HILLSBORO, Kan. – Behind a dominant rushing performance from
Malakai Hudson and a strong first-half effort on both sides of the football, the Ottawa University football team defeated Tabor College 35-17 on Saturday afternoon in Hillsboro, Kan.
Hudson rushed for 152 yards on 33 carries and scored all five of Ottawa's touchdowns. The Braves built a 28-0 halftime advantage and held off a second-half rally by the Bluejays to secure the KCAC Kessinger Division victory.
Ottawa finished with 353 yards of total offense, including 200 yards rushing, and controlled the football for 32:41. The Braves' defense limited Tabor to 270 yards of offense, forced two turnovers and held the Bluejays scoreless in the first half.
First Quarter
Ottawa wasted little time establishing its offense, taking the opening possession 75 yards on 10 plays to grab an early lead. The Braves used a balanced attack, with
Anthony Powell contributing runs of 14 and 16 yards and quarterback
Luke Edwards completing a 20-yard pass to
AJ Moore.
Hudson finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run at the 9:40 mark. The extra-point attempt was blocked, leaving Ottawa with a 6-0 advantage.
The Braves' defense followed with a stop on downs after Tabor moved into Ottawa territory. The Bluejays reached the OU 37-yard line before an incomplete pass on fourth-and-three returned possession to the Braves.
Ottawa responded with another sustained drive. Edwards connected with
Jayden Johnson for gains of eight and 22 yards, while
Kimbriq Minnis added an 11-yard rush to move the Braves inside the Tabor 10-yard line.
The quarter ended with Ottawa threatening to extend its lead.
Second Quarter
The Braves continued their offensive momentum in the second quarter, scoring 22 unanswered points to take complete control of the contest.
On the first play of the period, Hudson scored from six yards out to complete a 10-play scoring drive. Edwards connected with Hudson on the two-point conversion, extending Ottawa's lead to 14-0 with 14:54 remaining.
After forcing a Tabor punt, the Braves marched 61 yards on nine plays for their third touchdown. Edwards completed a 17-yard pass to Johnson and a seven-yard pass to
Rowdy Keith during the possession. Hudson capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run at the 8:06 mark, giving Ottawa a 21-0 advantage.
Ottawa's defense continued to frustrate the Bluejays, forcing consecutive punts and preventing Tabor from developing any offensive rhythm.
The Braves added another touchdown late in the half after taking possession at the Tabor 44-yard line. Edwards completed passes to Hudson, Johnson and Moore to move Ottawa into scoring position.
Hudson finished the seven-play drive with a nine-yard touchdown run with 1:09 remaining.
Ike Prengel converted the extra point, sending the Braves into halftime with a commanding 28-0 lead.
Third Quarter
Tabor opened the second half with its first touchdown of the afternoon. Jerome Stewart connected with Tyson Dozhier on a 61-yard touchdown pass just 1:30 into the third quarter, cutting Ottawa's advantage to 28-7.
The Braves continued to move the football but were unable to add to their lead during the period.
Ottawa's defense responded to the Bluejays' opening touchdown by forcing two punts on Tabor's next two possessions.
Cade Monroe recorded a tackle for loss during the quarter, while
Qui'len Johnson added another stop behind the line of scrimmage to help slow the Bluejays' rushing attack.
Ottawa maintained its 28-7 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Tabor attempted to mount a comeback in the final period, but Ottawa's defense came through with a key turnover.
The Bluejays moved the football to the Braves' eight-yard line before
Ethan Gardner intercepted Stewart's pass at the OU three-yard line, ending the scoring threat.
Tabor followed with a safety on Ottawa's ensuing possession to cut the deficit to 28-9.
The Bluejays then drove 76 yards on eight plays, scoring on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Stewart to Luis Vazquez on fourth down. Holden Kee converted the two-point attempt, trimming Ottawa's lead to 28-17 with 5:13 remaining.
With Tabor threatening to complete its comeback, Ottawa turned to Hudson and its rushing attack.
Hudson opened the Braves' next possession with runs of five and 23 yards. Edwards then connected with Johnson for a 13-yard completion, helping Ottawa move deep into Tabor territory.
Facing third-and-13 at the Tabor 24-yard line, Hudson broke free for a 17-yard gain to give Ottawa a first-and-goal opportunity.
Two plays later, Hudson scored his fifth rushing touchdown of the afternoon on a seven-yard run with 1:06 remaining. Prengel added the extra point to extend the Braves' lead to 35-17.
Ottawa's defense put the finishing touches on the victory when Nick Soares intercepted Stewart on Tabor's next possession, allowing the Braves to run out the clock.
Statistical Breakdown
Ottawa Offense
- Malakai Hudson led the Braves with 152 rushing yards on 33 carries and five rushing touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 17 yards. His five touchdowns tie a school record for touchdowns in a game, and his 30 points are ranked second in the OU record book in single game scoring.
- Luke Edwards completed 16-of-25 passes for 153 yards with no interceptions.
- Jayden Johnson led Ottawa's receiving corps with nine receptions for 94 yards, averaging 10.4 yards per catch.
- AJ Moore finished with three receptions for 26 yards.
- Rowdy Keith caught two passes for 16 yards.
- Anthony Powell rushed for 31 yards on three carries, averaging 10.3 yards per attempt.
- Kimbriq Minnis added 31 rushing yards on four attempts.
- Ottawa totaled 353 yards of offense, with 200 rushing yards and 153 passing yards.
- The Braves recorded 28 first downs and converted 7-of-12 third-down opportunities (58 percent).
Ottawa Defense
- Bryson Nolan led Ottawa's listed individual defenders with four tackles, including two tackles for loss.
- Cade Monroe finished with three tackles and one tackle for loss.
- Elijah Hann recorded three tackles.
- Jacob Hill totaled two tackles and one tackle for loss.
- Qui'len Johnson added two tackles and one tackle for loss.
- Ethan Yinger recorded two tackles and a pass breakup.
- Ethan Gardner intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter and added a pass breakup.
- Nick Soares recorded an interception and returned it seven yards.
- The Braves finished with five tackles for loss, totaling 12 yards.
- Ottawa held Tabor to 11 first downs and a 3-of-13 conversion rate on third down (23 percent).
- The Braves held the Bluejays to 109 rushing yards and forced two interceptions.
Special Teams
- Ike Prengel finished 3-for-4 on extra-point attempts and recorded four touchbacks on six kickoffs.
- Joshua Iraheta punted three times for 120 yards, averaging 40 yards per punt, with three punts inside the 20-yard line.
- Mason Williams had one punt for 30 yards.
Who is Next
Ottawa (5-3, 2-0) returns to AdventHealth Field on Saturday, Oct. 31 against Bethany College. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.
