WILMINGTON, OHIO—Thirteenth-ranked Otterbein scored the game’s first 14 points and never trailed on its way to a 28-20 victory over Wilmington Saturday in Williams Stadium.

The Cardinals generated a season-high 615 yards of total offense to remain unbeaten in 2009, improving to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Wilmington fell to 1-5 overall and 1-4 in conference play.

With the win, the Cardinals maintained a share of first place with Mount Union, a 44-14 winner over Heidelberg today. Otterbein is scheduled to host cross-town rival Capital next Saturday at Homecoming. The Crusaders, ranked 16th in the nation, defeated John Carroll, 28-20, at home today.

Otterbein scored on its first possession, going 66 yards on eight plays culminating with an 8-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser to senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley with 9:31 to play in the first quarter.

The Cardinals turned the ball over on its next two possessions before striking again on a 12-play, 93-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Schlosser to a wide open Eric Yates, a senior running back, to make it 14-0 with 7:15 to play in the first half.

Wilmington finally got on the board when senior quarterback Billy Blackburn hit senior wide receiver Jeremy Stuckey with a 35-yard scoring strike with 4:10 remaining in the half. The Quakers missed the extra-point attempt and the score stood at 14-6 at halftime.

Following a scoreless third quarter, both offenses kicked it into high gear in the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals struck first, extending its lead to 21-6 on a Schlosser 3-yard touchdown run with 7:38 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Wilmington answered on the very next play from scrimmage with a 54-yard touchdown pass from Blackburn to freshman wide receiver Randy Triplett with 7:24 to play.

Otterbein made it a two-possession game in its next series which ended in a one-handed catch by Rowley off an 18-yard pass from Schlosser with 4:48 remaining in the game.

Wilmington closed out the scoring with Blackburn’s third touchdown throw, a 15-yard pass to junior tight end Darren Howard.

The Cardinals rushed for a season-high 385 yards. Junior running back Colton Coy went over the 100-yard mark for the fifth time this season, running for 159 yards on 18 carries. Yates also broke the 100-yard barrier, rushing for 154 yards on 17 carries. Schlosser added 74 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Schlosser completed 14 of 17 pass attempts for 230 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior tight end Mike Detwiler led the Cardinal receivers with four catches for 81 yards. Senior wide receiver Tanner McCormick caught four balls for 49 yards. Rowley finished with three catches, two of them touchdowns, for 34 yards.

The Otterbein defense forced three turnovers in the game, two of them interceptions by senior cornerback Chad Woodfork, who finished with four tackles, two of them unassisted. Junior linebacker Cole Edwards led Otterbein with eight tackles. Senior linebacker Donnie Reinhart tallied seven tackles and recovered a Wilmington fumble on the Otterbein 9-yard line with the Quakers driving in the first quarter.

The kickoff for next Saturday’s Homecoming game against Capital is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Memorial Stadium.