OPENING DRIVE

The Alma College football team (2-1 overall) opens play in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, traveling to Kalamazoo College (2-1) for 1:00 p.m. tilt on Saturday, Oct. 1. The Scots are wrapping up a four-week, three-game road trip this weekend, while the Hornets are home for the first time since the opening weekend of the season after playing two straight road contests.

THE SERIES

According to Alma College, records, Saturday's game will be the 106th meeting between the two schools in a series that began in 1895. The Scots hold a 58-42-5 advantage and won last year's meeting by a 36-27 margin on October 17 at Bahlke Field. Alma has dropped three straight games in Kalamazoo, with its last win occurring on October 17, 2009, when the Scots posted a 33-23 victory.

LAST GAME - Alma 31, at Concordia Wisconsin 28

The Scots opened up the game with a 17-0 lead mid-way through the second quarter and owned a 24-7 advantage at the half before Concordia Wisconsin mounted a furious comeback, scoring 21 unanswered points, including a touchdown with 2:06 remaining in the game to take a 28-24 lead. The Scots captured the victory with 23 seconds remaining when senior Nick Sullivan crossed the goal line on a one-yard run to give Alma its second straight road win. Sullivan finished the game with 106 yards and a pair of scores, while junior Danny Hugan II tallied 134 yards on seven catches, hauling in a third of junior Dylan Zaborowski's completions. Zaborowski finished the game 21-of-41 for 268 yards and a touchdown while also toting the ball 21 times for 99 yards. Senior Jacob Chittenden led the team in tackles with 14, while senior Troy Gahm registered four tackles for loss, including three sacks.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• According to the latest NCAA Division III statistics, Alma College ranks 30th in team rushing, averaging 235.7 yards per game. 
• Alma also has the top rushing defense in the MIAA, allowing 109.3 yards per game, a mark that is 61st nationally. 
• The Scots lead the MIAA with 28 tackles for loss and rank 23rd in that category in Division III. 
• Alma has also been whistled for the fewest penalties of any team in the MIAA. 
• Alma's 484.7 yards per game of offense is a mark that ranks second in the MIAA and 33rd nationally.

THREE FOR 13

Dylan Zaborowski has thrown three touchdown passes in each of his two previous games against Kalamazoo and has also thrown for 300 or more yards in each contest. In his career against the Hornets, Zaborowski is 41-of-88 for 628 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions.

CHASING 1,000

Nick Sullivan's remains on pace to become the fourth 1,000-yard rusher in Alma College history and is currently averaging 100.7 yards per game. Sullivan has posted back-to-back 100-yard outings entering the Kalamazoo game, and ranks second in the MIAA for rushing behind Trine's Lamar Cardwell (150 ypg).

ALSO ON PACE ...

Danny Hugan II is averaging 105.7 yards per game receiving, a mark that ranks third in the MIAA. Hugan tallied a team-high 821 yards a year ago and is on pace to become the school's fourth-ever 1,000-yard receiver. Hugan, who ranks 36th in Division III for receiving yards per game, is also averaging 183.33 yards per game of total offense, a mark that is 16th nationally.

TOP 10 RETURNER

Danny Hugan is ranked 10th in the latest NCAA Division III statistics with a 35.2 yards per return kickoff average. Hugan is also one of 23 players in Division III to return a kickoff for a score this season.

WHEN IT ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY HAS TO GET THERE ...

Nick Sullivan, who set the school record with 163 carries in 2015, is on his way to topping that mark, registering 85 carries after only three games this season. He is the only player in school history to carry the ball 30 or more times in more than one game. Sullivan has three career games with 30 or more carries, including 31 in his last game at Concordia Wisconsin.

SOMETHING TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON ...

In the history of Alma College football, the Scots have never had a 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver in the same season.

STILL PERFECT

Jacob Plisko is a perfect 11-for-11 in extra point attempts this season, and has converted all three of his field goal attempts. Plisko is in his first year as the Scots' placekicker and ranks second on the team in scoring with 20 total points. Plisko is one of 22 kickers in NCAA Division III who have a perfect field goal percentage.

SACKMASTERS

Dustin Tripp and Troy Gahm both lead the team with four sacks each, a mark that leads the MIAA. The duo is tied for 20th nationally with an average of 1.33 sacks per game. In addition, Gahm's team-high 7.0 tackles for loss (2.3 per game) is 18th-best in Division III.

LEADING TACKLER

Jacob Chittenden leads the score with 35 tackles after three games, averaging 11.7 tackles per contest. Chittenden, who is coming off a career-high 14 stops at Concordia Wisconsin, ranks 39th nationally for total tackles.

NUMBER CHANGE

Freshman Jack Lawrence, a special teams player for the Scots, will now wear #34. He was previously assigned a duplicate #13 for home games and #3 for road contests.

TARTAN TIDBITS

• Essa Kellah recorded a 19-yard catch at Concordia Wisconsin, the longest catch of his career. 
• Nick Cozart caught his first career touchdown pass at Concordia Wisconsin. 
• Troy Gahm tallied a career-high three sacks and tied a career-best with four tackles for loss at Concordia Wisconsin. Since 2006, Gahm is the fifth Alma player to notch four or more tackles for loss in a single game. In addition, he is the 10th player in school history to tally three or more sacks in a single contest. 
• Chris Luckhurst was credited with a career-high six tackles at Concordia Wisconsin. Jayson Nystrom tallied three tackles in the Scots' last game, a season best. 
• Dallas Reeser notched a career-high 11 stops at Concordia Wisconsin for the first double-digit tackle game of his career. 
• Justin Thelen has seven career interceptions and has tallied a team-high two this season. 
• Dustin Tripp registered a career-high three tackles for loss and two sacks at Concordia Wisconsin. 
• Alma's 34 first downs at Concordia Wisconsin tied for fifth-most in school history in a single game, and the most since registering 35 against Kalamazoo in the 2009 campaign.

NEXT UP ...

The Scots return to Bahlke Field for the first time since September 3 to host Hope College in Alma College's annual Homecoming game. Kickoff against the Flying Dutchmen is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.