NEW CONCORD, OHIO, October 22, 2011 - The Muskingum University football team lost a heartbreaker against Otterbein University on Saturday, 17-13. The game was part of Muskingum's 90th Homecoming celebration.
With the loss, Muskingum slips to 4-3 overall and 3-3 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Muskingum next travels to Baldwin-Wallace College on Saturday, October 29 for a 1:30 p.m. contest. The game will be broadcast live on WMCO 90.7 FM and simulcast on the Muskingum Web Broadcasting Network located on the Muskingum athletic web site beginning with the pregame show at 1:15 p.m.
At halftime, Muskingum honored its newest members of the Athletic Hall of Fame - Coach Donna Newberry (posthumous), Erica Hoyt (softball/'06), James Grandey (baseball/football/'99) and Kevin Woods (football/'87).
With the win, Otterbein moves to 2-5 overall and 1-5 in the league. Otterbein ended the game with 356 yards of total offense.
Otterbein scored the controversial game-winning touchdown with 1:54 left in the outing. Cardinal quarterback Austin Schlosser appeared to fumble the ball, which was recovered by the Muskies, before crossing the goal line on a two-yard plunge to cap off an 11-play, 68-yard drive. However, the officials ruled the ball broke the plain of the goal line prior to the fumble and awarded Otterbein the touchdown.
The Cardinals scored the first 10 points of the game. Trey Fairchild caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from Schlosser to put the Cardinals up 7-0 at the 9:50 mark of the second quarter. Scholosser ended the game going 21-of-33 for 314 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Fairchild hauled in seven grabs for 122 yards and a score. Aaric Milligan extended the Caridnal lead to 10-0 on a 25-yard field goal with 4:36 remaining in the half.
Muskingum trimmed its deficit to 10-3 on sophomore kicker Caleb Carpenter's 24-yard field with 1:05 left in the half. The score capped off a 10-play, 54-yard drive.
The Muskies tied the game on sophomore running back Anthony Frye's career-best 68-yard touchdown run with 2:21 left in the third quarter. Frye ended the game with a career-high 120 yards on 16 totes with one touchdown.
Muskingum took the lead on a six-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a Carpenter 30-yard field at the 12:50 mark of the fourth quarter.
Sophomore quarterback Dalton Smith led the offense, which racked up 316 yards, going 14-of-35 for 185 yards with two interceptions. Sophomore James Washington led the Muskie receivers with six receptions for 100 yards and senior wide out Antowan Logan hauled in four grabs for 57 yards.
Senior linebacker Ethan Wetzel paced the Muskie defense with nine tackles, while junior safety Tyler Richardson and senior linebacker Alex Thomas added eight hits each.
Cody Green led the Cardinal rushing offense with 43 yards on 18 carries. Steve Kuzyk had six receptions for 100 yards.
Anthony Korpieski had six hits to lead the Otterbein defense and Shea Brintlinger had five tackles.