Box Score

BEXLEY, Ohio – The Otterbein football team gave a memorable performance in its annual rivalry showdown Saturday afternoon, running away to  beat cross-town rival Capital University, 49-34, during an intense, emotional and very chippy game at Bernlohr Stadium.

The Cardinals, improving to 3-2 overall and 3-1 in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play, earn a victory over Capital for the fourth-straight season, making the senior class the first group since 1999 to beat Capital all four years.

Capital (2-3, 2-2 OAC) struck first out of their triple-option attack, busting a 58-yard touchdown on a 3rd and 1 play to take an early 7-0 lead.

Otterbein answered immediately to ignite its raucous crowd, getting a nice kickoff return from Cole Benner and then driving 48 yards in less than a minute. Running back John Pyles toted the ball on all three plays, capped with a 10-yard scamper into the end zone.

The Cards then gained an edge in the field-position battle on the ensuing kickoff after a Capital returner inadvertently took a knee on the 1-yard line after thinking he was still in the end zone. Otterbein took advantage two possessions later, getting an 18-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Kevan Green to leading receiver Julian Lowe.

Otterbein took control with three-game changing plays midway through the second quarter, beginning with a goal-line stand from the defense at the half-yard line. Pyles then set a school record on the next play, taking a handoff 99 yards for a touchdown to erupt the Cardinal sideline and fans.

"I was just trying to protect the ball and get it away from the goal line," Pyles said. "The guys up front did a great job blocking and I don't think I even got touched. I ran as fast as I could because I knew that my track and field teammates would never let me live it down if I got caught."

Sophomore Dylan Kelly forced and recovered a Capital fumble on the following kickoff, leading to an 18-yard touchdown connection, on a shovel pass, from Green to Lowe. The Purple and White scored with 1:56 before intermission, but Otterbein had more than enough time to drive 75 yards in just over a minute, culminating with a 37-yard strike from Green to Logan Stepp.

Capital scored to begin the second half, but the Cards responded by marching 82 yards, in 12 plays, and finishing with a 7-yard touchdown connection from Green to Pyles. The Cards had converted a critical 4th and 5 a few plays earlier to extend the sequence.

Otterbein's defense continued to hang tough from that point on, bending but not breaking too often as the team coasted to victory. Capital converted a hail-mary pass on the final play of the game to make the final margin appear closer than the game actually was.

Green finished with five passing touchdowns for the Cards, going an efficient 22 of 28 for 245 yards through the air. Pyles tallied 193 yards rushing before getting the final quarter off while Lowe, the OAC's leading receiver, had eight grabs for 70 yards and two scores.

"It's a spectacular feeling to win this game and make it four in a row," Green said. "We are sitting nice in the conference but have the tougher part of our schedule coming up. There is nothing better than getting an emotional win, against your rival, to hopefully carry some momentum forward."

Otterbein, having struggled to run the ball through the first four games, churned out 244 yards rushing thanks in part to Pyles' big day on the ground.

Linebackers Drew Ervin and Nick Toledo paced the defense against the sometimes-troubling triple-option, making 17 and 16 tackles, respectively, to both set career highs. Safety Steven Carpenter, back after a one-game absence due to illness, came up with a career-best 13 stops of his own.

Capital running back Brent Walton, the OAC's leading rusher, had 23 yards to reach his school's all-time record before exiting with an injury early in the second quarter.

Otterbein will return home next week to host Muskingum University as part of Hall of Fame weekend. Both teams will battle under the lights for a 7 p.m. kickoff.