Wabash stopped Ohio Wesleyan five times on fourth-down tries to shutout the Battling Bishops for the second time in as many trips to Delaware, Ohio in the Little Giants' 7-0 win on Saturday in a North Coast Athletic Conference defensive showcase.
 
Wabash (5-1, 4-1 NCAC) earned its last shutout in its 2016 visit to Ohio Wesleyan (2-4, 2-3 NCAC) in a 28-0 victory. The Little Giants produced three stops on fourth-down play on the final four drives by the Ohio Wesleyan offense to stave off a possible game-tying attempt by the host Bishops.
 
OWU took advantage of a bobbled snap late on a Wabash punt attempt late in the fourth quarter, giving the Bishops the football on the Wabash 30-yard line for one final drive. The Little Giants forced three incomplete passes. Andrew Sanders pressured OWU quarterback Jax Harville on the final fourth-down play, forcing another incomplete pass to turn the ball over to Wabash to close out the game.
 
The Little Giant were only able to mount one solid offensive drive for a score. Wabash marched 58 yards in eight plays midway through the first quarter, scoring on a six-yard touchdown pass from Jake Reid to Matt Penola. The Little Giants threw for 55 yards in the opening period but only managed 60 passing yards over the final three quarters. Reid finished the game 15-of-26 passing for 115 yards and one interception. Penola caught three passes for 21 yards and the one touchdown. Isaac Avant led the Little Giants with four receptions for 14 yards along with a team-best 21 rushes for 83 yards.
 
The Wabash defense limited Ohio Wesleyan to 215 yards of total offense and nine first downs. The Battling Bishops were 4-of-16 on third downs in addition to failing on all five fourth-down attempts. Wabash ended an early OWU offensive drive immediately following the Little Giants' touchdown. The Bishops matched the eight-play, 58-yard drive by Wabash, moving the football to the Little Giants' 16-yard line. Freshman Jose Franco stepped in front of Harville's pass to the end zone to record his second interception of the season and end the scoring threat by OWU.
 
Brock Heffron paced the Wabash defense with a career-best 10 tackles, including two tackles for losses totaling nine yards as well as the only sack of the game. Franco added nine tackles. Sanders and Jackson Garrett finished with eight tackles apiece.
 
Harville completed 14-of-31 passes for 12 yards. Deji Adebiyi hauled in six catches for 71 yards.
 
Wabash returns home next Saturday for a 1 p.m. contest against Oberlin College.