For the second week in a row the Wabash College football team found itself facing a 24-points deficit in the third quarter. For the second week in row the Little Giants would come from behind, only to fall short. This time it was a 49-35 loss to the Wittenberg Tigers in Springfield, Ohio.
Wabash rallied for 21 points in the third quarter and scored a touchdown with 8:31 left in the contest to cut the Tigers’ lead to six points. But after a sack by the Little Giant defense on fourth down, a Wittenberg punt turned into a turnover when Wabash tried to grab the ball deep in its own territory but couldn’t recover. The Tigers fell on the football and turned it into an eight-point play on a touchdown run by Tristan Murray for the final points of the game, handing the Little Giants their second consecutive loss to a North Coast Athletic Conference opponent.
The game was eerily similar to the Wabash loss one week earlier to Wooster. The Little Giants marched 80 yards for the first score of the game, capping the drive on a 9-yard run by Aaron Lafitte (SO/Goodyear, AZ/Ironwood) (photo left). But the Tigers went on a 31-0 scoring run, picking up two touchdowns by Murray in the first quarter. Wittenberg added 17 points in the second quarter on touchdown passes from Ryan Holmes to Jered Glover and Joe Ruschlag and a Mark Porter 38-yard field goal.
The Little Giants were blitzed for 280 yards of total offense by the Tigers in the first half, including a 111-yard effort by Murray on the ground. Wabash would manage 168 yards of offense in the opening half.
Cue the comeback.
Wabash started the second half with a four-play, 76-yard drive to cut the Wittenberg lead to 31-14. Junior quarterback Russ Harbaugh (Evansville, IN/Evansville Bosse) was 3-for-3 passing on the drive, including the 38-yard TD pass to Brandon Clifton (SR/Lafayette, IN/McCutcheon). The Tigers answered with another Murray TD run, his second rushing touchdown and third score of the game.
Down 38-14, Harbaugh led the Little Giants on another quick scoring drive, this time connecting with Kyle Piazza (JR/Clarksville, IN/Jeffersonville) for a four-yard TD pass that capped a five-play, 58-yard drive. The Wabash defense responded when Adrian Pynenberg (FR/Montgomery, IL/Oswego Community) intercepted a Holmes pass and returned it to the Wittenberg 20. Three plays later Lafitte scored from two yards out to make it a 38-28 contest.
The Tigers started the fourth quarter scoring with a 27-yard field goal by Porter with 12:04 left in the contest. After a touchback on the kickoff, Harbaugh and the offense went on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard pass to Brandon Roop (JR/Newburgh, IN/Castle) to make it a six-point game.
The Little Giants held on another three-play drive by Wittenberg, giving the Wabash offense a shot to take its second lead of the game. But six plays into the drive, Harbaugh lofted a pass toward Geoff Walker (SO/Schererville, IN/Lake Central) that was picked off by Wittenberg’s Mitch Fonseca.
The defense held again, getting a sack by Pynenberg on third down on the next series to force the Tigers’ Jacob Thomas to punt. Thomas drilled a 73-yard bomb that sailed over the head of Ray Green (Phoenix, AZ/Trevor G. Browne). Green tried to run down the ball, making contact with the ball inside the Wabash 10 yard line. The Tigers’ Joe Brumfield recovered, setting up a three-yard run by Murray for his fourth score of the game, icing the win for Wittenberg.
Harbaugh finished the game with 344 yards passing (24-37-2) and three TD passes. Clifton, playing with a severe ankle injury, made nine catches for 128 yards and a score. Junior Eric Summers (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral) returned the lineup for the first time since the season opener, finishing with six receptions for 75 yards. Lafitte led the rushing attack with 11 carries for 63 yards and two scores.
Tim Parker (JR/Indianapolis, IN/Warren Central) had a career-best 15 tackles. Pynenberg finished with nine tackles, a sack, and an interception.
Wabash outgained the Tigers overall, racking up 452 yards of total offense for Wittenberg. The Tigers became the first team to rush for over 200 yards against the Little Giants since 2000 when the Allegheny Gators ran for 375 yards.
The Gators will be the next opponent for Wabash (5-2, 3-2 NCAC). The Little Giants return to Byron P. Hollett Little Giant Stadium next Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
QUICK HITTERS
--- Brandon Clifton moves to 13th on the Wabash all-time receptions list with 114 catches. He trails Josh Bronaugh '04 in 12th with 117 catches.
--- Russ Harbaugh passed Justin Weinraub '98 for 10th on the all-time passing list. Harbaugh has thrown for 3,183 yards. He trails Curt Selby '89 in ninth place with 3,200 yards.
--- The last time the Little Giants lost back-to-back games was in 2001. Wabash lost 58-33 to Wheaton College at home, followed by a 14-3 defeat at Wittenberg the next week.