Wabash College's football team handed Allegheny its first North Coast Athletic Conference loss by downing the Gators 41-27 Saturday at Byron P. Hollett Little Giant Stadium.
The Little Giants have a chance to hand another opponent its first league loss 1 p.m. Saturday as Wabash makes the trek to Ohio to take on Wittenberg. The Tigers are 2-0 in league play after Saturday's 28-14 win over Earlham.
In six of the last eight seasons, either Wittenberg or Wabash has won the NCAC title. The Tigers were atop the conference standings from 1998-2001, finishing with unblemished conference marks in each of those seasons. The Little Giants ended the Tigers four-year reign of conference championships by going a perfect 7-0 in 2002 - Wabash's second year in the league. Wittenberg hasn't won a league crown since 2001. Wabash won last year's conference crown with a perfect 7-0 mark. The only teams to win conference crowns in the last eight years besides Wittenberg and Wabash were Allegheny in 2003 and Wooster in 2004.
In conference games only, Wabash and Wittenberg are ranked 2-3 in scoring offense. The Little Giants are second to Kenyon with their average of 43.7 points per NCAC game. Wittenberg has averaged 43.7 points in wins over Wooster and Earlham.
In conference games only, Wittenberg is second in total defense, limiting opponents to 255.5 yards per game. Wabash is sixth in total defense in NCAC games.
Tailback Tristan Murray returns for his final season in the Tiger backfield. He rushed 27 times for 101 yards in last year's 26-20 Wabash win at Crawfordsville. Murray has averaged 167.5 rushing yards in the Tigers' wins over Earlham and Wooster.
Spreading the wealth
The Little Giants come into Saturday's game at Wittenberg leading the NCAC in passing offense with their average of 310.4 yards per game. The Little Giants have been able to spread the ball around, as eight different players have caught touchdown passes this season.
Andrew Rode became that eighth player Saturday when he caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Dustin Huff in the third quarter to give Wabash a 35-7 advantage. It was the first career touchdown reception for the sophomore out of Buffalo Grove, Ill.
With his career-high four-touchdown effort, junior Mike Russell leads the Little Giants with nine touchdown receptions. Geoff Walker has five touchdowns. Ray Green and Graham Nelson each have two touchdowns.
Creating turnovers
After intercepting Allegheny quarterback Jimmy Savage three times Saturday, Wabash has jumped to a tie for first place in the NCAC with its +8 turnover margin. Wabash has created 12 turnovers, while only having four. The Little Giants have recovered three fumbles and have a conference-high nine interceptions.
Chad Peterman and Thomas Bell each have two picks for the Little Giants.
Wilson is the sports editor for The Journal Review.