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WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Otterbein Football wrapped up its 2021 spring campaign Friday night, falling to the visiting Muskingum Muskies by a final score of 26-21.
The Cardinals finish their spring ball action with a record of 1-4 while Muskingum collects its only win in just its third game after CoVID-19 protocols canceled the Muskies previous two outings.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Muskingum got on the board first when an Otterbein punt attempt from the shadow of their own goal line went awry with the snap sailing over the head of punter
Caleb Meade for a safety. The Muskies, after receiving the free kick, then marched down the field with a seven play 65-yard drive. The opening drive was capped off with a Jordan Garrett 22-yard touchdown pass to give Muskingum an early 9-0 lead.
The Cardinal defense held the Muskies off the board the remainder of the quarter while the offense tried to find some rhythm. In the second quarter the Cardinal offense opened things up with six play 80-yard drive that resulted in a 34-yard touchdown pass from
Bryce Hall to
Jacob Leonardi right up the seam.
After a Muskingum field goal appeared to wrap up the end of the half Otterbein took possession with 16 seconds left. A roughing the passer call wiped out a Muskie interception that would have ended the half after Hall tried to hit
Jordan Bost-Floyd on an up and out. On the next snap
Bryce Hall connected with
Jalan Minney deep down the right sideline for a 49-yard score as time ran down.
Otterbein took a 14-12 lead into halftime.
The Cardinals jumped on the board first in the second half with a
Siraj Muhammad 10-yard scamper into the end zone, but Muskingum answered to pull within 21-19. The Muskies then strung together another long scoring drive with the fullback Demarion Johnson crossing the goal line from one-yard out to give the visitors a 26-21 lead with over eight minutes to play.
Otterbein then put together its longest drive of the night, eventually finding themselves faced with a 4th and goal from the Muskingum four. Quarterback
Bryce Hall rolled left and had Leonardi open in the back corner of the end zone but Nehemiah Bowie made the biggest defensive play of the game for Muskingum, tipping the ball away to keep the Cards off the board.
After the Cardinals forced Muskingum to punt the Muskies took the ball back just two plays later when Brian Brown snagged his third pick of the day. He returned it for a pick-six but penalties brought the ball all the way back to where he grabbed it at the 24-yard line.
The defense forced a Muskingum punt and got the ball back right on the 50 after a Muskie personal foul with 46 seconds to play. Hall launched a deep ball on second down that appeared to be a walk-off winner but it was once again broken up by Muskingum's defensive backs. Otterbein's final hope was picked off as the Cardinals fell in yet another close outing, 26-21.
THE STATS:
- Bryce Hall completed 20 of 42 passes for 370 yards, but Muskingum jumped him for six interceptions.
- Reed Tucker was Hall's favorite target on the night, hauling in six catches for 100 yards. Jalan Minney and Jacob Leonardi each caught three passes for 82-yards and 81-yards, both found the end zone in the first half.
- Jacob Tiell and Conner Buchanan each notched 12 tackles for the Cardinal defense while Caleb Rice made 11 stops and recorded an interception.
- Otterbein out gained Muskingum 415 to 398, but self-inflicted wounds ended up being the difference on the scoreboard.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Otterbein will regroup and prepare for, hopefully, a typical season in the fall of 2021.
