KALAMAZOO, Michiagn -- Kenyon football Head Coach Ian Good had his team clicking early against his alma mater, Kalamazoo College, but the Hornets benefitted from a big second quarter to push past the Owls 24-21.

Kenyon's receiving corps picked up where they left off in the season opener and shined early and often for the Owls. The trio of sophomore Zachary Kim and seniors Andrew Schnarre and Finn Murray combined for 410 yards and two touchdowns while hauling in 25 passes. Each receiver notched triple-digit receiving yards as Kim led the team with 164 yards on five grabs, including an 89-yard catch and run that kept the Owls in the game late. Schnarre and Murray each finished with 123 yards and a touchdown, with Schnarre securing a game-high 11 receptions and Murray finishing with nine catches.

Murray put the visitors on the board late in the first quarter by capping a 13-play, 80-yard drive that took 6:23 with a seven-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Ryan O'Leary. O'Leary was responsible for the majority of Kenyon's passing success, finishing with 324 yards and two touchdowns. He connected on 25 of 33 attempts, though he did throw a costly interception on first and goal at the start of the fourth quarter.

Kenyon was ahead 7-0 after their first offensive drive. The Owls' defense held Kalamazoo scoreless thanks to a missed 33-yard field goal on the game's opening possession, despite having the Hornets orchestrate a 12-play, 51-yard drive that took 6:26 off the clock.

The Hornets flipped the momentum in the second quarter after tying the game on a 10-yard touchdown run by running back Sheldon Riley at the 14:10 mark and a go-ahead 26-yard field goal by Ian Burr at the 6:18 mark, both coming after a pair of Kenyon three-and-outs.

Kenyon's vertical attack picked up the slack in the ensuing possession as the Owls needed just three plays to reclaim the lead at 14-10. O'Leary connected with Murray on a 23-yard pass before a 50-yard touchdown to Schnarre put the visitors back up.

However, Kalamazoo's second-quarter success was not over, as the Hornets orchestrated another 13-play drive capped by a two-yard touchdown pass from Josh Nichols to Nate Clark. The Hornets' third second-quarter score gave the home team a 17-14 halftime lead.

On their first offensive snap of the third quarter, Kalamazoo made it a 24-7 run thanks to a 73-yard touchdown pass from Nichols to Bubba Wilson, going ahead 24-14.

Kenyon nearly responded on the next drive, but the Owls could not punch it in after four tries in a goal-to-go situation. The drive ended with a fumble at the two-yard line on fourth and goal that Kalamazoo recovered. It was the first of three consecutive Kenyon drives that ended with a loose ball, putting the Owls in a hole they could not recover from.

Kenyon turned the ball over after a fumbled punt and recovery on fourth down before another goal-line turnover, this time in the form of an interception, kept the visitors from getting on the board.

The Owls' defense kept Kalamazoo scoreless for the remainder of the game and allowed Kenyon to make things interesting late. O'Leary came up one yard short on a fourth-down run with 5:26 to play, but the Owls forced a three-and-out to get the ball back with just under four minutes on the clock. Park Penrod came in for the Kenyon drive and delivered a strike to Kim, who caught the ball and ran to the Kalamazoo three-yard line to complete an 89-yard play. Senior running back Jack Provenza punched in a rushing touchdown, helping Kenyon pull within a field goal at the 2:45 mark.

The Owls nearly got the ball back late, but a five-yard penalty on fourth and six allowed Kalamazoo to switch their strategy and look to clinch the win. Instead of a punt, the penalty gave the Hornets a chance to convert on fourth and one, which they did to salt the 24-21 win away.

Kenyon finished the game with a 488-366 edge in total offense, but the untimely turnovers kept the Owls from capitalizing on a few long drives. Kalamazoo had a 147-75 advantage on the ground, but Kenyon's aerial attack was superior by a 413-219 mark in passing yards.

Up next, Kenyon gets their North Coast Athletic Conference slate underway back home in Gambier, Ohio. The Owls (1-1) host the Wittenberg University Tigers (0-1) on McBride Field at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.