Wabash converted fumbled punt return in the fourth quarter into a touchdown run and a two-point conversion to claim a 22-21 win at DePauw in the 124^th Monon Bell Classic.
 
The victory brought the 300-pound locomotive bell, the prize awarded to the winning team since 1932, back to the Wabash campus after the Little Giants' seven-game winning streak in the rivalry ended last year with a win in Crawfordsville by the Tigers.
 
Wabash (8-2, 7-2 NCAC) needed two separate turnovers by DePauw (8-2, 7-2 NCAC) to earn the victory. The Tigers took a 21-14 lead in the third quarter on a Chandler Nicholson 52-yard interception return for a touchdown. The visiting Little Giants turned to the defense in the fourth quarter to make a play. DePauw marched down the field on its first possession of the final period before Wabash made a stand on fourth-and-one with a sack of Tigers quarterback Jake Lasky to end a 12-play, 68-yard drive at the Wabash 29.
 
The Little Giants moved the football to midfield before being forced to punt. Alex Marr sent his kick to the 14 yard line. DePauw's Andy Hunt fielded the punt but was forced to retreat to the 7 yard line where Leon Ivy knocked the ball free. Jaleel Grandberry fell on the football at the 5 to give the Little Giants the short field. One play later sophomore Ike James scored his third rushing touchdown of the day to cut the DePauw lead to one point.
 

Wabash head coach Don Morel rolled the dice all game long, faking a pair of field goal attempts on the same offensive drive in the first half. After the James touchdown, Morel called for a two-point try on the extra point. Weston Murphy found Kirby Cox with a pass on the try to put Wabash in front 22-21.
 
The Little Giants needed another big play from its defense on the next drive. DePauw drove to the Wabash 11 and appeared ready to retake the lead. Nolan Ayres came in at quarterback on the drive and broke free on a 10-yard run and was headed into the end zone. Ryan Walters knocked the ball loose before Ayres reached the goal line. Henry Webberhunt fell on the football for a touchback to turn the Tigers away once again.
 
"Our defense shut DePauw out in the second half," Morel said. "We felt that DePauw was carrying the ball loose. We talked about it on the sideline, to try and strip everything. We finally got a couple to bounce our way to get the turnovers.
 
The last big defensive play came on DePauw's final drive. With time running out in the game, the Tigers were stopped on fourth down, giving the Wabash the ball at the DePauw 37. The Little Giants ran out the clock to end the game, bringing the Bell back to Wabash.
 
"A part of being at Wabash College is having the Monon Bell," Wabash head coach Don Morel said. "DePauw earned the Bell last year, but having it on our campus means so much, so it really hurt to not have it for a year. Today was great. It was a great game and a great win.
 
"Wabash Always Fights is a real deal. Our kids displayed that today. It seemed like Weston Murphy got hit what seemed like 97 times today. He found a way to win another football game today. That's been the 2017 Wabash College football team. This is not a dominant football team. They had to find a way to win this football game, and that's exactly what they did."
 
James finished the season with 1,311 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns after running for 79 yards and three scores in the Bell game. He moved into a tie for the second-most rushing TDs by a Wabash player in a season and claimed fifth place on the single-season rushing yardage list.
 
Murphy completed 12-of-29 passes for 120 yards. Ryan Thomas, playing in his first game since breaking his hand midway through the season, caught four passes for 37 yards.
 
Wabash moved to 61-54-9 all-time versus DePauw and 42-38-6 in games since the Bell was added to the rivalry in 1932.