WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein kept its NCAA playoff hopes alive, holding off John Carroll, 24-22, Saturday on senior day in Memorial Stadium.

With the win, the 23rd-ranked Cardinals clinched a share of second place with Ohio Northern in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), finishing regular-season play at 8-2 overall and 7-2 in the OAC. Ohio Northern, a 52-14 winner at Wilmington today, also finished at 8-2 overall and 7-2 in the league.

The two teams await their fate for a potential at-large selection to the playoffs. ESPN News is scheduled to announce the 32-team field for the 2009 NCAA Division III Football Championship, 3 p.m., Sunday.

The Otterbein defense played big late, making two fourth-quarter interceptions and breaking up a John Carroll two-point conversion attempt with 42 seconds to play in the game. Otterbein junior running back Colton Coy turned in his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season to finish with 1,013 yards over the regular season.

Otterbein took a 17-16 lead into the fourth quarter on a pair of Colton Coy touchdown runs of nine and one yards, and a 32-yard field goal from junior place-kicker David Brewer.

The Cardinals stopped back-to-back John Carroll drives, intercepting two passes from senior quarterback Jeff Javorek in the fourth quarter, the first by senior cornerback Chase Bowman at the Otterbein 31-yard line with 10:49 to play.

Following Bowman’s interception, Otterbein senior wide receiver Ryan Rowley caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Austin Schlosser, capping off a six-play, 59-yard drive, which extended Otterbein’s lead to 24-16 with 8:04 to play.

John Carroll bounced right back, driving to the Otterbein 12-yard line before senior defensive end Nick Stelzer picked off another Javorek pass—deflected at the line of scrimmage—with 4:04 to go in the game.

The Blue Streaks’ defense held on Otterbein’s next series, and the offense took over, mounting an 11-play, 77-yard scoring drive, which ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Javorek to senior wide receiver Scottie Williams to pull within two points, 24-22, with 42 seconds to play in the game. Javorek’s pass for the two-point conversion failed.

Coy finished with exactly 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 16 carries to lead the Cardinals. Senior running back Eric Yates carried the ball nine times for 60 yards.

Schlosser completed 11 of 17 pass attempts for 140 yards and one touchdown. Rowley made six receptions for 90 yards and one touchdown. Senior tight end Mike Detwiler added three catches for 45 yards.

Senior linebacker Donnie Reinhart led all tacklers with 14 stops, seven of them unassisted. Junior defensive end Chaz Horsley made five tackles, including a pass sack for a loss of three yards.