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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Cardinal football team dropped its season-straight game to a nationally-ranked opponent Saturday afternoon, falling 42-13 to No. 15 John Carroll University at Memorial Stadium.

Otterbein, going to 4-5 on the season and 4-4 within Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play as a result, will finish the season next Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. contest at Ohio Northern University.

The Cardinals opened the day on a roll, rebounding from an early blocked field goal when senior linebacker Will Brett came up with an interception to set up Otterbein's first score, a 21-yard touchdown strike from Kevan Green to sophomore wide receiver Logan Stepp.

 

Otterbein's defense quickly forced a three-and-out on the next JCU possession and the Cardinals then embarked on a 10-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that ended the first quarter and began the second. Benefitting the sequence was three timely first-down throws by Green, a pair to Stepp and another to sophomore Julian Lowe that ultimately led to a 3-yard TD run up the gut from senior John Pyles. The extra point was missed.

John Carroll (8-1, 7-1 OAC) rebounded to close the quarter strong, scoring 21-unanswered points in the final 10 minutes of the period to take a halftime lead. During the span, the Blue Streaks picked off a pass that led to one of their scores, took over at midfield after the Cardinals did not convert a 4th and 1, and survived a missed field goal from Otterbein in the closing seconds.

JCU went 65 yards in 12 plays to score a touchdown on its first offensive possession of the second half, bumping their cushion to 28-13. The Streaks benefited largely from an Otterbein drop on 2nd and goal at the 6-yard line when a pass to the right pylon went through the hands of a Cardinal defensive back, who would have most likely gone 99 yards the opposite way for a touchdown.

John Carroll would score on the ensuing play and then put the game out of reach with two more touchdown drives in the final quarter. JCU outgained Otterbein 423-263 on the day, including a 199-62 edge on the ground.

Green went 19 of 31 for 201 yards after missing the previous game with an injury, tossing the one touchdown and two interceptions. His counterpart, Jake Schaefer, hit 22 of 34 passes for 224 yards to go along with two TD's and one pick.

Pyles ran 13 times for 42 yards and also caught three balls for 35 yards out of the backfield. Lowe finished with game-highs of nine receptions for 97 yards, in addition to drawing three pass-interference penalties, while Stepp hauled in four for 56 yards.

JCU running back Ro Golphin enjoyed the best day of any offensive skill player, toting the rock 23 times for 145 yards and three touchdowns and then another TD through the air. Wide receiver Marshall Howell had eight grabs for 86 yards.

Junior linebacker Nick Toledo tallied a game-high 15 stops for the Cardinals, one shy of his career-best. Fellow linebacker Drew Ervin, leading the OAC and ranking fifth-nationally in tackles, had 12 as did senior classmate Jordan Bonifas from his safety position.

Mason McKenrick recorded a team-high 12 stops for John Carroll, which converted 8 of 13 chances on third down and averaged 32.5 yards per kickoff return.

Prior to the game, Bonifas, Brett, Ervin, Green, Pyles and classmates Cole Benner, Josh Bichsel, Justin Christoff, Miles Crawley, Speedy Hammond, Dustin Leber, Connor Lucas, Jonathan McClenathan, Dustin McFadden, Ryan Mickle, Aaron Myers, Grant Noppenberger, Jordan Shell and Johnathan Vincent were recognized as part of Senior Day.