WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, scoring touchdowns on its first five possessions, held onto a share of first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), cruising to a 49-20 victory over Heidelberg Saturday afternoon in Memorial Stadium.

The 13th-ranked Cardinals improved to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the OAC while the Berg dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

Heidelberg struck first, scoring on its first possession of the game, a 31-yard pass from quarterback Andrew Miller to running back Jemar Lewis with 12:40 to play in the first quarter.

Otterbein scored the next 28 points of the game, beginning with a 15-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser to senior wide receiver Tanner McCormick, to lead 28-7 with 14:21 to play in the first half. Schlosser had touchdown runs of eight and three yards in that 28-point barrage. Junior running back Colton Coy, who entered the game averaging 121 rushing yards a game, scored Otterbein’s other touchdown, an 8-yard run.

The two teams traded touchdowns before the half, and Otterbein led 35-13 at the break.

Otterbein picked right up in the second half, scoring on its first possession, a 10-play, 65-yard drive that culminated in a Schlosser 7-yard run for a touchdown to give Otterbein an insurmountable 42-13 lead with 8:51 to play in the third quarter. The Cards used up six minutes in that drive. Senior running back Eric Yates scored Otterbein’s final touchdown, an 8-yard run with 5:36 to play in the third quarter.

Otterbein put up a season-high 503 yards of total offense, with 343 yards coming on the ground.

Coy went over the 100-yard rushing mark for the fourth time this season, finishing with 115 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. Schlosser just missed, rushing for 96 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. Yates added 65 yards and one touchdown on nine carries.

Schlosser, who had a hand in five of Otterbein’s seven touchdowns, was near perfect through the air, completing 13 of 16 pass attempts for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receivers Ryan Rowley and Dan Gendron each had four catches in the game. Rowley picked up 78 yards and one touchdown.

The Cardinal defense, led by junior defensive end Nick Stelzer, recorded 10 tackles for a loss, including four pass sacks. Stelzer made five stops, including two for a loss of two yards.

With the win, Otterbein retained the Rhine River Cup. Otterbein and Heidelberg have been battling for the Rhine River Cup ever since the two teams played the first-ever collegiate football game in Frankfurt, Germany in 1992, which ended in a 7-7 tie. The Cardinals now hold a 12-5-1 lead in the Rhine River series, having won 11 of the last 12 meetings, including the last seven.

Otterbein hits the road next, traveling to Baldwin-Wallace next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.