During the football game against Mount Union on Oct. 5, senior defensive back and allied health major Vincent Fisher caught a one-handed interception with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. This play caught the attention of many viewers and made the number three spot on ESPN's "College Football Final" TV show.
The recognition that comes from this highlighted play means a great deal to both Fisher and the team.
“Being featured on ESPN is an honor not only for me because I’ve thought about moments like this since I was a kid but also, it’s a validating moment for our team. It reflects the hard work and dedication we’ve put into our season. This exposure not only highlights our efforts and the talent we have on the team but also brings attention to our program and university,” Fisher said.
The highlighted play from this game served as a much needed turning point for the team this season.
As the Otterbein football team is currently 0-4 for the season, they have faced criticism from the Otterbein community about their performances on the field. Students have not held back when expressing their thoughts about the team’s ability.
On YikYak, a social platform where users are anonymous, a student posted, “Can’t wait to watch our Cardinals lose at the football game today.” Another posted a poll asking, “How badly do you think the football team is gonna lose?”
Fisher said that he hopes to see more support from the community, and after Saturday’s game, that shift has started to occur.
After the game against Mount Union, Fisher noted a slight shift in support from the community. The Cardinals held out for a 0-21 loss against the Purple Raiders, making for the lowest point differential between the two teams since 2010.
This feat, along with the excitement around the impressive interception and the acknowledgement from ESPN, sparked a newfound hope for the team’s future. Although the interception did not change the result of the game, it did light a spark in the Otterbein football community.
Talk about the team shifted to a more supportive and hopeful tone. Positive comments flooded online feeds, saying:
“I don’t think some of you understand how impressive it is to only be losing by 7 to Mount Union in the 3rd quarter.”
“Holy shit our defense is goated right now.”
“I love you football, you’re doing so well.”
“For real though, mad respect to the football team for their game today. Y’all are out there trying your hardest and deserve so much more than what you’re given. Rock on team.”
For any team, a supportive community can make all the difference and be the reason to try harder. The positivity and hopefulness within Otterbein’s football community after the game may just be the momentum needed to push this team toward success. A YikYak user even posted, “Guys, what if the football team wins next weekend?”
“Their support and what they think are a big part on why we really want to turn things around. The encouragement and feedback we received post-game was a renewed sense of pride and investment in our team's progress," Fisher said. “Moving forward, we aim to build on this, showing we can play with anyone if we play well together and prepare hard. Now our focus is striving on giving the ball to the offense as much as possible and producing points on all three categories of the game.”
The team still has several games left in their competitive schedule, and it remains to be seen if the newfound confidence from the week will continue on the field for the rest of the semester.
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