GAME NOTES
2017 MEDIA GUIDE

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein football team will make its return to the gridiron Saturday evening, traveling to launch the 2017 season under the lights with a matchup at nearby Ohio Wesleyan. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Shelby Stadium.

The Cardinals, under the direction of sixth-year head coach Tim Doup, return 15 starters and many other key contributors from a team that went a frustrating 5-5 last season, dropping three games by a combined 10 points.

"Anxious and excited," Doup said when asked to describe the current mood of his team. "Our guys have had a bad taste in their mouth since last season and you can see them chomping at the bit in practice. It will be good for us to start a new slate, and see where it goes from there."

Otterbein hopes to feature an explosive offense once again, bringing back nine starters and multiple All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) players for a unit that averaged 30 points per game last fall. Senior quarterback Logan Stepp will operate the controls with a ton of surrounding weapons, most notably all-league wideouts Julian Lowe and Hunter Joseph.

"We need to control the ball, limit negative plays and just put points on the board," Doup said. "There are a ton of weapons back on offense and, because of that experience, I anticipate a lot from them. We expect everybody to do their job and find the end zone."

The unit will operate behind an offensive line that expects to feature four upperclassmen and up-and-comer Winston Spiker, who started all 10 games last year as a freshman.

Senior defensive end Kyle Blust headlines five returning starters on the other side of the ball, coming off a season in which he earned first team All-OAC honors after ranking third in the league with 16.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks.

Linebackers Austin Jones, Jake Harper and Steven Carpenter are back to pace the grouping while the secondary should feature a ton of athleticism and raw talent. Second-year players Prince Franklin II and Fred Hardgrove continue settling into their roles after both switching over from wide receiver in the latter half of the 2016 campaign.

"We are still learning," Doup admitted of the defense. "They can do it physically, but we have to make sure the mental component is consistent and we remain on the same page. We are coming along day by day and certainly have some great athletes on that side of the ball."

All-OAC placekicker Joe Sanfillipo, a Delaware native who also handles the punting and kickoff duties, is back for his junior campaign and should remain an asset on special teams. His older brother, Anthony, will be kicking for Ohio Wesleyan.

OWU has tallied five-straight winning seasons, most recently posting a 6-4 record as head coach Tom Watts now stands at 31-19 in his five years. The Bishops graduated 22 seniors and were picked to finish fifth in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) preseason poll.

"We have to do whatever it takes to come out of this game 1-0," said Doup. "The fact is that we haven't won a non-conference game in four years, and that needs to change. But I'm sure Ohio Wesleyan is saying the same thing after playing Mary Hardin-Baylor the past two seasons. It will be a physical contest and we need to be ready."

Ohio Wesleyan's defensive secondary appears to be its early strength behind three seniors; dangerous return man Jerry Harper, All-NCAC selection Brad Brodek and Ben Rubel, who paced all DB's with 52 stops last season. The versatile Harper is also expected to handle the punting.

An experienced offensive line, featuring three returning senior starters, will look to set the tone across the line of scrimmage while the Bishops are implementing many new faces at skill positions. The team lost its top-four receiving options and leading rusher.

Ohio Wesleyan has been holding a three-way competition for the starting quarterback job, with senior Brian Berry listed atop the initial depth chart. He completed 4 of 13 passes with a pair of interceptions over three appearances last season.

This will be the first meeting between the two schools since 1989, when the Bishops earned a 23-12 victory.

Fans can follow Saturday's action through LIVE VIDEO, LIVE AUDIO (WOBN 97.5) and LIVE STATS. Admission will be $8 for adults and $3 for senior citizens, students and children.