The first record to fall - the Wabash career passing yardage mark of 7,637 yards held by Chris Ings ’96. Junior quarterback Jake Knott (Lafayette, IN/Jefferson) passed Ings' career record on the second drive of the second quarter, connecting with senior receiver Kurt Casper (Greenwood, IN/Center Grove) on a 47-yard completion. Knott threw for 381 yards (23-30) and five touchdowns as the Little Giants won their sixth straight game. He has thrown for 7,878 yards in his career, placing him seventh on the Indiana collegiate all-time passing list.
Knott wasn't done with just one record. His third consecutive five-touchdown performance gave him 30 for the season, breaking the single season passing touchdown record at Wabash. Brett Butler ’90 held the mark after throwing 29 TD passes in 1989. Knott also broke the NCAC single season record as the former record holder watched from the sidelines. Wabash head football coach Chris Creighton set the conference record by throwing 29 TD passes in 1990 while playing at Kenyon College.
Casper also made a move in the Wabash record book, moving past Chris Wiesehan ’94 into second place on the Wabash career receiving yardage list. Casper finished the game with four receptions for 145 yards and two TDs, giving him 2,715 yards for his career. The career record is 2,858 yards, held by Mike Funk ’90.
As for the game itself, Wabash scored two TDs in the first quarter on a total of six plays. Knott hit Casper for the first score of the game to cap a three-play, 50-yard drive to go up 6-0. Josh Bronaugh (Crawfordsville, IN/North Montgomery) caught a 21-yard pass on the next three-play drive to put the Little Giants in fron 12-0.
After another Knott-to-Casper TD pass made it 20-0, Denison responded with a TD pass to cut the Little Giants' lead to 20-6 at halftime.
Wabash controlled the third quarter of play, scoring three times on TD passes to Bronaugh and Ryan Short (Indianapolis, IN/Perry Meridian) and a rushing touchdown by Chris Morris (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville). Morris added a final rushing TD in the fourth quarter to put the game away for Wabash.
The Big Red made a run at the Little Giants in the third quarter, scoring a touchdown midway through the period to cut the lead to 28-12. With Denison driving for another score to cut into the Wabash lead, Little Giant defensive back Artie Montes (Mission, TX/Mission) made his second interception of the game, returning it 89 yards before being brought back for a penalty. Wabash still turned the turnover into points, moving 86 yards in four plays to set up the first Morris touchdown.
The Wabash defense joined the offense in the record-setting performance, recording a single game record 10 quarterback sacks against Denison. Josh Stanton (Mooresville, IN/Mooresville) and Nick Fanelli (Crown Point, IN/Lake Central) led a Wabash defense that held the fifth-ranked quarterback in the nation in total offense, Denison's Greg Neuendorf, to 224 yards passing. Fanelli had a team-leading 9-1/2 tackles (nine solo, one assist) and a tackle for a loss of three yards. Stanton was everywhere for the Little Giants, finishing with six tackles (five solo, two assists), 4-1/2 sacks and tackles for losses totaling 33 yards, and two fumble recoveries.
Wabash is 7-2 overall, and finished the conference portion of the season with a 6-1 record good for at least a tie for second-place in the final conference standings. The final game of the regular season will be this Saturday as Wabash meets DePauw University in the 108th Monon Bell Classic. Kickoff at Blackstock Stadium in Greencastle, Indiana, is set for 1:07 p.m.