Game Notes
Coach Doup Radio Show - Week 3

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Cardinal football team is anxiously prepping to host its first game inside Memorial Stadium this season, welcoming Ohio Northern come Saturday afternoon for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.

Otterbein, 1-1 on the young season, opened with a scrimmage at nearby Ohio Wesleyan, then narrowly fell 29-26 in the season opener at Buffalo State, followed with a bye week and then, most recently, a lopsided 52-7 victory at Wilmington to begin Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play.

"I think our guys are really excited to be at home and take a break from the bus rides," Otterbein head coach Tim Doup said with a smile.

The Cardinals dominated Wilmington last Saturday to secure their fifth-straight win in an OAC opener, outgaining the Quakers 526-219 overall and 359-13 on the ground. Otterbein built a 35-0 lead by halftime.

"I was curious to see how we would respond after the disappointing loss and then a bye week," Doup explained. "I wasn't sure if we were ready to play because it was quiet and eerie beforehand, but obviously this group gets ready in a different way. We don't have a ton of rah-rah guys. It was nice to get that first OAC win under our belts."

Junior quarterback Logan Stepp accounted for four total touchdowns at Wilmington, giving him seven on the year, and currently leads the team in rushing as well. Classmates Hunter Joseph and Julian Lowe form a nice receiving duo as both have 11 catches at the moment.

Junior Kyle Blust leads the way up front for the defense, with 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, while linebacker Joe Batey had his first-career interception at Wilmington after switching from receiver this past summer. Last weekend also saw the anticipated return of two-time All-OAC linebacker Austin Jones, who played limited snaps after his year-long recovery from a season-ending injury on the first play of 2015.

Ohio Northern, a playoff team last season and ranked 18th in the D3football.com preseason poll, is off to an uncharacteristic 0-2 start after a 34-30 loss at Utica and then a 45-14 setback at Heidelberg last Saturday. The Polar Bears led 30-13 at Utica, with under 7:00 remaining, before the Pioneers struck a wild comeback.

 "We fully expect to get their best shot this week, and then some," Doup said of Ohio Northern. "They were in total control against Utica and it just slipped away, and then had a tough assignment at Heidelberg last week under the lights. They are big, physical, well-coached and will surely be ready to go."

Leading the Polar Bear offense is sophomore quarterback Will Freed, who started the first six games last year before an injury kept him out until the playoffs. He set the ONU single-game passing record with 439 yards in his collegiate debut last fall, but Otterbein did not see him in the regular-season finale.

"He has very good control of their offense," Doup responded when asked about Freed. "He makes good reads, hits open receivers and has the luxury of a nice running game. We have to be smart because he has a rocket arm and can step up in the pocket. Most players get better in their second year, especially at the quarterback position, so it's our job to contain him and force difficult throws."

Freed has plenty of weapons, led out of the backfield by promising freshman running back Christiaan Williams, who already has 298 yards rushing on just 43 carries. Also available are receivers Reed Allen and Scott Rex, along with mammoth senior tight end Logan Ray, who stands at 6'6" and 240 pounds.

Linebacker Zach Schmerge helps pace the ONU defense with a team-best 18 tackles while safety Dan Eller has 17 of his own. Schmerge finished second amongst OAC players last year in tackling, posting 111 over 12 games to rank only behind Otterbein's Drew Ervin (123).

Ohio Northern has taken the last three matchups between the schools, including a 42-10 victory last year in Ada behind five touchdowns from now-graduated running back Justin Magazine. Otterbein's most recent win over the Polar Bears came in 2012, at Memorial Stadium, by a score of 24-13.

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