Game Notes
Chad Pepper Interview
WESTERVILLE, Ohio—It will be a showdown between unbeatens when the Otterbein University football team takes on Baldwin Wallace University in a key Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup Saturday in Berea. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
The Cardinals, 3-0 overall, sit in a four-way tie with Baldwin Wallace (3-0), the University of Mount Union (3-0) and Heidelberg University (3-0) for first place in the OAC, each 2-0 in the conference.
Otterbein, under first-year head coach Tim Doup, ran its record to 3-0 with a 21-7 win over John Carroll University at Homecoming last Saturday in Westerville. Senior quarterback Aaron Kingcade accounted for all three scores, rushing for touchdowns of five and 13 yards, and hitting junior wide receiver Steve Carpenter with a 69-yard touchdown pass.
Junior defensive end Pat Seesholtz made seven stops, including four for a loss of nine yards, to pace the Cardinal defense. He also forced a fumble and blocked a 35-yard field-goal attempt. The junior was named defensive player of the week by both the OAC and OhioCollegeFootball.com.
“It was a big win for us against John Carroll, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Doup said. “Up front offensively, we didn’t play well. We haven’t been able to rush the football which scares me. I think we can line up and throw it around a little bit, but in this league you’ve got to be able to rush the football.”
The Yellow Jackets, ranked ninth in NCAA Division III by the American Football Coaches Association and 15th by D3football.com, survived a scare in New Concord last Saturday, defeating Muskingum University, 13-6, in single overtime. Senior quarterback Ryan O'Rourke hit senior tight end Josh Masters with a 22-yard scoring strike on the first possession in overtime, and the BW defense shut down Muskingum to preserve the victory.
“Baldwin Wallace is a very well coached football team,” Doup said. “They fly to the ball on defense. They have a great quarterback, a returning tailback, and their offensive line works very well together. They can throw the ball and run the ball. They are not one dimensional, and that’s where the challenge is for our defense.”
Both teams come into the game averaging 30 points a game each to share third place in the OAC. The Yellow Jackets, under 11th-year head coach John Snell, rank fourth in total offense, 403 yards a game, and fifth in total defense, 291 yards a game. Otterbein sits second in total defense, yielding just 201 yards an outing, and ranks sixth in total offense with 290 yards a game. The Cardinals lead the league in turnover margin, with a plus-8, and sit third in scoring defense, giving up just 5.7 points a game.
“The number-one thing is turnovers,” Doup said about the keys to the game against Baldwin Wallace. “We cannot turn the ball over. Our defense has got to continue to get us the ball, and we’ve got to be able to run the football. If we can run the football and become 50-50 (run vs. pass) like we used to be, I think we can be successful.”
Last season in Westerville, Baldwin Wallace defeated Otterbein, 27-21, on its way to an 8-2 season and share of second place in the OAC with a 7-2 conference record.
Following the Yellow Jackets, the Cardinals return home Oct. 6 to face Muskingum in the Hall of Fame game. Otterbein will induct its fifth class into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
