Game Notes
Coach Doup Radio Show - Week 8


WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein University football team welcomes the country's top-ranked team and defending national champion into Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon, hosting the University of Mount Union for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.

The Cardinals, 4-3 overall and 4-2 against the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), enter with a bit of momentum after three-straight wins over Muskingum, Heidelberg and Baldwin Wallace.

Otterbein most recently strung together a game-winning touchdown drive in the closing minutes at BW, winning 33-30 after junior Isaiah Richmond punched in a one-yard rushing score with 32 seconds remaining. The Cards trailed 20-3 at one point in the second quarter.

"We responded to make it a tale of two halves," Doup said. "To come from behind, score with under a minute left and earn that win was a great feeling for our guys. We matured a little bit more and continue getting better in tight situations."

Junior quarterback Logan Stepp continued his dual-threat success, throwing for over 200 yards and eclipsing 100 rushing. He currently leads the OAC in total touchdowns (20), total offense per game (304.4) and passer rating (150.2) while ranking 36th-nationally in points responsible for his team.

First team All-OAC slot receiver Julian Lowe has caught a TD in four-straight contests and junior classmate Hunter Joseph leads the league with 94.7 receiving yards per game. The Cards, however, also feature another pair of juniors critical to the aerial attack.

Tyler Sorg, who also serves as the long snapper, has secured a few timely receptions this fall while Payton Vanderkooi has steadily emerged to lead the group in yardage three of the past four outings. He hauled in a 71-yard touchdown at Baldwin Wallace on the first offensive play after falling behind 20-3, and also had a long score against Heidelberg called back due to holding.

"Payton is an ultimate team player," Doup said. "He comes in every day with a smile on his face, ready to do his job and never complains about anything. Payton is a great athlete, but he doesn't get worked up over whether he has a touchdown or makes a certain number of catches. He just works hard, remains in-tune with his surroundings and does whatever we ask of him in the offense."

Otterbein got an impressive performance at BW from defensive end Kyle Blust, who was named OAC 'Defensive Player of the Week' after a game-high 10 tackles (four for loss) and one sack as the Yellow Jackets scored just seven points after halftime. Blust currently ranks 12th-nationally with 14.5 tackles for loss.

The Cards have shuffled around some personnel on the defensive side as of late, with sophomore Prince Franklin making nine stops at defensive back against BW after transitioning from slot receiver. Freshman Fred Hardgrove went both ways last weekend, contributing from his usual receiver spot but also spending some time at spur linebacker.

"We can't have some of our better athletes just sitting over on the bench," Doup stressed. "A few of these guys haven't totally cracked through on offense, so we had to find another way to get them on the field. You can see a little more versatility and depth on that side of the ball now, which puts guys in positions to succeed. I think they are handling adjustments and enjoying it."
 
Mount Union (7-0, 6-0 OAC) enters with a 110-game regular-season winning streak and is in search of its 25th-consecutive OAC championship. The Purple Raiders, led by fourth-year head coach Vince Kehres, won the program's 12th national title last fall and have advanced to 11-straight Stagg Bowls.

Three different freshman quarterbacks have guided the Mount offense this season, with Dom Davis being the primary signal caller over the past two weeks. At his disposal is running back Bradley Mitchell, who ranks eighth in NCAA Division III with 1,054 rushing yards and is tied for the OAC-lead in rushing scores (11).

"You have to limit big plays against this team," Doup stressed. "You can't give up a kickoff return, let a punt get blocked or surrender quick scores. It's much easier said than done, but you just have to curb momentum and be mentally stable throughout. If you start panicking, then things begin to snowball and you lose all control."

Junior Tim Kennedy leads the team with 32 catches for 363 yards and three TD's while linebackers Danny Robinson and Charlie Dear pace the defense with 43 and 42 tackles, respectively. Dear has 6.5 of those tackles for loss.

The Purple Raiders traditionally excel in the trenches, and this year feature a veteran offensive line that consists of two seniors and three juniors. Included in the bunch is All-American Mitch Doraty, who was awarded the Rimington Trophy last fall as the nation's top center.

Fans can follow Saturday's game through LIVE STATS, LIVE AUDIO (WOBN 97.5) and LIVE VIDEO.