Football
The 2024 Braves are receiving votes in the NAIA Football GoRout Top 25 Poll. It’s the first time since the 2019 season that OU is in the preseason poll. In 2019, OU entered the preseason poll at no. 22.
In 2023, Ottawa was crowned champions of the KCAC Bissell Division, qualified for its first NAIA Football Championship Series since 2014, earned the most wins since 2018, and had its first 1,000 rusher since 2015. Ottawa finished the season with an overall record of 6-6 and a KCAC Bissell Division mark of 4-1.
Ottawa had seven named to the 2024 KCAC Football Bissell Division Preseason Team: AJ Hemphill, Jordan Clay, Donovan Henry, TJ Osa, Isaac Gibson, Christian Coggs, and De’Anthony Curtis.
Last season OU averaged 366.9 yards of offense per game, rushing for 218.5 yards and passing for 148.4 yards. The Ottawa offense scored 27.9 points per game. The OU defense allowed 363.1 yards of offense, 211.2 rushing and 151.9 passing. Opponents scored 27.9 points per game.
The Braves finished 2023 ranked 29th in the NAIA in scoring (335), 47th in points per game (27.9), 23rd in total offense (4,403), 42nd in yards per game (366.9), seventh in rushing yards (2,622), 11th in rushing attempts (486), eighth in rushing yards per game (218.5), ninth in yards per rush (5.4), 13th in rushing touchdowns (27), 25th in first downs (240), 14th in rushing first downs (135), 19th in third down conversions (66-176), 47th in third down conversion percentage (38%), 14th in fourth down conversions (15-33), eighth in kick returns (NO.-Yards) (42-945), eighth in kick return average (22.5), 20th in average per punt (38.3), and fourth in tackles (859).
Wynton Ruth led the Braves in rushing in 2023. He rushed for 1,237 yards and 12 touchdowns. Ruth averaged 103.1 rushing yards per game and 6.6 yards per carry. He was OU’s first 1,000 yard rusher since 2015 when Tanner Staats rushed for 1,276 yards. Billy Maples was OU’s leader in passing, averaging 143.1 passing yards per game. He completed 50.9% of his passes, throwing for 1,714 yards and 13 touchdowns. Jayden Johnson led the Braves in receptions with 47. He averaged 54.4 receiving yards per game. De’Anthony Curtis was OU’s leader in touchdown receptions with five.
Rhett Anderson was 6-for-14 in field goal attempts (43%). He had a long of 42 yards. Anderson was also 41-for-43 in extra point attempts, finishing the season with 59 points.
AJ Hemphill, a AFCA NAIA First Team All-American, led the Braves in tackles last season with 136. He averaged 11.3 tackles per game. Hemphill had 2.5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and three pass break ups. James Gladden was second on the team in tackles with 90 and Kyle Reynolds had 82 tackles and five interceptions.
Saturday is the 71st meeting between Ottawa University and Southwestern College. Ottawa leads the series, 37-30-3, but the Moundbuilders are on a four game winning streak against the Braves. OU’s last victory over Southwestern was on Sept. 7, 2019 in Winfield. OU won the game 35-34. SWC won last year’s contest 24-22 in Winfield on Aug. 26. Ottawa has lost two straight to Southwestern at AdventHealth Field. OU’s last win over SWC at home was on Oct. 27, 2018. OU won the game 41-24. The Braves are 22-16 against the Moundbuilders in Ottawa.