also paces the league with eight receiving touchdowns.
THIRTY-PLUS
Alma is 6-0 this season when scoring more than 30 points. In addition, the Scots are 12-0 under Coach Pscodna when putting more than 30 points on the board. The last time the Scots lost when scoring 30 or more points was September 24, 2011, in a 49-42 shootout at Washington and Lee.
A FEW MORE TIDBITS AS WE WRAP UP THE SEASON ...
The Scots are looking for their third home victory of the season this afternoon and have not won more than two games in front of a home crowd since the 2008 campaign ... Alma is seeking its fourth win in conference play today, and has not won more than three games against MIAA teams since 2007.
FAST STARTS ... SOLID FINISHES
The Scots have scored first in seven of the last eight games and are outscoring opponents by a 71-35 margin in the first quarter this season and own a 184-121 scoring advantage in the first half of games this year. Alma is being outscored only in the third quarter, and is outscoring opponents in the fourth quarter, 71-60.
COOL RUNNINGS
The Scots are averaging 228.3 yards per game on the ground, 31st-best in NCAA Division III and third-best in the MIAA behind Hope and Trine, the only schools to average more than 200 yards on the ground.
PUSHING THE LINE BACK ...
The Scots are 32ns in NCAA Division III with 28 sacks (3.11 per game), and rank 32nd in team tackles for loss, averaging 8.1 per game.
... WHILE HOLDING THEIR OWN
Alma is third nationally for tackles for loss allowed this season, limiting opponents to just 3.56 tackles per game in their own backfield. Alma is also 23rd in Division III for sacks allowed, as opponents have only been credited with getting to the quarterback nine times.
THROUGH THE AIR AND ON THE GROUND
Dylan Zaborowski ranks third in the MIAA with an average of 209.4 yards passing per game, and is also third with 13 passing touchdowns. In addition, Zaborowski is the MIAA's fifth-ranked rusher, averaging 71.4yards per game, and has scored 11 rushing touchdowns, tied for second-best in the league. Zaborowski, who has carried the ball for a career-high 643 yards this season, ranks 44th nationally in total offense, accounting for 280.9 yards per game.
CAREER SCORING YEAR FOR ZABOROWSKI
In addition to his career-high rushing totals, Dylan Zaborowski has scored a career-high 72 points this season lead the team. Zaborowski, who has more points this season than his first two years combined (54), is 48th in NCAA Division III with 12 total touchdowns and leads all MIAA players in points responsible for (150), a mark that is 44th among NCAA III players.
MOVING ON UP
Dylan Zaborowski is in fifth place on Alma College's career passing chart and now has 5,830 yards over the last three seasons as the Scots' primary quarterback. Zaborowski is also in fourth place for career completions and enters the Adrian game with 455. Zaborowski is the fifth signal-caller in Scots' history to throw for 5,500 yards and make 400 career completions.
CATCHING AND CLIMBING
Danny Hugan II is eighth among Alma College receivers for most yards in a single season and enters the Adrian game with 929. Hugan is averaging 103.2 yards per game - tops in the MIAA - and ranks in the top 25 among NCAA Division III players for receiving yards (18th) and receiving yards per game (22nd).
CAREER RECEIVER
Danny Hugan II is quickly climbing the career charts for wide receivers and currently ranks 13th with 1,750 career yards. Hugan also has 132 career receptions, 12th all time.
TIME TO PLAY THE GAHM
Troy Gahm is the first player in school history to record four tackles for loss in a single game three times in his career and has accomplished the feat twice this season. Gahm has a career-high 18 tackles for loss this season, as well as a career-best 11 sacks to lead the MIAA. Gahm ranks eighth nationally in sacks and 12th in Division III for tackles for loss.
TACKLING LEADER
Zac Peterson leads the Scots and ranks second in the MIAA with 88 total tackles this season. He also ranks 53rd in NCAA Division III, averaging 9.8 tackles per game. Peterson is 12 tackles away from tallying 100 or more tackles in back-to-back seasons. In 2015, he registered a team-high 104 stops.
TARTAN TIDBITS
- The Scots lead the MIAA and rank 23rd in Division III with a pair of blocked punts, both of which were recorded at Olivet to weeks ago.
- Alma is leading the MIAA in fewest penalties this season and has only been flagged 42 times, a mark that is 35th in NCAA Division III.
OTHER NOTES FROM THE TRINE GAME ...
- Lars Murray posted a career-high five passes and record his first 100-yard game with a career-best 119 yards.
- Caleb Reinhart carried the ball a season-high 14 times and amassed a season-high 104 yards for his first career 100-yard game. He also scored his first career touchdown on a season-long 56-yard run.
- Grant Wilson earned his first career 100-yard game with a career-high 108 yards. He also had a career-long 55 yard run.
- Cody Coleman made a career-high 10 tackles, while Colton Tyson notched a career-best 17 stops for the second straight game.
- Chris Luckhurst notched his first career interception, returning it 75 yards for his first career touchdown.
- Jake Curtin made a career-best four tackles, while Max Kretzschmar was credited with a season-high eight stops.
IF YOU'VE BEEN WITH US ALL SEASON, THESE MAY LOOK FAMILIAR ...
The Running Man – Nick Sullivan has carried the ball a school-record 185 times this season, surpassing the record 163 times he toted the ball a year ago. Sullivan is the second player in school history to record 148 or more carries in two or more seasons, joining Mackenzie McGrady, who accomplished the feat in 2007 and 2009. Sullivan is averaging 109.1 yards per game rushing, 55th in NCAA Division III, and is seeking to become the Scots' first 1,000-yard rusher since 2005. He is currently 236 yards away from the 1,000-yard mark. Sullivan sat out the Olivet and Trine games and is expected to miss the Adrian game as well.
Scoring Sullivan – Nick Sullivan has scored a team-high 66 points after eight games this season with 11 touchdowns on the ground to tie for the lead in the MIAA. Sullivan, who ranks 22nd in NCAA Division III for rushing touchdowns, is only four points away from matching his scoring output from a year ago (70 points in 10 games). Sullivan is ranked 41st nationally for total touchdowns and has scored two or more times in three games this season. In addition, Sullivan has found the end zone in each of his last five contests.
More on Sullivan – Nick Sullivan is the 13th player in Alma College history to rush for 1,500 career yards and is the first player to hit the mark since Mackenzie McGrady, who totaled 1,583 yards from 2007-09. Sullivan moved into 11th place on the Alma College career rushing chart against Albion and has 1,645 career yards, passing McGrady. Sullivan also currently ranks 10th in career rushing attempts with 341 carries.
Nine for Thelen – Justin Thelen recorded his ninth career interception against Albion, becoming the 12th player in Alma College history to reach that mark. Thelen has a team-high four picks this year, matching his career-high from a year ago, and ranks 28th nationally for interceptions.
One decade at a time – The Scots have won a MIAA championship in each decade, dating back to the 1900s. Their last league title was in 2004.
Team captains – Senior RB Nick Sullivan (Flushing, Mich./Flint Powers) and senior DB Justin Thelen (Westphalia, Mich./Pewamo-Westphalia) are serving as team captains for the 2016 campaign. The captains were voted on by the team.
