Game Notes
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—There will be more at stake than just the Rhine River Cup when the Otterbein University football team travels to Heidelberg University Saturday for a key Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Mayer Field in Tiffin.
Both teams head into the game undefeated at 5-0 and share the 25th spot in the latest poll from D3football.com. Otterbein and Heidelberg sit in a three-way tie with the University of Mount Union atop the OAC standings, each with 4-0 conference records.
“On paper, Heidelberg is one of the best teams we will have faced so far this season,” said first-year Otterbein head coach Tim Doup.
The Cardinals kept their record perfect with a 23-13 win over visiting Muskingum University in the Hall of Fame game last Saturday in Westerville. Junior quarterback Ben Sizemore, coming off the bench for injured senior Aaron Kingcade, threw for three touchdowns of 28, 62 and six yards to help lead Otterbein to the win. He was named OAC offensive player of the week.
Heidelberg, meanwhile, kept its record spotless with a 45-10 road win at Capital University. The Berg, under sixth-year head coach Mike Hallett, rolled up 596 yards of offense and picked off three Crusader passes in the win. Senior defensive end Stephen Fejedelem rolled up eight solo tackles, including two sacks and four tackles for a loss, to earn OAC defensive player of the week honors.
The game features the top-ranked offense in the OAC, Heidelberg, who is averaging 561 yards a game, and the second-ranked defense in the league, Otterbein, who is allowing 246 yards an outing. The Cardinals have allowed more than 14 points in just one game, and are holding opponents to an average of 9.4 points a game. Heidelberg is averaging 49 points per contest, second best in the OAC.
This marks the 21st renewal in the Rhine River series. The two teams played to a 7-7 tie in 1992 in the first collegiate football game ever played in Germany. Last season, Heidelberg defeated Otterbein, 41-20, in Westerville to claim the Cup for the first time since 2002.
“The first thing we have to do is stop the run,” Doup said about the keys to success against Heidelberg. “We have to stop one phase of their offense, and if we can stop the run then, defensively, we will be ok.
“We can’t turn the ball over and we’ve got to get a couple of turnovers,” Doup added. “If we can rush the ball for at least 100 yards, and throw it a little bit, we’ll have a chance to control the clock and time of possession.”
Following Heidelberg, the Cardinals return home to face top-ranked Mount Union Oct. 20 at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
