Wabash made an early statement in Saturday’s Homecoming football game on the way to a 50-2 victory against in-state and North Coast Athletic Conference rival Earlham College.
The Little Giants took the opening kickoff and scored on the opening drive. However, it was a drive that moved 69 yards in 18 plays and took 10:23 off the clock. Russ Harbaugh (Evansville, IN/Bosse) hit Eric Summers (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral) in the endzone with a 13-yard pass to bring the drive to an end. Wabash would get the ball back two more times in the opening period thanks to two short series forced by the Little Giant defense.
The offense exploded for 21 points in the second quarter. Senior Brandon Roop (Newburgh, IN/Castle) plowed in from a yard out to put Wabash up 14-0. One series later it was Harbaugh connecting with tight end Graham Nelson (South Bend, IN/Clay) for a 14-yard TD pass to make it 21-0. With just 50 seconds left in the half, Roop capped a nine-play, 59-yard drive with a run that started left, bounced back right, then finished with a juke move at the goal line to score his second touchdown of the game. This time Roop scored on a 12-yard run to give Wabash a 28-0 halftime edge.
It took a Wabash miscue to keep the defense from pitching its first shutout of the season, and second in row against the Quakers. Midway through the third quarter, Wabash was backed up to its own 18 yard line. On fourth down, the punt snapped slipped through punter Chad Finley’s (Alvin, IL/Bismarck-Henning) legs. The sophomore scooped up the loose ball, but couldn’t elude the Earlham rushers before being forced out of bounds in the endzone for a safety.
The Wabash defense would get those points back and more. After Harbaugh engineered another eight-play scoring drive that ended with a five-yard TD pass to Mike Russell (Terre Haute, IN/North Vigo), on the next play from scrimmage linebacker Josh Foster (Indianapolis, IN/Ben Davis) stepped in front of a Randy Kerns pass, returning the interception 23 yards for a touchdown and a 35-2 Wabash lead.
The Little Giants would get their own two-point safety in the fourth quarter when an Earlham snap sailed over Kerns’ head and out of the back of the endzone. The final score of the contest came when Shane Keffer (Glendale, AZ/Apollo) scored on a one-yard run for the 50-2 final.
Wabash’s defense made four interceptions against Earlham. Billy King (Peoria, AZ/Peoria) showed no ill effects from his broken wrist, picking off two passes with one return of 30 yards to set up the touchdown pass to Nelson. Ja’Michael Hill (Indianapolis, IN/Pike) ended the game with an interception when the Quakers tried to add a late score. Wabash held Earlham to 45 rushing yards on 26 attempts. The Quakers had 158 total yards of offense, running 49 plays.
Harbaugh, 21-of-28 passing for 262 yards and three scores, helped the Little Giants to 442 yards of offense in the game, while connecting with seven different receivers. Geoff Walker (Schererville, IN/Lake Central) led the receivers with six catches for 95 yards, both career-bests for the junior. Senior Chris Odgen (Schererville, IN/Lake Central) led the rushing attack for Wabash with 66 yards on 12 carries. Don Juan Brown (Houston, TX/Mirabeau B. Lamar) added 54 yards on 19 tries.
Adrian Pynenberg (Montgomery, IL/Oswego Community) paced the defense for the second time in three games, making seven tackles. He joined Aaron Selby (Crawfordsville, IN/Southmont) and Wes Anderson (Holland, MI/Holland) to combine for three sacks in the game.
Wabash moves to 3-0 on the season, 1-0 in NCAC play. The Little Giants travel to Ohio Wesleyan University Saturday for a noon kickoff (EST).
Photos:
Front sports page - Eric Summers goes up to catch the first touchdown pass of the game.
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Brandon Roop scores one of his two rushing touchdowns in the Wabash victory.
Josh Foster and his teammates celebrate after his 23-yard interception return for a touchdown gave Wabash a 42-2 lead.
Billy King had two interceptions in the game. This 30-yard return set up the third Wabash touchdown.