Box Score

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Cardinal football team remained perfect on the young season Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium, flying past visiting Wilmington College by a score of 56-28 as part of Homecoming weekend.

Otterbein, now 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), opened a 28-0 lead by halftime and ultimately finished the day with 466 yards of total offense.

The Cards needed just two plays to score on their opening possession, as quarterback Logan Stepp connected with wide receiver Julian Lowe on a 39-yard aerial strike. Otterbein had taken over in plus-territory after senior defensive end Kyle Blust blocked a Wilmington punt.

Otterbein proceeded to build the lead from that point with three more touchdowns prior to intermission. Stepp was involved in all three, finding tight end Josh Plieninger on a six-yard pass, punching a short one in himself on fourth-and-goal, and then hitting Lowe on a quick strike near the goal line a bit later.

The Cards moved the lead to 35-0 early in the third quarter on a defensive touchdown, watching corner Prince Franklin intercept a pass and sprint 26 yards to pay dirt. Wilmington (1-1, 0-1 OAC) was able to notch a pair of TD's in the third quarter, but Otterbein continued moving the ball at ease to keep the Quakers at a comfortable distance.

Running backs Isaiah Richmond, Christian Johnson and Dakota Smith all added second-half touchdowns in the ground game, with Johnson pacing the group at 91 yards on 16 totes.

Stepp continued his sharp play, completing 16 of 20 passes for 227 yards and three scores. He also added a rushing score and now has 14 total TD's on the season.

Wide receiver Hunter Joseph, the reigning OAC 'Offensive Player of the Week,' turned in six catches for 110 yards while Lowe finished with five grabs for 72 yards and the pair of touchdowns. He needs six more to tie the program's career record of 29.

Senior linebacker Austin Jones tied for a game-high nine tackles while fellow running mates Steven Masters and Ryan Tuchow both tallied eight. Freshman cornerback Brandon Paschal made his third interception of the year.

Wilmington's P.J. Meyer matched Joseph for a game-high six catches, resulting for 102 yards. Otterbein held a 26-14 edge in first downs.

Otterbein will not play at home again for a month, beginning a four-week stretch that includes three road games and a bye. The Cards will travel to Ohio Northern this coming Saturday for a 1:30 kickoff.