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A focused and determined Hope College football team marched to a record-setting 70-6 nonleague win at Concordia, Wisconsin on Saturday in the regular-season finale.
The Flying Dutchmen (8-2 overall) charged to a school-record 564 yards rushing and recorded the longest pass play in team history en route to their first eight-win season since 2000 and the ninth all-time.
Hope came out ready to play just like head coach Peter Stuursma wanted.
"From the get-go — the first series on offense, the first series on defense — our guys were lasered in," Stuursma said. "I thought we were excited to play what could be the final game for the seniors."
The Flying Dutchmen entered the game ranked ninth in the North Region and needed a victory to keep alive its slim hopes for an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs. The 32-team field, with just five Pool C at-large berths available for teams like Hope, is announced Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
The 70 points were the second most in Flying Dutchmen history — trailing only the 71 scored against Ferris State in 1919.
Hope opened the game by forcing Concordia (2-8) to go three-and-out. The Flying Dutchmen then capitalized on a short punt by handing the ball to senior Brandan Campbell of Otsego, Michigan (Otsego HS) three times to cover 51 yards — the last four of which went for a touchdown.
Four plays later, senior defensive back Jakob Zanski of Wyandotte, Michigan (Theodore Roosevelt) returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead 4:46 into the first quarter.
The Flying Dutchmen led 28-0 after the first quarter following touchdowns receptions of 93 and 28 yards by sophomore receiver Christian Bos of Hudsonville, Michigan (Unity Christian) and from sophomore quarterback Mason Opple of Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville).
The 93-yard catch is the longest pass play in Hope history. Bos, who finished with 130 yards receiving, surpassed Jared Hudson's previous best of 88 yards against Kalamazoo College in 2010.
The Flying Dutchmen finished with 752 yards of total offense, 564 on the ground to surpass the previous school record of 529 against Grand Valley State University in 1971.
Campbell rushed for 210 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries for his third 200-yard game of the season and fourth of his career. Only Brandon Graham has more 200-yard rushing games at Hope with six.
Campbell ended his Flying Dutchmen career with 2,706 career rushing yards after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons — fourth most all-time. He passed Kurt Bennett (2,647 from 1973-76) on Saturday.
Senior Chris Leigh of Lake Orion, Michigan (Lake Orion) ran for a career-high 197 yards and two scores on 14 carries.
Hope broke the 2016 school record for rushing yards in a season with 2,810. The Flying Dutchmen had 2,738 last season.