Game Notes
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—The Otterbein University Cardinals travel to Alliance to take on No. 2 University of Mount Union Purple Raiders this Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Otterbein (2-5, 1-5) heads into the game off its first Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) win of the season, a 17-13 decision over Muskingum University last Saturday in New Concord.
The Cardinals scored the game’s first 10 points, and then used an 11 play, 68-yard drive, capped off by a 2-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Austin Schlosser, with 1:54 remaining, to pull out the victory.
“The team is feeling pretty good—finally getting our first conference win after a lot of tough losses,” said Otterbein head coach Joe Loth, who is in his ninth season at his alma mater. “We finally did the little things at the end that it takes to win games.”
Schlosser, who completed all four of his pass attempts for 64 yards in the game-winning drive, finished with 314 yards on 21-of-33 passing. The quarterback leads the OAC in passing efficiency (159.7) and total offense (280.6 yards a game).
“Austin has been pretty consistent all year,” Loth said. “Without him, we wouldn’t have won that football game at Muskingum.”
Mount Union (7-0, 6-0), under 26th-year head coach Larry Kehres, kept its record spotless with a 27-7 win at Capital University last Saturday in Bexley. The Purple Raiders held Capital to a season-low 156 yards and forced four turnovers.
“Mount has an all-conference guy at every position,” Loth said. “That’s what they are. They’re good everywhere. They have the best run defense in the conference.
“We talk about three things that it takes to win football games—running the football, they’re great at running the football; special teams, they’re great on special teams; and turnovers, they’re tops in the league in turnover margin,” Loth added. “They have the formula in place to be successful and they do it every year.”
Mount Union defeated Otterbein, 28-10, in last season’s meeting played in Westerville.
Following the Purple Raiders, Otterbein returns to Westerville to play its final two games of the season at home. The Cardinals are scheduled to host Marietta College Nov. 5 followed by Wilmington College Nov. 12.
