Alma College football is pure All-American underdog story with miraculous happy finish

You want a goosebump-inducing lesson in perseverance?

Let me tell you about Alma College football and what it did on Saturday. The Scots were losing to Mount Union, 20-10, with 4:45 left in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals.

You want to a master class in poise?

Let me tell you about Carter St. John, a 5-foot-9 sophomore quarterback from Zionsville, Indiana, who he is filled with moxie and composure and has lost exactly one game in his college career; and — spoiler alert — it didn’t come against Mount Union.

“You look at him, you're like, he’s not even 6-foot,” Alma coach Jason Couch said. “He looks like he's 16 but he's a competitor.”

You want to see one of the most heart-melting moments imaginable?

Let me tell you how Couch found his son, J.B., Alma’s starting center, on the field in a hug, tears streaming down their faces, after Alma’s stunning 24-20 win.

“We both kinda lost it,” Jason Couch said.

How big was this moment?

It's impossible to overstate.

Mount Union is the New York Yankees of small-college football — back when the Yankees had Derek Jeter. Since 1993, the Purple Raiders have won 13 national titles and lost in the championship nine more times. Mount Union has put seven players in the NFL, including three who were drafted. The most famous? Pierre Garson, a wide receiver who was a sixth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2008.

This was massive on a D3 national scale, shaking up this tournament — Mount Union is so good the Purple Raiders are just expected to get to the national championship game. Nearly every darn year.

But for Alma?

This was the biggest win in school history and Couch’s postgame speech offered the biggest life lesson of all.

“Anything in life, things that are important to you, you have to fight for them,” he said. “Our guys fought for 60 minutes, and it took all of it. The best thing is, not one of them started pointing fingers when things weren't going well. They fought with their buddies, their best friends and I thanked them for giving us coaches another week of hanging out with them.”

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A comeback for the ages

You wanna talk about a well-coached team?

Let’s focus on the game-winning drive.

Alma had the ball on its own 4-yard line with 1:29 to play, down 20-17. But the Scots were built for this moment. To play fast. To play with no fear.

And started a drive toward a miracle on the horizon.

“We are a very fast tempo offense,” Couch said. “So I think that really helped our guys. There was zero panic.”

St. John started it off by hitting Devon Frenchko, a fifth-year senior from St. Joseph, for 7 yards.

Then, Jordan Williams went to work. This freshman running back from Livonia Clarenceville High School ran to the right for 10 yards and got out of bounds.

Then, he ran to the right again for 5 more and got out of bounds, saving a timeout.

Then, magic struck.

Carter hit Williams over the middle on a short pass, and he took off, carving through the Mount Union defense and slipping by a defender for a 52-yard gain that flipped the field.

“That really changed everything,” Couch said.

With just 10 seconds left, the Scots went pure Tim Tebow.

Alma brought in a big package. St. John faked a run, sprinted toward the line of scrimmage, jumped up and tossed a short pass over the middle to his tight end, Cole Thomas, a fifth-year senior from St. Johns, for the game-winner.

“It’s a play we practice a couple times a week,” Couch said.

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Kilts to a stingy D — this team's got it all

There are so many things to love about this football team.

You gotta love how more than 60 players went to Couch’s house for Thanksgiving.

“I gave them the option,” he said. “They could go home or if they didn't want to travel, or if they just wanted to be with their buddies, or they come over my house. So we had about 60 or 65, and it was awesome. It was a lot of fun."

You gotta love how this senior class has been through such a wild college experience.

“We have 36 seniors,” Couch said. “They had an absolutely horrible freshman year with COVID and the cancellation of a season. They stayed and they fought through that year and believed in our kilt style culture and wanted to create something special here.”

You gotta love how this defense is a turnover machine.

“We’ve led country in turnovers for three straight years,” Couch said.

Alma’s defense held Mount Union to just 10 points in the second half, setting up this miracle comeback. Odin Soffredine, a fifth-year senior from Traverse City West, had 20 tackles. Gage Nelson, a fifth-year senior from Standish, had 14 tackles. Drew Humm, a fifth-year senior from Alma, had 11 tackles, including one for a loss. And Jalen Dunwoody, a senior from River Rouge, recorded two sacks.

But most of all, I love how these players are true student-athletes — several were freaking out this week, because they are getting ready for the biggest football game of their lives while having to cram for final exams, which begins next week. College football players who are actually student’s first? Yeah, a strange concept, I know.

There is a purity to this level of college sports, where they play for the love of the game.

And Alma just punched its ticket into the big time.

“It is huge,” Couch said. “It changes the standard. I think that it raises the level of expectation. At least I hope it does. This game just showed the tenacity of these players.”

But mostly, I love the spirit of this team and what it represents.

How Couch wears a kilt at home games; and yes, he’ll be wearing it again on Saturday when the Scots play in the quarterfinals for the first time in school history against No. 13 SUNY Cortland.

“It'll be wearing it on Saturday, that's for darn sure,” he said. “I jokingly say, I never started wearing it to away games, just because it's so much to pack. I feel like Beyoncé with wardrobe changes. So that's kind of why I've just left it at home for away games.”

A coach in a kilt.

Players eating turkey at their coach’s house.

A group of seniors who stuck together.

An offense that can score in a blink.

And a team on a magical ride.

It's the pure, All-American underdog story. With a happy ending.

You can’t help but root for this team that never gave up and brought down a giant.

Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Alma College football: An underdog story with miraculous happy finish