The world did not end in Springfield, Ohio last Saturday afternoon.
 
After a 24-14 loss to Wittenberg in North Coast Athletic Conference play, the Little Giants took a day to reflect on the game, then immediately started to prepare for this weekend's contest at Hiram College.
 
"The team has really bounced back from Saturday's loss at Wittenberg better than I have," Wabash head coach Don Morel said. "They are resilient Wabash men. They know the expectations of Wabash football. I think they will play well on Saturday."
 
The Little Giants jumped out to an early 14-0 first quarter lead over Wittenberg then struggled against the Tigers' defense, managing only 106 yards of total offense over the final three periods.
 
The Wabash defense kept the game close by limiting Wittenberg to 94 yards after halftime with the score tied at 14-14. Field position made the difference as the Tigers started five of their eight second-half drives either near midfield or in Wabash territory.
 
The loss and struggles in that game provided valuable lessons for the players heading into this weekend's game.
 
"We learned resiliency and understanding that we can't just rely on our work during the week," senior linebacker LV Bowden said. "You have to bring your best on game day. You can't just work hard in practice or count on your performance in the last game to carry you through on game day. You have to come into Saturday game ready. We weren't game ready last weekend and Wittenberg was."
 
Wabash will face a skilled and athletic Terriers team on offense and defense. Hiram has averaged 347 yards of offense through three games with a balanced average of 121 in the run game and 226 passing yards per contest.
 
Senior quarterback Domenic Pauolo has thrown for 679 yards and 6 touchdowns. Four Terriers have caught 10 or more passes, led by Josh Philander. The senior receiver leads the team and ranks third in the conference in receptions with 14 for 260 yards and three scores. Jacob Luc (12 rec., 139 yards), David Perkins (11 rec., 97 yards, 1 TD), and Akili Tate (10 rec. 101 yards, 3 TDs) are all downfield threats for Hiram's offense to utilize.
 
Danny Robinson leads the ground attack with 47 rushing attempts for 165 yards. Isaiah Jones has carried the football 17 times and scored one of the Terriers' two rushing touchdowns.
 
"Hiram has a lot of upperclassmen at the skill positions who have a lot of game experience," Bowden said. "If we don't play our positions and execute, Hiram has players who will exploit weaknesses and make you pay. They have quick, explosive players who hit holes quickly on offense. If you're not ready, they can be past you in a heartbeat."
 
Senior linebacker Kyle Burchett, who started the three previous games against Wabash, leads the Hiram defense. He ranks sixth in the nation in solo tackles, averaging 8.7 stops per game. DD Fleetion is seventh in interceptions per game among DIII players. The senior has three interceptions through three games. Zayd Mabin, another player with three years of experience as a starter versus the Little Giants, has recorded 11 total tackles with 5 tackles for losses and two sacks.
 
"The Hiram players are really athletic on both sides of the ball," Morel said. "They have good players who run well and move well. Certainly they are as equally athletic as we feel we are. They are probably faster in the defensive backfield than we are at wide receiver. That's certainly a challenge. We need to be precise on our receiver routes. We didn't do that last week against Wittenberg. We have to throw the ball more and improve that part of our game. We really have to be sharp with our assignments and not let their speed dictate the football game."
 
The Terriers will face a Wabash team that has one purpose — rebound from last weekend's loss by playing Little Giant football.
 
"Our focus is on Hiram Saturday," Bowden said. "The loss last Saturday reinforced the approach of taking each game as it occurs. We can't look ahead. We know we can still win a conference title and reach the playoffs, but only if we prepare and execute the game plan for the current week. We have to focus on that week's opponent and only that opponent. That starts this Saturday at Hiram."
 
Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Henry Field. WNDY Radio (91.3 FM) will broadcast the game. Hiram will provide a live video stream and statistics.