Wabash coaches and players liberally used the word "intensity" at practice this week in preparation for Saturday's Homecoming game against Allegheny.

The Little Giants' absence of intensity led to a lackluster start last week at Denison. Despite the victory over the Big Red, the Little Giants know they must start faster.

"We didn't start the game with a ton of intensity," Coach Erik Raeburn said. "We had opportunities to get off the field on defense, but made mistakes that kept the drives alive. Offensively, it felt like the ball was on the ground constantly. We didn't turn it over at all in our first game, then had two turnovers (at Denison) and probably three other times where we could have turned it over. We just feel like it was a little sloppy. We should have been sharper coming off the bye week."

Wabash (2-0, 1-0 NCAC) fumbled the ball four times though Denison only recovered it once. The older players will bear the onus to raise the intensity level and eliminate the mental mistakes, according to Raeburn.

"The intensity part, there's not a lot you can do as a coach," he said. "That's something as a player, you have to bring a certain level of intensity all the time. As a player, you have very few opportunities to play. If you're a senior, you're not guaranteed anything and at max, you only have eight regular season games left. You just can't come out lethargic on one of those opportunities."

Allegheny (1-1, 1-0 NCAC) provides a perfect example to the importance of fast starts. The last time the Gators played in Crawfordsville, they upset the Little Giants in a 20-17 overtime victory. Allegheny held a 10-0 lead after the first quarter.

"That game was heartbreaking," receiver Houston Hodges said. "We lost in overtime, something I've never done before or afterwards. Obviously we can't overlook anybody — we did that two years ago and we've constantly been talking about that in practice. Our motto is 'Leave No Doubt' so whatever team we come up against, we want to leave no doubt that we're the best team on the field."

The 2014 Gators have more youth compared to the senior-laden 2012 squad. The Gators were also young last year when Wabash went to Pennsylvania and thumped them 65-0. However, Raeburn has seen them improve this season.

"They were very young last year on both sides of the ball," Raeburn said. "I think with the offseason and spring football, they're more comfortable with the system and executing much better. Offensively, they're not turning the ball over like they did last year."

Allegheny also showed some grit last week at Hiram; it trailed three different times in the game, but still managed a 24-21 victory. Schematically, the Gators will pose a variety of bizarre challenges.

"They do a lot quirky things," Hodges said. "They'll have their corners almost playing like outside linebackers at some points. We're just dialing up every look we could possibly get from the scout team, just trying to get acclimated to all the random things they can do.

"They run a knife technique where the corner is really heavy run support and bites on run fakes. They roll the safety out there, but he doesn't necessarily role out there until the ball is snapped so we might have some opportunities out wide to make some play."

Hodges has taken advantages of the opportunities he's been given. He leads the team with 15 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.

The various alignments also mean the quarterback and offensive linemen must be sharp. One missed assignment could cause disaster on a play.

"They're just a little bit different than typical defenses," Raeburn said. "A lot of teams we play run the 4-3 and play Cover 4 so there's some carry over from week-to-week, but these guys are different. Even when they line up in a 4-3 they don't always play their coverages the same. The quarterback and offensive linemen have to be really dialed in because Allegheny can cause you to make a lot of mental mistakes."

Offensively, a two-headed running attack by backs Nick Deichler and Jake Wilson lead the way. The duo has combined for 221 yards and two touchdowns this season. Also, Tyler Smith serves as a homerun threat, going for 72 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries.

Raucous Homecoming fans will help raise the team's intensity level Saturday, but the events throughout the week will serve as another challenge for Wabash players to overcome.

"Certainly the crowd at Homecoming can help us on game day," Raeburn said. "However, you have to be careful all the activities throughout the week don't become a distraction. You have to enjoy them — Chapel Sing is one of my favorites — but at the same time, the guys can't let those things distract them from the preparation leading up to the game."

The 2014 Homecoming game will kick off at 2 p.m. in Hollet Little Giant Stadium.