On what turned out to be a windy senior day, the Otterbein University Cardinals football team took down the Pioneers of Marietta College, 29-21.
Otterbein improves to 5-4 overall, and 4-4 in the OAC. Marietta drops to 1-8, and 1-7 in the OAC.
Marietta was the first team to put points on the board, with a touchdown run by Tim Conner halfway through the first quarter, giving them a 7-0 lead.
The score stayed that way for the rest of the first quarter and for the beginning of the second quarter. Otterbein changed that when Drew Ervin ran in for a touchdown to tie the game, 7-7.
After forcing a four-and-out on Marietta’s next drive, Otterbein capitalized immediately, when Ervin ran for another touchdown, giving the Cardinals a 14-7 lead.
The play of the game came on Marietta’s ensuing drive, when Zack Grieves blocked the Pioneers’ field goal attempt, and Jordan Bonifas ran it back 65 yards for the touchdown. The extra point attempt failed, opening the lead to 20-7 Otterbein heading into the half.
Otterbein started the second half receiving the ball. But, after not being able to put together a successful drive, the Cardinals were forced to punt. On the punt, Otterbein swarmed Marietta’s return man in the end zone, resulting in a safety for Otterbein, improving their lead to 22-7.
Marietta wouldn’t give up that easily, as they responded late in the third quarter with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion to make the score 22-15.
Otterbein came right back in the beginning of the fourth quarter, with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Ben Sizemore to Steven Carpenter to make it 29-15.
Marietta once again proved their resilience, scoring a touchdown with four minutes left in the game. The Pioneers would then fail on an attempted two-point conversion, sealing the fate of the game.
Although the focus of the game was to win, the point that this was the seniors’ last home game of their careers was still in the back of their minds.
“It didn’t really hit me until I started walking out there with my parents,” said Carpenter, one of the seniors honored before the game. “It caused me to be a little anxious, but I was able to relax a little bit.”
Otterbein football’s last game of the season is next Saturday at Ohio Northern at 1 p.m.
