The Otterbein Cardinals football team edged out the Crusaders of Capital University, 19-14.
The Cardinals improve to 4-4 on the season, with a 4-3 record in the OAC. Capital falls to 1-7 with a 1-6 record in the OAC.
It wasn’t long before points went up on the board in this game, as Capital senior Alex Coleman ran for the 65-yard touchdown on the first play of the game to take an early 7-0 lead.
Otterbein wasted no time responding, though, as they scored the very next drive, capped off with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Ben Sizemore to Steven Carpenter to tie it up.
Otterbein and Capital traded possessions back and forth for the rest of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter, before Sizemore found Carpenter for another touchdown pass, this time from 24 yards out. The extra point attempt failed, making the score 13-7, which remained going into halftime.
Both Capital and Otterbein couldn’t put together any scoring drives in the third quarter, but Otterbein was able to pull away at the beginning of the fourth, with Alana Gaither completing an 18-yard field goal to put Otterbein up, 16-7.
Capital began to close the gap the very next drive, capped off by a 6-yard touchdown run by freshman Brent Walton, to make the score 16-14.
Otterbein pieced together a 70-yard drive next possession, topped by a 22-yard field goal by Gaither, increasing Otterbein’s lead, 19-14.
Capital attempted to drive the length of the field in their last drive, only to be stopped at the Otterbein 35-yard line to end the game and seal the win for the Cardinals.
Sizemore completed 25 of 35 passes for 315 yards. Carpenter had 134 receiving yards with two touchdowns. Gaither completed both of her field goal attempts.
Otterbein had 315 total yards passing, while Capital had 296 total yards rushing.
Otterbein’s next game is next Saturday, Nov. 9 at home against Marietta at 1:30 p.m.
