Crawfordsville, Ind. – Wabash College returns home Saturday for a North Coast Athletic Conference matchup, hosting Ohio Wesleyan University at 1 p.m. Eastern at Frank Navarro Field at Little Giant Stadium in Crawfordsville.
Game Information
Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 11 – 1 p.m. ET
Location: Frank Navarro Field at Little Giant Stadium – Crawfordsville, Indiana
Capacity: 3,300
Live Video: Wabash College Video Network
Live Stats: wabashstats.statbroadcast.com
Opening Notes
Wabash (4–1, 2–1 NCAC) looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season, a narrow 31–28 defeat at nationally ranked John Carroll. The Little Giants trailed 31–6 early in the fourth quarter before scoring three straight touchdowns and outgaining the Blue Streaks 222–66 in the second half. The loss ended a four-game win streak for Wabash.
Series History
This marks the 48th all-time meeting between Wabash and Ohio Wesleyan. The Little Giants lead the series 30–15–2 overall and 18–2 in NCAC play, including an 18–2 mark in the last 20 games. Wabash defeated OWU 30–13 at home in 2024, forcing three turnovers despite being outgained in total yardage.
Wabash has dominated the matchup in recent years, winning the last three meetings and 18 of the past 20. The Little Giants are 15–7–1 all-time in Crawfordsville and hold a 15–8–1 advantage in Delaware, Ohio. In last year's 30–13 win,
Brand Campbell threw his first career touchdown pass in relief duty, while
Xavier Tyler rushed for 79 yards and a score.
Last Week's Game
Wabash nearly pulled off a dramatic comeback at John Carroll, falling 31–28 after scoring 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Quarterback
Brand Campbell passed for 220 yards and a touchdown and added a one-yard rushing score.
TJ Alexander started the rally with a three-yard touchdown run following a
Carson Foxen strip-sack and
Carac Johnson recovery. Campbell connected with
Nick Witte for a 45-yard touchdown late in the game, while
Brody Rucker converted field goals from 49 and 38 yards.
Defensively,
Gavin Ruppert led with 11 tackles, marking his 13th career double-digit tackle game.
Gage Gulley added nine stops as the Little Giants' defense limited John Carroll to just three points in the second half.
Key Players
Campbell continues to lead one of the NCAC's most explosive offenses, completing 68 percent of his passes for 1,130 yards and 10 touchdowns while ranking eighth nationally in passing efficiency (194.6). Ruppert, a three-time All-NCAC linebacker, now ranks sixth in Wabash history with 296 career tackles. Senior running back
Xavier Tyler sits 13th on the all-time rushing list (2,142 yards), needing just 200 yards to move into the program's top ten.
The Little Giants rank 21st nationally in scoring offense (40.8 ppg) and 27th in total offense (475.8 ypg), while the defense sits 10th in rushing defense (39.0 ypg) and 23rd overall (235.5 ypg allowed).
Scouting Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan (1–3, 0–2 NCAC) looks to end a three-game skid after falling 35–20 at Denison. The Battling Bishops opened the year with a 65–28 win over Otterbein but have since lost to Maryville (TN), Wittenberg, and Denison.
Junior quarterback CJ Jackson has led a balanced offense, throwing for 885 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for four scores. Receivers Reddik Pillarelli (18 catches, 292 yards, 3 TDs), Bryan Hines Jr. (15 receptions, 263 yards, 3 TDs), and Josh Hurst (19 catches, 262 yards, 1 TD) headline a deep passing attack. Running back Mysaun Sanders leads the ground game with 300 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, linebacker Grant Johnson paces OWU with 32 tackles, while Chris Burns and Jake Smothers have combined for 55 stops. The Bishops are giving up 41.5 points and 476.3 yards per game but have been strong in the red zone, allowing scores on just 77 percent of opponents' possessions.
Up Next
Wabash hits the road next Saturday, October 18, for a 1 p.m. NCAC matchup at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
