Oberlin, OH- Chris Allen Jr. and Bear Broyles connected on two second-half touchdowns, but the Oberlin College football team ran out of time at the goal line in a 24-17 loss to Kalamazoo College on Saturday, September 4 at Bailey Field.
The game, which was the debut of Head Coach Steve Opgenorth, was Oberlin's first in 658 days after the 2020 season was lost to the pandemic.
Allen Jr. had a career day, completing 35-of-58 passes for 307 yards and the two scores to Broyles, who hauled in a career-best 10 receptions for 124 yards.
The Yeomen (0-1) outgained the Hornets (1-0) 401 yards to 273 and totaled almost 14 more minutes in time of possession. Another two yards would have given the hosts a chance to tie or win the game, but the clock hit all zeroes after Allen was stuffed on a third-down keeper by Kalamazoo's Isaiah Fleming and Payton Fleming.
Oberlin trailed by as much as 24-3, a stretch that began with Kalamazoo scoring on its first play from scrimmage, a 31-yard screen pass from Josh Nichols to Jon Brunette after a Yeomen turnover.
The two teams traded field goals over the next several possessions, Oberlin's being a 20-yarder from Sam Bingaman to cap an 11-play, 74-yard drive, but Kalamazoo built its lead to 17-3 by halftime thanks to a Brunette one-yard run with 5:18 left before intermission.
The Hornets added a Sheldon Riley one-yard touchdown run at 12:13 of the third, but Oberlin answered on the ensuing drive with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Allen Jr. to Broyles. That first Broyles score capped a six-play, 75-yard drive.
The visitors looked to be on their way to immediately countering that touchdown, but Ethan Boufford stopped the Kalamazoo drive and energized the Oberlin crowd with a 3rd-down sack of Nichols.
The Yeomen offense then pieced together a 12-play, 92-yard drive that ended with Allen Jr. scrambling to his left and finding a tip-toeing Broyles in the back of the endzone. Another Bingaman extra point brought Oberlin to within 24-17.
A handful of possessions later, George Dowdle sniffed out a fake punt attempt and set the Yeomen offense up at the Kalamazoo 20 for a drive that Allen Jr. initially kept alive with a 10-yard scramble on fourth down. However, the Yeomen would eventually lose the ball on downs.
Kalamazoo's final possession ended in a punt before the final 16-play, 72-yard drive from Oberlin ended in heartbreak.
The Yeomen remain home for the second of three straight at Bailey Field next Saturday, September 11 versus Ohio Wesleyan University. Kickoff under the lights of the Knowlton Athletics Complex is set for 7:00 pm with a live stream available here and live stats available here.
Fans can watch all of the home matches live online. Home contests can be accessed on a TV through the official Oberlin College Sports Network app on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.
