The Little Giants held Wooster to 64 yards of total offense in the first half as the offense put 28 points on the scoreboard to thrill more than 4,100 fans on hand to celebrate the Homecoming activities.
Junior linebacker Josh Stanton (Mooresville, IN/Mooresville) had a career day against the Scots. Stanton made 7.5 tackles, including five solo tackles, four tackles for losses, and 2.5 sacks for -33 yards. He also forced two fumbles and recovered one to set up a Wabash touchdown. Sophomore Blair Hammer (Carmel, IN/Carmel) added two sacks and two forced fumbles on the way to a five-tackle afternoon. He added three quarterback hurries and 2.5 tackles for losses totaling 16 yards. The defense held the 27th ranked passing offense in the nation to 191 yards on 15-of-39 passing. Wooster finished the game with 235 yards of offense compared to 373 for Wabash.
Turnovers were the name of the game as the Wabash offense converted three fumbles by the Scots into 21 points. Hammer forced the first turnover of the game in the first quarter to set up a seven-play, 30-yard drive to move in front of Wooster 14-0. The Little Giants opened the game with a five-play 74-yard drive capped by a Jake Knott (Lafayette, IN/Jefferson) to Kurt Casper (Greenwood, IN/Center Grove) five-yard touchdown pass to go up 7-0.
Wooster fumbled on the next drive at its own four yard line to give the ball back to Wabash. The Little Giants wasted no time, scoring on the first offensive play on four-yard TD pass from Knott to Nick Dawson (LaFontaine, IN/Wabash Southwood) to move in front 21-0. The Scots committed another turnover, forced by Hammer, to give Wabash another short field with which to work. The Little Giants took advantage, moving nine yards in two plays as Knott threw his third TD pass of the afternoon, this time finding Ryan Short (Indianapolis, IN/Perry Meridian) for the nine-yard score. Knott added a second touchdown pass to Casper in the third quarter to put the game away. Wooster added a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to end the Wabash bid for a second consecutive Homecoming shutout. The Little Giants defeated Oberlin 34-0 in the 2000 Homecoming contest.
Chris Morris (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville) led the offensive attack for the Little Giants. Morris had a 58-yard run on the opening carry of the game on the way to a 98-yard rushing performance in the first quarter. Morris finished with with 19 carries for 128 yards as the Little Giants finished the game with 236 yards rushing. Knott was 15-29 for 144 yards and four TDs.
Wabash moves to 3-2 with the win, 2-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference. The Little Giants will continue play in the NCAC as Earlham College travels to Byron P. Hollett Little Giant Stadium next Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Photo above: Junior linebacker Nathan Boulais (Indianapolis, IN/Ben Davis) celebrates another Wabash defensive play against the Scots.