NEW CONCORD, Ohio – A low-scoring first half turned into a 41-35 thriller in double overtime Saturday afternoon, as host Muskingum outlasted Otterbein during yet another raucous Ohio Athletic Conference battle.

HOW IT WENT DOWN:

• Both sides traded touchdowns across the entire game. Otterbein never actually led, but evened the score on five different occasions throughout a back-and-forth contest.
   
• The Cardinals got on the board midway through the second quarter on a 72-yard interception return from Carlos Alamo, who avoided multiple would-be-tacklers on the sideline and tip-toed his way to the endzone. The game went into halftime locked 7-7.
   
• The third quarter saw a short TD run from Ahjay Cody sandwiched between a pair of touchdown passes from Jordan Garrett to Zuri Edmondson on the home side. But Otterbein clawed back to even once again early in the fourth, as Christian Pataky hung onto a slant over the middle (right on the goal line) from Eason Hardouin to make it 21-21.
   
• Muskingum hit a long play from Garrett to Ja'Lin Goodman for another lead midway through the fourth, but Otterbein tied the game once again (28-28) after Cody leapt over the pile from a yard out with 41 seconds left. Caleb Meade kicked an extra point as the game headed to OT.
   
• Both teams scored in the first session before Muskingum converted again to go ahead 35-28. Otterbein then faced a fourth-and-goal with the game on the line, but Damien Whaley made an acrobatic catch in the back-left corner of the end zone to complete the "do-or-die" situation. The Cards (once again) elected to kick the extra point and force a second overtime.
   
• Otterbein got the ball first but would be forced to try a field goal. The Cards got two tries after Muskingum jumped offsides on the first attempt, but the second would also miss wide left.
   
• Muskie took full advantage and prevailed on Goodman's third score of the day, getting back over even this year at 3-2.
   

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• The game featured 832 yards of total offense, almost evenly split right down the middle, and a combined 48 first downs.
   
• Hardouin completed 25 of 41 passes for a career-best 313 yards, completing 61% and committing no turnovers after being forced to miss last week's game.
   
• Muskingum was 9 of 18 on third down.
   
• Jordan Bost-Floyd ran 20 times for 105 yards as the starter while Cody scored multiple TD's for the second game in a row.
• Whaley caught a career-high nine passes while Pataky (110 yards) went over the century mark for the first time in his promising career.
   
• Linebacker Justin Bartlett paced Otterbein again defensively, racking up a career-high 16 tackles that included two for a loss and a key sack. Safety Max Walden also reached double-digit stops with 11.
   
• Garrett went 23 of 33 for the home side, responsible for five touchdowns in the process.

 
UP NEXT:

Otterbein will rest up over its bye week and ultimately get back in play at Baldwin Wallace come Saturday, September 22.