OTTAWA, Kan. — The Ottawa University football team nearly erased a 14-point second-half deficit against No. 15 McPherson College on Saturday afternoon at AdventHealth Field. The Braves scored 10 unanswered points and drove to the McPherson one-yard line in the final minute, but their comeback fell just short in a 14-10 loss.
The Braves finished with 345 yards of total offense, including 245 passing yards.
Jayden Johnson led Ottawa's receiving corps with 11 receptions for 101 yards, while quarterback
Elijah Ribaudo completed 27 passes and threw a touchdown. Defensively,
Cade Monroe recorded a game-high 14 tackles, and the Braves forced two turnovers.
First Quarter
Ottawa received the opening kickoff but had its first possession cut short by an interception. McPherson took over at the Ottawa 48-yard line and advanced to the Braves' 17. However, the Ottawa defense came through with a fourth-down stop, forcing an incomplete pass to regain possession.
The Braves responded with an eight-play, 45-yard drive highlighted by a 24-yard run from
Malakai Hudson. Ottawa advanced to the McPherson 38-yard line before an interception ended the scoring opportunity.
Ottawa's defense created its first turnover of the afternoon when
Donovan Martin forced a fumble following a 40-yard McPherson completion.
Ethan Yinger recovered the loose ball to give the Braves possession.
Neither team found the end zone during the opening quarter, leaving the game scoreless after 15 minutes.
Second Quarter
Ottawa's defense continued to create opportunities early in the second quarter.
Kalen Johnson forced a fumble by McPherson's Max Younie, and Martin recovered the football to give Ottawa possession at the McPherson 34-yard line. The Braves were unable to capitalize, however, as an interception on fourth down ended the possession.
McPherson broke the scoreless tie with 6:25 remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs put together a six-play, 77-yard scoring drive that included a 57-yard completion from Ryan Markarian to Tristan Sanchez. Jalil Brown finished the possession with a two-yard touchdown run to give McPherson a 7-0 advantage.
Ottawa answered with a seven-play drive that advanced into McPherson territory. Hudson contributed an 18-yard run, but the Braves eventually punted from the Bulldogs' 39-yard line.
McPherson maintained its 7-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Third Quarter
After both teams exchanged punts to begin the second half, McPherson extended its lead with a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive.
Brown contributed a 38-yard run during the possession before Markarian connected with Payton Payne for a three-yard touchdown pass. The extra point extended McPherson's advantage to 14-0 with 4:46 remaining in the third quarter.
Ottawa immediately responded with its first scoring drive of the afternoon.
Starting at their own 22-yard line, the Braves marched 78 yards in six plays. Ribaudo connected with
Rowdy Keith for a 39-yard completion on third down, moving Ottawa deep into McPherson territory.
Ribaudo followed with a 19-yard completion to
De'Anthony Curtis before finding
AJ Moore for a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Ike Prengel converted the extra point, cutting McPherson's lead to 14-7 with 1:56 remaining in the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Ottawa defense kept the Braves within striking distance throughout the final quarter.
McPherson opened the fourth quarter by continuing a lengthy possession that eventually reached Ottawa's 28-yard line. However, the Bulldogs missed a 45-yard field goal attempt, giving the Braves possession with 9:24 remaining.
Ottawa took advantage of the opportunity.
Ribaudo completed passes to Johnson, Moore and Curtis as the Braves moved downfield. Johnson's 17-yard reception helped advance Ottawa to the McPherson 30-yard line, and Curtis added a 13-yard reception to move the ball inside the red zone.
The Braves reached the McPherson 13-yard line before Prengel connected on a 30-yard field goal. The 11-play, 58-yard scoring drive brought Ottawa within four points, 14-10, with 5:54 remaining.
Ottawa's defense delivered another important stop on McPherson's ensuing possession. The Braves limited the Bulldogs to three yards on three plays, forcing a punt and giving their offense one final opportunity.
Taking over at midfield with 3:56 remaining, Ottawa began its final drive with a 14-yard completion from Ribaudo to Johnson. A 12-yard completion to Johnson later moved the Braves to the McPherson 20-yard line.
Facing fourth-and-10, Ribaudo connected with
Hagan Johnson for a 14-yard gain, giving Ottawa first-and-goal at the Bulldogs' six-yard line.
The Braves moved the ball to the McPherson two-yard line following a six-yard completion to
Jayden Johnson on third down. Facing fourth-and-goal with 31 seconds remaining, Ottawa handed the ball to Keith, who gained one yard before being stopped at the McPherson one-yard line.
The Bulldogs took possession and ran out the remaining time, holding on for the 14-10 victory.
Despite the loss, Ottawa outscored McPherson 10-0 over the final 16:56 and advanced inside the Bulldogs' 15-yard line on each of its final two possessions.
Ottawa Statistical Leaders
Offense
- Elijah Ribaudo: Completed 27-of-45 passes for 245 yards and one touchdown.
- Jayden Johnson: Led the Braves with 11 receptions for 101 yards.
- AJ Moore: Finished with seven receptions for 57 yards and Ottawa's lone touchdown.
- Rowdy Keith: Recorded three receptions for 44 yards, including a 39-yard catch.
- De'Anthony Curtis: Added five receptions for 29 yards.
- Malakai Hudson: Led Ottawa's rushing attack with 61 yards on 12 carries, averaging 5.1 yards per attempt.
- Anthony Powell: Added 35 rushing yards on seven carries.
Defense
- Cade Monroe: Led all players with 14 tackles, including eight solo stops and one tackle for loss.
- Kage Castling: Finished with eight tackles.
- Ethan Yinger: Recorded seven tackles, one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
- Jacob Hill: Added seven tackles and half a tackle for loss.
- Ibrahimi Mahdi: Finished with seven tackles.
- Gabe Watson: Recorded seven tackles.
- JT Turner: Registered four tackles and a tackle for loss.
- Donovan Martin: Recorded two tackles, forced a fumble and recovered another.
- Kalen Johnson: Forced a fumble and recorded a tackle for loss.
Special Teams
- Ike Prengel: Connected on a 30-yard field goal and converted his only extra-point attempt, accounting for four points.
- Mason Williams: Punted four times for 132 yards, averaging 33 yards per punt, with two punts inside the 20-yard line.
Team Statistics
- Ottawa finished with 345 yards of total offense, including 245 passing yards and 100 rushing yards.
- The Braves recorded 20 first downs, including 13 through the air.
- Ottawa converted four of its 13 third-down opportunities and one of three fourth-down attempts.
- The Braves forced two fumbles and recovered both.
- Ottawa finished with five tackles for loss, totaling 23 yards.
- The Braves held McPherson scoreless in the fourth quarter.
- Ottawa scored 10 unanswered points after trailing 14-0.
- The Braves finished with 45 kickoff return yards.
- Ottawa possessed the football for 24:18.
Who is Next
Ottawa (3-2) returns to the field on Saturday, Oct. 3 in Wichita, Kan. against no. 8 Friends University. Kick off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
