CRAWFORDSVILLE, Indiana -- Wabash helped set up a North Coast Athletic Conference title showdown against DePauw in next Saturday's 128th Monon Bell Classic after dispatching Kenyon College 49-25 in the Little Giants' final regular season home game of the 2022 season.

Wabash improved to 7-2 for the season with a 6-1 record in NCAC contests. DePauw scored a 72-0 home win over Oberlin for an 8-1 overall record and 6-1 conference mark. The winner of next weekend's annual rivalry meeting will claim the conference title and earn an automatic berth in the 2022 NCAA Division III football tournament. 

Liam Thompson made easy work of the Kenyon defense and a steady 25-mile-per-hour wind. The junior QB completed 30-of 34 passes for a career-best 450 yards with four touchdowns. He completed his first 12 passes to help Wabash take a 21-0 first-quarter lead over the visiting Owls (3-6, 2-5 NCAC).

Thompson's 450-yard passing effort is the fourth-best single-game total in Wabash history. He became the third quarterback in Wabash history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season, moving to second on the single-season list with 3,352 yards in nine games. Russ Harbaugh owns the single-season record with 3,521 yards in 2005. Thompson has thrown 32 TD passes this year, third-most in Wabash single-season history. Jake Knott threw 34 touchdown passes in 2001 and finished with 35 touchdown passes in 2002.

Thompson's most prolific target in the ballgame was Cooper Sullivan, who caught nine passes for 142 yards. Derek Allen Jr. got in on the action in the passing game as well, hauling in six balls for 133 yards and one touchdown. The Little Giants also got 82 yards receiving and one touchdown from Heisman Skeens in the contest. Gavin Patrick scored his first career touchdown reception on a four-yard catch.

Five different players scored touchdowns for Wabash, led by three scores from Donovan Snyder

Snyder led all Little Giant rushers with 69 yards and two touchdowns in the contest, picking up 4.3 yards per carry. Snyder also added 40 receiving yards and one touchdown. Gideon Likens also added 20 yards on the ground, averaging 4 yards per carry.

NCAC Defensive Athlete of Week Gavin Ruppert paced the Wabash defense with another double-digit tackle effort. The freshman made 13 tackles, six on solo plays. Jamari Washington recorded  three tackles, two tackles for losses, one sack, and one recovered fumble. Giovonni Zappala added five tackles, one interception, and two pass breakups and Cade Lansdell had nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loses, and one sack in the win.

The Little Giants won the turnover battle in Saturday's game, forcing two turnovers while avoiding any giveways, with Wabash turning those takeaways into seven points. Wabash also had an outstanding day offensively, totaling 558 total yards, 106 on the ground and 452 through the air, while averaging 8.1 yards per play and out-gaining Kenyon. Wabash converted on 58.3 percent of third-down attempts on the day.

Wabash's offense took advantage of its visits to the red zone, scoring on four of its four trips, with all of those scores being touchdowns.

Wabash scored on the opening drive of the game to take a 7-0 lead.The Little Giants then extended their lead to 14-0 with another score.

Wabash continued to extend its lead, scoring again with 4:58 left in the first quarter to go ahead 21-0.The Little Giants continued to build their lead, scoring again to go up 28-0.

Wabash continued to expand its lead after Kenyon made it a 28-7 game, scoring again with 7:45 left in the second quarter make the score 35-7.The Owls then rallied, tallying six points before the Little Giants responded with a touchdown to extend their lead to 42-13.

Wabash held the Owls off the board before scoring for a final time with 10:37 remaining in the third quarter, extending their lead to 49-13. Wabash didn't score again and Kenyon tacked on 12 more points to finish off the scoring.

» Wabash outgained Kenyon 558-531, including a 452-258 advantage through the air. Wabash averaged 8.1 yards per play. Kenyon ran a Wabash opponent-record 99 plays for an average of 5.4 yards per play.
» Wabash won the turnover battle 2-0 after intercepting one pass and recovering one fumble.
» The Little Giants got 100 yard receiving days from Sullivan and Allen Jr..
» The Little Giants scored first with 11:10 left in the first quarter and never trailed the rest of the game on their way to victory.
» Wabash had their highest scoring quarter in the second period, when they put up 21 points.
» Wabash converted 7 of 12 third downs while Kenyon was successful on 8 of 20.
» The Little Giants had three players with more than eight tackles in the ballgame led by Gavin Ruppert, who had 13.
» Wabash scored three first-quarter touchdowns.
» Wabash scored three touchdowns in the second quarter.
» Wabash forced one red zone turnover in the contest.
» The Little Giants didn't allow a sack in the contest.
» Wabash powered out two touchdown-scoring drives of 90 or more yards, the longest drive spanning 92 yards.
» Wabash won the time of possession battle 30:40 to 29:20.
» Wabash got off to a great start in the contest, putting 28 unanswered points on the board before Kenyon could respond.
» Thompson completed 88.2% of his passes on the day, going 30-for-34 while averaging 13.2 yards per attempt.
» Ryan O'Leary led the Owls' passing attack, completing 22 of his 45 attempts for 186 yards and one touchdown with one interception.
» Finn Murray was Kenyon's leading receiver with 154 yards and one touchdown. Kenyon ran for 273 yards and two scores, led by Drake Lewis with 87 yards on the ground.

This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.