Wabash College and Butler University renew a rivalry this Saturday evening that started with the first college football in Indiana on October 25, 1884. The two teams play for the first time since 1976 in a 6 p.m. contest this Saturday at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl in Indianapolis, Indiana.
 
Game Info: Wabash College (1-0) at Butler University (1-1)
Location: Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl (5,647) in Indianapolis, Indiana
Game time: Saturday, September 16, 2023 at 6 p.m.
 
Wabash enters the game with a 1-0 record after traveling to Hampden-Sydney to pick up a 29-28 victory over the host Tigers on September 2. Little Giant linebacker Jake Pasch forced and recovered a fumble to set up a final offensive drive in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. Liam Thompson hit Derek Allen, Jr. with a 16-yard pass to cap a four-play drive and draw Wabash within a point of H-SC. The Little Giants completed the comeback with a two-point conversion when wide receiver Jake Riddle pulled up on a reverse and connected with Thompson on a pass for the one-point victory.
 
Wabash ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 218 yards and two more scores. Thompson completed 17-of-27 passes with one interception. He moved into a tie with Matt Hudson for second place on the Wabash and third place on the North Coast Athletic Conference all-time touchdown passing list with his 79^th TD throw. Pasch earned NCAC Defensive Athlete of the Week honors after posting a career-high 11 tackles and his forced fumble and recovery. Linebacker Gavin Ruppert also made 11 tackles in the Little Giants' victory.
 
The Iron Key: Wabash and Butler played regularly from that first meeting in 1884 until 1976. The change in the NCAA structure by creating Divison I, II, and III programs ended the series between the two schools that was perhaps the second-biggest rivalry on the Little Giants' schedule behind the Monon Bell game against DePauw. In 1933, the schools created an Iron Key trophy the winner would keep until the game the following season. The key featured a "B" for Butler on the bow of the key and a "W" for Wabash as the teeth on the blade. Butler won the last time the teams played in 1976 to cap a six-game winning streak in the 1970s. It is uncertain if the key is still in possession of the Butler athletics department or if it has become part of someone's personal collection.
 
This would not be the only time the key has gone missing. The key disappeared in 1955, and a replacement was made for the 1956 game.
 
Scouting Butler: Butler opened the 2023 season with a 35-20 loss at Montano before picking up a 41-3 victory over Taylor at home last Saturday. Running back Jyran Mitchell earned Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week honors by running for 178 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Taylor. The graduate transfer played in 21 games at Eastern Kentucky after three seasons at Northern Illinois. Mitchell has carried the ball 24 times for 201 yards for a 100.5 yards-per-game average this year. He ranks fourth among NCAA FCS players in scoring (12.0 ppg) and sixth in rushing yards per carry (8.38 ypc).
 
The Bulldog offense goes through redshirt senior quarterback Bret Bushka. The 2022 PFL Offensive Player of the Year is among 35 players named to the 2023 Walter Payton Award watch list. He threw for 2,377 yards and 20 touchdowns last year and has completed 37-of-57 attempts this season for 448 yards and three TDs through two games. Bushka has 16 rushing attempts for 26 yards this year, as well.
 
Redshirt sophomore Luke Wooten leads the Butler receiving corps with nine catches for 81 yards and one touchdown. Ethan Loss, a redshirt freshman, has eight receptions for a team-high 124 yards. Twelve different Bulldog players have at least one reception this season.
 
Junior defensive back Nick Bafia paces a Butler defense that limited Taylor to 13 points and 13 first downs last week. Bafia's 18 tackles include nine solo stops. Tyson Garrett has 16 tackles with 1-1/2 tackles for losses totaling six yards, while Charlie Bless and Mike Wymer each have recorded 11 tackles through two games. The Bulldogs have made ten tackles for losses, two sacks, and two interceptions this season. 
 
Redshirt junior Luka Zurak earned the 2022 PFL Special Teams Player of the Year Award after hitting 12-of-15 field goal attempts, including a 56-yard kick at San Diego. He is 4-of-5 in field goal tries this season and averages 40.8 yards per punt.

Tickets for Saturday's game can be purchased in advance at https://am.ticketmaster.com/butler/2023football?_ga=2.82321750.1746732837.1691370585-1957950226.1691370585. Information regarding tailgating and entry at Butler University is available at https://butlersports.com/feature/SellickBowl

The game will be broadcast online by Butler University at https://flosports.link/3rVt4iK. There is a subscription fee for the FloSports service. A live radio broadcast will be available on WIMC 103.9 FM in the Montgomery County, Indiana, area. Pregame begins at 5:30 p.m. with broadcast host Dave Peach. Jim Amidon and Brent Harris will serve as game announcers. An online stream of the broadcast will be available at https://wimcfm.com/.