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The Capital University football team plays its final home game of the 2012 season this Saturday against local rival Otterbein in an Ohio Athletic Conference showdown at 2 p.m. at Bernlohr Stadium.
Saturday's game marks the 87th meeting between the two programs. The series dates all the way back to 1894, and the Crusaders hold a 43-40-3 record all time.
Capital, which has won the last two games against the Cardinals, dropped to 1-6 overall and 1-5 in the conference with a 39-16 setback against No. 20 Baldwin Wallace last Saturday at Bernlohr.
The Yellow Jackets piled up 308 rushing yards and scored 30 unanswered points after the Crusaders had taken a 9-7 advantage early in the second quarter.
Freshman wide receiver Taylor Wellbaum (Piqua, Ohio) totaled seven receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown to lead the Capital offense. Freshman running back Bo Hardy (Galloway, Ohio) was held to 34 rushing yards but did contribute with a 27-yard pass-and-catch screen play from junior quarterback Ryan Kremchek (Sylvania, Ohio).
The defense was led by senior Tyler Dugan (Columbus, Ohio), who posted nine tackles and the team's lone interception in the affair. Junior defensive back Domenic Hebebrand (Hinckley, Ohio) added a team-high 11 stops, including two for a loss.
"Our guys gave a valiant effort," Capital coach Henry Stanford said. "They played well together and fought for each other."
After a fine performance late in last Saturday's contest, freshman Ryan McSweeney (Seven Hills, Ohio) has been named starting quarterback for this week's contest. McSweeney completed both of his passes for 64 yards and a touchdown.
"Ryan throws the ball well," Stanford said. "He's shown a 'playmaker' element that we saw on Saturday and we've seen in JV games. He's really coming into his craft as a college quarterback."
Otterbein (5-2 overall, 4-2 OAC) has been shut out in its last two contests after starting the season 5-0 and garnering a No. 25 national ranking by D3football.com. The Cardinals were outgained 532-96 in a 51-0 defeat against top-ranked Mount Union last Saturday in Westerville, Ohio. Quarterback Ben Sizemore, making his first career start, led the offense with 68 yards passing, while defensive back Jordan Bonifas led the defense with eight tackles.
The Cardinals enter the week ranked fifth in the league in scoring offense (21.6 points per game) and third in scoring defense (17.0 ppg). Otterbein also leads the league in time of possession and is tied for second in the league with a plus-9 turnover margin.
Quarterback Aaron Kingcade, who didn't play against Mount Union due to injury, ranks seventh in the league in total offense with 841 passing yards and 137 rushing. Wide receivers Steven Carpenter and Trey Fairchild form a strong 1-2 punch with a combined 39 receptions for 609 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively, five Cardinals have over 25 tackles for the year, including lineman Zack Grieves, who leads the team with 37 stops, including seven for a loss. Defensive lineman Patrick Seesholtz is tied for fifth in the conference with six sacks, while defensive back Anthony Korpieski is tied for the league lead with four interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns.
"From an offensive standpoint, Fairchild and Kingcade are very good players and their running backs are steady," Stanford said. "They blitz quite a bit on defense, and their schemes are similar to what we've seen from other teams."
Last season at Otterbein, Capital scored twice in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead touchdown with just 1:08 remaining in the contest, to defeat the Cardinals 24-20.
Quarterback Chase Carris spearheaded the team's comeback, connecting on two scoring occasions with wide receiver Matt White to erase a 20-12 deficit through three quarters. Defensive back Kory Conley thwarted Otterbein's last-ditch attempt to take the lead, intercepting quarterback Aaron Schlosser with 20 seconds left.
Running back Josh Anderson totaled 191 all-purpose yards and one touchdown to take home the Jack Landrum Offensive Most Valuable Player award for the rivalry game. Stanford named the entire defense the Landrum Defensive MVP after the Crusaders held the Cardinals to just 162 passing yards while forcing eight punts.
Capital's 17 seniors will be recognized on the field prior to their final contest in front of the home crowd. Stanford knows the team will need to come out firing on all cylinders to snap its five-game losing streak.
"We have to be the aggressor and make big plays," Stanford said. "If we can make big plays, we force them to have to answer with big plays. We have to protect the football on offense and put pressure on the quarterback defensively."
