Grand Rapids, MI - The Oberlin College football team opened its 2024 season, falling on the road to Calvin University 50-6 on Saturday afternoon. 

In their first-ever game as a program, the Knights looked impressive on both sides of the ball, scoring 24 second-quarter points to carry a 26-0 lead into the intermission before tacking on 24 more points in the second half. 

Oberlin's lone score of the game came midway through the fourth quarter when Drew Nye found senior Evan Smith-Rooks for a 1-yard TD toss that capped off a 14-play, 68-yard drive that chewed up 8:05 off the clock. The march down the field also featured completions to Smith-Rooks for 15 yards and 21 yards with the latter coming on 4th-and-8 to keep the drive alive. 

However, Nye was under duress the entire game as he was ultimately sacked three times, finishing 15-of-33 for 117 yards to go along with three interceptions and one score. Rafael Green-Arnone had two receptions for 43 yards, while Smith-Rooks ended with 37 yards - all of which came on the scoring drive. Oberlin had no ground game to speak of, finishing with just 28 yards rushing. 

With both teams struggling to sustain drives in the opening quarter it would be the Knights who would get on the board late in the opening period as Nye was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety. 

After Calvin scored its first touchdown early in the second quarter, they would steal an extra possession by recovering an onside kick and turn that into three more points to make it 12-0 with 11:48 left in the half. 

Nye would then be intercepted on the ensuing Oberlin possession, which the Knights quickly cashed into points when Hogan Hunter corralled a 13-yard scoring strike inside the pylon from quarterback Chase Bradman to finish off a 3-play, 16-yard drive that took just 39 seconds. 

After a three-and-out on offense, Oberlin would pin the Knights deep in their own territory after Colten Danel's 62-yard punt stopped at the 9-yard line. However, Bradman marched his squad down the field on 11 plays and flipped a two-yard touchdown to Luke Michmerhuizen to end the first-half scoring. 

It was more of the same following the restart as the Yeomen offense continued to sputter while the Knights produced four more scoring drives. 

Bradman ended 18-of-31 for 173 yards and four touchdowns while Jaier Harden toted the rock 15 times for 96 yards rushing. Hunter finished with 52 yards and two TDs on four catches while Carter Bylsma had 51 yards on four snags as well. 

Defensively for the Yeomen, senior linebacker Brandon Hall had 15 tackles while James Chikwe and Hunter Green each added 10. 

Oberlin returns home to host Anderson University next Saturday at 1 p.m.