WILMINGTON, Ohio – Despite leading by two possessions at the half and getting into opponent territory another six times after intermission, the Otterbein Football team came up short in crunch time at Wilmington as Ohio Athletic Conference play continued Saturday afternoon.

The Quakers scored a go-ahead touchdown in the closing five minutes of the game, and would hold on down the stretch to prevail with a 32-26 decision on their Homecoming weekend.

THE SCRIPT:

Linebacker Colton Doup gave Otterbein good field position in the early going with a nice interception on third down, but the Cardinal offense stalled in plus territory after coming up shy on both third, fourth-and-short.

Otterbein eventually hit the scoreboard near the end of that opening frame, driving 54 yards in seven plays to encounter fourth-and-goal. Senior Caleb Meade entered to bury a chip-shot FG, and the Cardinal defense remained firm to begin the second quarter…

The offense marched 92 yards in 11 plays after getting the ball back, capping the sequence with a short rushing TD around the left edge from Siraj Muhammad. That occurred one play after tight end Christian Pataky used his sizeable frame to dive forward (for a first down) on a pass into the flat.

Wilmington sliced the deficit to 10-7 with a nice drive of its own, but Otterbein regrouped to finish strong entering halftime. Jordan Bost-Floyd had a nice return on the ensuing kickoff, and QB Eason Hardouin eventually flushed out to the right side before finding Owen Menge near the pylon for the freshman's first college catch/touchdown.

The Cards remained smart yet aggressive in the closing minutes before intermission. Gavin Edwards made a diving grab after Hardouin took a shot on 3rd and 3, before snagging yet another long completion over the middle with just a few seconds remaining. Meade trotted in once again to split the uprights on a 31-yard try… pushing Otterbein's lead to 20-7 entering the locker room.

Otterbein saw ample opportunities to extend its lead in the second half but was unable to create more separation. As a result, Wilmington stayed the course to ultimately post 17 unanswered and vault ahead (24-20) early in the fourth quarter.

The Cards then saw Meade connect on two more field goals, the first coming from 26 yards and then another just moments later after Charlie Hornacek intercepted a pass and returned it down inside the 10-yard line. Otterbein couldn't punch in a touchdown but still regained a 26-24 lead following another short kick.

Otterbein got the ball back with 5:52 remaining and holding a slim lead, but wasn't able to bleed any clock. Two incomplete passes sandwiched around a two-yard loss rushing gave immediate possession back to Wilmington.

The Quakers capitalized for good after hanging around all game. Adam Dixon found Gavin Foushee for a deep touchdown over the middle and the ensuing two-point conversion was successful, giving the home side a 32-26 advantage…

Otterbein somehow got three more offensive possessions (in the final 4:23 of game time) with a chance to win the game. The first opportunity stalled just across midfield despite having 2nd and 3 moments earlier. The next chance began at their own 42-yard line but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty thwarted any momentum. The final push advanced to the Wilmington 42 with just two seconds remaining but, by rule, there was not enough time on the clock to spike the ball.

BOX SCORE NOTABLES:

• Otterbein had the ball for 36:47 of game time and achieved 27 first downs, 10 more than Wilmington.
   
• Hardouin threw for a career-high 361 yards, completing 26 of 47 passes in the process. He was also sacked four times.
   
• Muhammad ran 21 times for 125 on the ground, his second game this year over the century mark.
   
• Meade was responsible for 14 points altogether, and tied the Otterbein single-game record with four made field goals. He joins John Sims (2004 vs Defiance and Jim Hoyle (1980 vs. Kenyon).
   
• Pataky had six catches for 97 yards while five other receivers had three catches each.
   
• The game featured a combined 954 yards of total offense, with 501 of that being on the Otterbein side.
   
• In addition to his 69 receiving yards, Adyn Snyder averaged a solid 43.5 yards per punt.
   
• Otterbein was just 4 of 17 on third down.
   
• Vincent Fisher made seven tackles while three linebackers had six each.
   

UP NEXT:

Otterbein gets back home to welcome Marietta College next Saturday, with mid-afternoon kickoff at Memorial Stadium slated for 2 p.m.