I don't know about the orientation of the oil filter on your engine, but a
trick we use on the Cummins engines is to put a gallon-size plastic bag
around the filter as we remove it. Works rather well.

Cheap kitty litter works well on small messes.

You could buy and install an oil filter relocation kit and move the filter
to a more accessible location.  I have one on my truck because the filter
that I use simply will not fit in the factory location and doing this had
the secondary benefit of making changes much easier and less messy.  If you
do go this route, make sure to get a quality kit from a place like Summit
and stay away from the crap that they sell at J.C. Whitney.