Football travels to Otterbein for OAC contest

The Muskingum football team travels to Ohio Athletic Conference foe Otterbein this Saturday to battle the Cardinals. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m. in Memorial Stadium. Muskingum leads the all-time series 40-36-2, which includes last year when the Muskies beat the Cardinals 21-14 on Homecoming.

The Muskies, 2-4 overall and 1-4 in the OAC, are averaging 366.3 yards and 23.7 points per game. Junior quarterback Brody Hahn directs the offense. This season, Hahn has thrown for 781 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding 347 yards rushing with six scores. Also, helping to lead the offense is sophomore quarterback Jordan Garrett. Garrett has thrown for 236 yards and two scores and rushed for 45 yards and one touchdown. 

Senior running back Bernard Johnson and freshman running back Jeffrey Curtis anchor the ground game. Johnson has rushed for 422 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Curtis has amassed 274 yards rushing with two touchdowns and is averaging 5.6 yards per touch.

Senior wide receiver Darius Hayes-Carruth and sophomore wideout Patrick Eanes guide the receiving core. Hayes-Carruth has a team-best 16 receptions for 268 yards and three scores. He ranks eighth all-time at Muskingum in career receiving yards with 1,194 yards. Eanes has nine grabs for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Muskingum's efficient offense has allowed the Muskies to average over 31 minutes of time of possession and 21 first downs per game. The Muskies have also delivered in the red zone scoring on 13-of-16 trips, with nine touchdowns.  

Muskingum special team play is led by sophomore kicker Gavin Costello and junior punter Jarrett Patton. Costello's a perfect 6-for-6 in field goals connecting from 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, and 41 yards. He's also 16-of-17 in extra-point attempts. Patton is averaging 38.2 yards per punt with eight fair catches and two boots inside the 20. The Muskie defense is allowing 371.8 yards and 30.7 points per outing. Leading the defensive charge is junior linebacker Nehemiah Bowie, senior linebacker Caleb Gaiters, and senior defensive lineman Tim Ousley. Bowie has recorded 44 stops, while Gaiters has racked up 40 hits. Ousley has a team-high 45 tackles and is third in the league with six sacks for 35 yards. Throughout his tenure, Ousley has registered 24 sacks, which rank first all-time at Muskingum. 

Otterbein stands at 0-6 overall and 0-5 in the conference. The Cardinals are averaging 329.3 yards and 19.1 points per game. Freshman quarterback Logan Pharmer and junior quarterback Bryce Hall lead the Otterbein offense. Pharmer has thrown for 643 yards and five touchdowns, while Hall has passed for 616 yards and two scores. 

The sophomore running back tandem of Luke Schmeling and Matt Webb guide the Cardinal ground game. Schmeling has rushed for 238 yards and five touchdowns, and Webb has added 230 yards and one score. The duo is averaging 78 rushing yards combined per outing.

The junior receiver trio of Dom Ross, George Redding, and Reed Tucker pace the Cardinals. Ross has a team-high 278 receiving yards with two touchdowns, Redding has 19 grabs for 176 yards, and Tucker has hauled in 15 receptions for 264 yards and three scores.

Defensively, the Cardinals are allowing 422 yards and 39.3 points per game. Junior defensive back Niall Lewison, junior linebacker Jacob Tiell, and junior linebacker Colton Miles led the Otterbein defense. Lewison has a team-best 65 stops, which ranks second in the OAC. Tiell has registered 37 hits, and Miles has recorded 34 tackles.