Game Notes
WESTERVILLE, Ohio—The Otterbein University football team goes for its eighth win of the season Saturday when they host Ohio Northern University on Senior Day.
Twenty Cardinal football players and their parents will be recognized before the game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
“Senior Day is going to be special, it’s my first senior class,” said Otterbein first-year head coach Tim Doup. “Told the senior class right up front, when I took over as head coach, ‘you’re going to have to lead this team in the things we are trying to do.’ From that point, they have done everything that I’ve asked. The leadership that the senior class has shown, us winning games—we were predicted to go 3-7 or 2-7—and here we sit at 7-2. It’s a testament to them.”
Otterbein, 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), shares third place with Baldwin Wallace University (7-2, 6-2), two games behind league-leader University of Mount Union (9-0, 8-0). Ohio Northern, 4-5 overall, holds down sixth place with a 4-4 OAC record.
The Cardinals come into the game riding a two-game winning streak, fresh off a 40-20 win at Marietta College. Otterbein spotted the Pioneers a 13-0 first-quarter lead before reeling off 40 unanswered points. The Cardinal defense forced six turnovers, including five interceptions. Senior cornerback Anthony Korpieski picked two to become the Otterbein all-time career leader with 14 interceptions.
The Polar Bears, a winner in three of their last four games, picked up a 51-7 victory over Wilmington College last Saturday at home. Senior quarterback Tate Humphrey completed 27 of 35 pass attempts for 310 yards and four TD’s to earn OAC “offensive player of the week” honors.
Under ninth-year head coach Dean Paul, the Polar Bears, in addition to Wilmington, have defeated Capital University, 28-14, Marietta, 56-14, and Muskingum University, 20-19, this season. They suffered two close losses to Baldwin Wallace, 22-20, and John Carroll University, 28-23.
“Northern started the season off slow,” Doup said. “I think it just took them a little time to get going. And now they are going. They have a lot to play for. If they beat us, they go 5-5, saves them from a losing season. We have a lot to play for too.
“They are playing really well,” Doup continued about Ohio Northern. “They are big up front. Good quarterback, good skill guys. Defensively, they have senior leadership up front. So it’s going to be a big test for us.”
Last season in Ada, Ohio Northern defeated Otterbein, 34-33, in one overtime when the Cardinals, going for the win, failed on a two-point conversion.
