WESTERVILLE, Ohio – They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but it did Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium as Otterbein and Ohio Wesleyan were forced to endure a pair of lengthy weather delays in the football season-opener for both teams.
In the end, it was Otterbein that narrowly emerged by a score of 10-7 after safety Niall Lewison came off the edge to block an OWU game-tying field-goal attempt in the closing seconds with time running down. The Cardinals defeat the Bishops for a second-straight year following last season's 36-15 triumph up the road in Delaware.
Both sides moved the ball into opponent territory during the first quarter, but each possession came up dry after failed fourth-down tries led to a scoreless first quarter. Otterbein eventually got on the scoreboard after beginning a second-period drive at midfield, using the shiftiness of backup running back Siraj Muhammad to advance into the red zone and punching in a 3-yard rushing TD from starter Dakota Smith.
Otterbein held that 7-0 lead as the contest entered its first weather delay minutes later as lightning was spotted in the area, and the two schools headed for their locker room in what ended up being a 70-minute wait. The Cardinal defense remained rock solid after skies cleared and stood on top entering halftime, which was shortened to just five minutes.
Ohio Wesleyan held a slim 94-93 edge in total yards at the break, and both offenses continued to struggle throughout a third quarter that saw a combined five punts, a missed field goal and an interception in the end zone committed by the Cards.
The Battling Bishops hit a long pass to get over midfield early in the fourth quarter, but lightning crept into the area yet again and cleared the stadium for nearly two hours. Both teams ultimately took the turf once more, and OWU drew even after converting a fourth down and then hitting a 35-yard TD pass just two plays later.
Otterbein All-American safety Fred Hardgrove, who missed all of preseason camp and was just playing in spot duty, gave the Cards a boost on the ensuing kickoff by returning the ball 49 yards into OWU territory and setting up a short field. Sophomore kicker David Hoyle later buried a 24-yard attempt to put the hosts back on top, 10-7.
Otterbein was then firmly in the driver's seat with 5:04 remaining after safety Blayne Voorhees intercepted a pass around midfield and scampered down to OWU's 31-yard line. However, the Cards would muff a backwards swing pass into the flat and Bishop defensive back Natrone Barnes scooped up the ball to go 43 yards the other direction and give his team a final chance.
Ohio Wesleyan had the ball in the red zone after Otterbein was whistled for pass interference, and later called its final timeout with 45 seconds on the clock facing a 3rd-and-short from the 8-yard line. Otterbein's defense promptly stuffed a rushing attempt, and OWU sprinted its field-goal unit onto the field with the clock ticking down.
Lewison, who missed all of last season with an injury, played the role of hero by coming off the right edge and going full-extension for a block to secure the win. Voorhees picked up the loose ball and ran out of bounds to erupt the Cardinal sideline with just seven seconds remaining.
"Everything was moving so fast and we didn't have much time to communicate whether it was block right or block left," Lewison said. "I just told the guys I was going off my side and did my best to turn the corner. I didn't think I was going to get there when I dove, but I felt the ball hit my arms and it was time to go home."
Linebacker Ryan Tuchow led Otterbein with a game-high 10 tackles while Lewison and Jack Harper had eight each. The Cards had nine tackles for loss as a group, received interceptions from Voorhees and Colton Miles, and also forced/recovered two fumbles on the day.
"I was really looking forward to getting back out there today," said Lewison, who made his first college start after just contributing on special teams as a freshman in 2016. "It was probably the weirdest game I have ever played in. You get tight when you sit down for that long and it's easy to lose focus or get frustrated. It takes a strong group to lock back in mentally and stay within the game. I'm proud of us and we needed this as a younger team."
Otterbein finished with a 211-210 edge in total offense and had 35:51 in time of possession. Both sides combined for 193 penalty yards and a 6 of 28 output on third down.
Smith ran 22 times for 45 yards in the Cardinal backfield while George Redding had five catches for 39 yards out of the slot. He started in place of fifth-year senior captain and leading returning receiver Payton Vanderkooi, who suffered an unfortunate injury during the week in practice and is considered week-to-week.
Jax Harville had 189 yards passing for Ohio Wesleyan as receivers Deji Adebiyi and Sasoun Tcholakian each had six grabs for an identical 62 yards. Kor'Darius Melton and Cody Streit each made nine stops to lead the Bishop defense.
Otterbein will be back in action next weekend at Baldwin Wallace, traveling to Berea for a kickoff at 6 p.m.
De-Niall! Otterbein Edges Ohio Wesleyan in Weather-Delayed Opener
/seasons/2018/boxscores/20180901_b0qk.xml
2018
Ohio Wesleyan
7
Otterbein
10
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Wesleyan (0-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Otterbein (1-0) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
Sep 01, 2018