Photo by Elliot J. Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald

Ottawa University junior Rashad Tucker runs the ball Saturday during a scrimmage at Peoples Bank Field. Ottawa opens the season 7 p.m. Saturday at the First Down Classic in Platte City, Mo. against McKendree University Bearcats of Lebanon, Ill. Ottawa, which returns 15 starters from last year’s 8-2 squad, spent a majority of its 11 practices with live scrimmages.