Game Notes
Live Stats
Week 1 Radio Show

WESTERVILLE, Ohio—The Otterbein University football team opens the 2014 season on the road, traveling to ninth-ranked St. John Fisher University for a noon kickoff Saturday in Rochester, N.Y.
 
The Cardinals, from St. John Fisher, mark the first of four teams that Otterbein will face this season ranked in the top 25 in D3football.com's preseason poll. The University of Mount Union, John Carroll University and Heidelberg University are the other three.
 
This will be the second meeting between the two schools. St. John Fisher defeated Otterbein, 28-0, in Westerville in the 2013 season opener.
 
"We've got to play physically," said third-year head coach Tim Doup, who was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) coach of the year after leading Otterbein to an 8-2 season in 2012. "They were more physical than we were last year. If our guys aren't physical, then it's going to be a long day. But I think our guys are ready this year. They know what to expect so it's going to be little different."
 
St. John Fisher was picked to win the Empire 8 Athletic Conference this season, that after finishing in a three-way tie for second place in 2013 and advancing into the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Cardinals advanced to the quarterfinals of the playoffs before losing, 45-23, to Mary-Hardin Baylor.
 
Otterbein returns 49 lettermen, including six starters on offense and five starters on defense from last season's 5-5 squad that finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in the OAC.
 
Senior captain Brick Davis won the starting job at quarterback in preseason camp. Davis, hampered by an ankle injury, saw limited play in 2013, completing 12 of 26 pass attempts for 148 yards in six appearances. In his only start, Davis completed 14 of 23 attempts for 130 yards in a 23-9 win at crosstown-rival Capital in 2012.
 
Junior running back Drew Ervin and sophomore linebacker Austin Jones are back to help lead the Cardinals this season. Ervin led the Cards in rushing while Jones led the team in tackles in 2013. Ervin rushed for 513 yards and four touchdowns on 108 carries. Jones dominated on his side of the ball, making 103 tackles, including 12.5 for loss.
 
Six freshmen players are listed on the Otterbein 2-deep. Case Troyer, at right tackle, and Kyle Blust, at defensive end, are scheduled to start against Fisher. Troyer was an honorable mention all-state selection at Olentangy High School while Blust earned honorable mention all-district honors at Mansfield Comprehensive.
 
Following St. John Fisher, the Cardinals get their first chance to play on the new turf in Memorial Stadium, hosting Marietta to open OAC play Sept. 20. Memorial Stadium received a $2.1 million upgrade over the summer as the natural grass surface was replaced with Crossflex HP turf and a 13-millimeter sandwich track was installed.