The two top quarterbacks in the North Coast Athletic Conference in terms of passing yards per game will meet Saturday as Wabash continues its North Coast Athletic Conference schedule at in-state rival Earlham.
Wabash's Dustin Huff and Earlham's Justin Rummell already have exceeded the 1,000-yard passing plateau for the season. And both have needed only three games to accomplish the feat. After his 416-yard, five-touchdown effort in Saturday's 42-28 win over Ohio Wesleyan, Huff for the season has completed 72-of-109 passes for 1,115 yards and 13 touchdowns, an average of 371.7 yards per game. Earlham had an off-week Saturday, but in the Quakers' first three games, Rummell has completed 81 passes for 1,145 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Rummell missed last year's game against Wabash because of a season-ending foot injury. Because he played in only three games last year, Rummell was granted a medical hardship and returns for his fifth season with the Quakers.
Rummell also has Earlham' career touchdown record with 63. In Earlham's seond win of the season, a 49-35 win at Manchester, Rummell threw for 507 yards and seven touchdowns.
"I have heard a lot of good things about him," Huff said. "But I don't feel like I'm going into this game going head-to-head against him. I'm just going to do what it takes to help my team win. It should be a great game."
Earlham (2-1) second in the NCAC with its average of 32.7 points per game. Wabash (2-1) leads the conference by averaging 39.3 points a contest.
"There is no doubt that this will be the best Earlham team we've faced since I've been here," Wabash coach Chris Creighton said. "The are going to be facing a red-hot quarterback."
Top Receivers
To go along with the top two quarterbacks, Saturday's game also features the top-four receivers in terms of yards per game. Joe White, who has been on the receiving end of eight of Rummell's touchdowns, has 29 catches for 494 yards, an average of 164.7 yards per game. Sophomore Chris Owens has 19 catches for 392 yards and five touchdowns, an average of 130.7 yards per game. Wabash senior Geoff Walker is third in the conference with 26 catches for 389 yards, an average of 129.7 yards per game. Junior Mike Russell has 16 catches for 312 yards, an average of 104 yards per game. Walker (5) and Russell (4) have combined for nine touchdowns.
Mr. Touchdown
Last season, Wabash tight end Graham Nelson had 11 catches for 119 yards. Four of those receptions went for touchdowns. Nelson showed his nose for the end zone again Saturday against Ohio Wesleyan. Nelson had three catches for 45 yards, with two of those going for touchdowns.
Nelson had a 9-yard touchdown pass from Huff to give Wabash a 21-7 advantage with 7:39 remaining in the third quarter. His second was a 22-yard pass from Huff, giving the Little Giants a 42-21 lead with 5:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. On Nelson's second touchdown, the Little Giants sent Billy King on a passing route out of the backfield. Both the Battling Bishops' linebacker and corner back went out to cover King, leaving Nelson open down the middle.
"Sometimes the tight end gets lost because he has been blocking all day," said Nelson, who missed Wabash's opener against Franklin with an injury. "And a lot of that credit goes to the offensive line for the time they gave Dustin to find me."
Wilson is the sports editor of the Journal Review.