Braylon Balandra drilled a 40-yard field goal on fourth-and-8 in the second overtime Saturday, lifting the Otterbein University football team to a 31-28 road win over Muskingum University in New Concord, according to Otterbein University Athletics. The kick gave the Westerville school a wild Ohio Athletic Conference victory in a game the Cardinals led by two touchdowns in the first half, then nearly lost twice in the final minutes of regulation.
Otterbein wasted no time getting started. Cayden Lassiter returned the opening kickoff 64 yards to the Muskingum 24-yard line, and sophomore quarterback Duke Corley finished the short drive with a 14-yard touchdown run. After Muskingum answered, Tyrese Buchanan broke through the middle for an 11-yard touchdown, and Matt Griffin added a short scoring run in the second quarter to push the Cardinals’ lead to 21-7. Muskingum scored before halftime to cut it to 21-14, Otterbein Athletics reported.
Corley finished with 140 passing yards and a touchdown while adding 81 rushing yards and a score on the ground, according to the university’s recap. Griffin contributed 78 rushing yards and a touchdown. On defense, Lassiter recorded nine solo tackles, Eli Helton added nine tackles with three for loss, a sack and an interception, and Carter Sleet and Troy Montgomery finished with eight tackles apiece.
Muskingum tied the game at 21-21 in the third quarter, and the fourth quarter turned into a series of near-misses. With the Muskies poised to take the lead from the Otterbein 8-yard line, Helton intercepted Muskingum quarterback Cavan Cooper at the goal line. Otterbein then drove into field goal range twice in the closing minutes, but one kick was no good with 2:20 to play and a 40-yard attempt at the horn fell narrowly short, sending the game to overtime tied at 21.
Both teams scored in the first overtime, Otterbein on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Drew Vilk and Muskingum by converting a fourth-and-6 for a touchdown of its own. In the second overtime, the Cardinal defense forced a turnover on downs, giving Balandra his chance at redemption. Facing fourth-and-8, he connected from 40 yards out to end the game, Otterbein Athletics reported.
The win gives Otterbein momentum heading into the final week of the regular season, and it came the hard way — on the road, in a conference game, after surrendering a 14-point lead. The Cardinals’ defense, which produced the goal-line interception and the decisive overtime stop, carried the day when the offense stalled late.
Otterbein wraps up its 2026 season next Saturday at home in Westerville against Mount Union, which was receiving votes in the national poll. Kickoff against the Purple Raiders is scheduled for 12:45 p.m., according to Otterbein University Athletics.
Photo: Christopher L. Riley, CC BY-SA