Otterbein football (2-1, 2-0) will try to win their third game in a row with a chance to bring home the Rhine River Cup this Saturday as they take on the No. 22 Heidelberg Student Princes (2-1, 1-1).
This will be the 23rd meeting between the two schools in the Rhine River Rivalry, which is played annually to commemorate the 1992 meeting between the two schools in Frankfort, Germany, the first college football game played in Europe.
Heidelberg is coming into the game 2-1 and off a high scoring 69-52 shootout over Ohio Northern where eight touchdowns were scored in the second quarter alone. The Student Princes feature one of the countries strongest offenses anchored by senior running back Cartel Brooks, an All-American a season ago. Brooks has rushed for 411 yards and scored five touchdowns through three games this year. In front of Books is a solid offensive line featuring left tackle Austin Hunter who was first team All-OAC in 2013.
“He’s not very big, but he is very quick and very slippery,” said sophomore linebacker Austin Jones on the Student Princes running back. “He hides behind his big offensive lineman and is hard to see. If we can tackle him and fill our gaps we will be alright.”
Brooks isn’t Heidelberg’s only offensive weapon. Senior quarterback Michael Mees is the conference’s top duel threat quarterback. Mees threw for 410 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown in Heidelberg’s win over Ohio Northern.
“I think we are going to have to do the same thing to Mees that we did to him (Wilmington quarterback Austin Jarbo),” said Jones. “Our defensive line is going to have to get a good pass rush. Heidelberg’s line is big and they are real quick. It comes down to fundamental football and reading your keys and doing your assignments.”
However, statistically the Student Princess have one of the Ohio Athletic Conferences’ weakest defenses. The 472-yard per game allowed is ninth in the conference and 34 points allowed per game is sixth. Heidelberg lost their top three tacklers from last year to graduation.
“They are a very physical football team,” said head football coach Tim Doup. “Their defensive numbers are a little skewed only because they played John Carroll, a very good football team alongside Ohio Northern. They could give us some problems because they show about every coverage there is.”
Otterbein lost The Cup to Coach Mike Hallett’s Heidelberg team last year, 35-17, under the lights at Memorial Stadium. Brooks devastated the Otterbein defense in that game, rushing for 337 yards and all five of his team’s touchdowns.
Otterbein’s quarterback Ben Sizemore threw for a career high 354 yards, but was sacked six times and Otterbein’s offense struggled to rush the ball, totaling only 79 yards. The Cardinals were inside of Heidelberg’s 10 yard line four times, but failed to put points on the board each trip to the redzone.
Saturday will the 78th all-time meeting between the two schools. They first meet in 1900. Heidelberg leads the series 45-28-4.
A win would keep Otterbein in first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The game kickoffs at 1:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. The game can be heard on 97.5 WOBN with coverage starting at 1:00 p.m.
