UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — Wabash College came within two yards of forcing overtime against John Carroll University on Saturday afternoon, but the Little Giants' last-second comeback attempt fell short in a 24-17 North Coast Athletic Conference football loss during the Blue Streaks' Homecoming game at Don Shula Stadium at Wasmer Field.
Senior quarterback Brand Campbell connected with Luke Adams on a 39-yard pass to the John Carroll 2-yard line as time expired, ending a seven-play, 76-yard drive that covered the final 55 seconds. The Little Giants nearly completed a comeback against the defending NCAC champions for the second consecutive season after rallying from a 25-point deficit to within three points in last year's 31-28 loss at John Carroll.
Wabash (4-2, 3-2 NCAC) held a 17-10 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining before John Carroll (5-1, 4-1 NCAC) scored two touchdowns in the final 3:11 to escape with the victory. The loss was the second consecutive conference setback for the Little Giants after opening the season with four straight victories.
Junior running back Cole Dickerson led the Wabash offense with 115 rushing yards and a touchdown on a career-high 35 carries. He added two receptions for 22 yards to finish with 137 all-purpose yards. Dickerson has rushed for at least 115 yards in three consecutive games and has scored a rushing touchdown in all six games this season.
Adams caught six passes for 87 yards, including three receptions for 62 yards on the Little Giants' final possession. He has recorded at least six receptions in three consecutive games.
The Wabash defense limited the Blue Streaks to 13 rushing yards on 17 attempts and recorded two sacks and three tackles for loss. Junior linebackers William Harris and Carson Foxen shared the team lead with eight tackles apiece. Harris added a 10-yard sack, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry, extending his streak to four consecutive games with at least one sack. Foxen recorded eight tackles for the second consecutive contest.
Wabash struck first after forcing John Carroll into a three-and-out on its opening possession. Domanic Barnett returned the ensuing punt to the Blue Streaks' 43-yard line to set up an eight-play scoring drive.
Dickerson carried the ball six times on the possession, including an 18-yard run to the John Carroll 14. Campbell connected with Adams for nine yards on third-and-8 before Dickerson scored on a 3-yard touchdown run. Tyler Church added the extra point to give Wabash a 7-0 lead with 6:15 remaining in the opening quarter.
John Carroll took advantage of a blocked Wabash punt late in the first period to move into scoring position at the Little Giants' 29. The Wabash defense held the Blue Streaks to a 24-yard field goal by Colin Schuler with 13:50 remaining in the second quarter, preserving a 7-3 advantage.
The Blue Streaks took their first lead late in the opening half with a 15-play, 84-yard scoring drive that consumed 8:16. John Carroll quarterback Tyler Green capped the possession with a 3-yard touchdown run, giving the hosts a 10-7 lead with 1:08 remaining before halftime.
Wabash responded after the break, forcing a three-and-out on John Carroll's opening possession of the third quarter. The Little Giants took over at the Blue Streaks' 44-yard line and moved to the 16 behind a 10-yard completion from Campbell to Dickerson and a 14-yard run by Campbell. Church converted a 39-yard field goal with 10:09 remaining to tie the game at 10-10.
The defense continued to keep Wabash in contention. Harris sacked Green for a 10-yard loss on third down to end John Carroll's next possession. Church followed with a 62-yard punt on Wabash's ensuing series, and the Little Giants forced another Blue Streaks punt to regain possession at their own 43 with 1:02 remaining in the third quarter.
Wabash assembled a 12-play, 57-yard touchdown drive that extended into the fourth quarter. Dickerson converted three third-down rushing attempts during the possession, including an 8-yard gain to the John Carroll 1-yard line. After a penalty pushed the Little Giants back, junior quarterback Jackson Gilbert connected with sophomore tight end TJ Williams on a 12-yard touchdown pass on third down.
The touchdown was Williams' first receiving score of the season and gave Wabash a 17-10 advantage with 9:55 remaining following Church's extra point.
The Little Giants appeared poised to take control after forcing a John Carroll three-and-out on the next series. Tanner Crouch broke up a third-down pass, and the ensuing 18-yard punt gave Wabash possession at the Blue Streaks' 35-yard line.
However, the Little Giants lost 14 yards on their next three plays, forcing Church to punt. His 45-yard kick pinned John Carroll at its 4-yard line with 7:29 remaining.
The Blue Streaks answered with a 10-play, 96-yard touchdown drive. Green completed an 18-yard pass to Shane Lindstrom on third-and-4 and followed with a 24-yard completion to Lindstrom. Backup quarterback Bryce Tubin eventually connected with Quincy Newsom for a 6-yard touchdown with 3:11 left. Schuler's extra point tied the score at 17-17.
Wabash picked up one first down on its next possession when Campbell connected with Dickerson for 12 yards, but the Little Giants were forced to punt from their own 37 with 1:31 remaining.
John Carroll needed only two plays to take the lead. Green completed a 10-yard pass to Jack McDaniels before finding him again for a 63-yard touchdown with one minute remaining. Schuler's extra point gave the Blue Streaks a 24-17 advantage.
The Little Giants mounted one final comeback attempt, starting from their own 22-yard line with 55 seconds left.
Campbell completed a 10-yard pass to Keith Jackson and a 4-yard throw to Carson Chadd before finding Adams for 11 yards on third-and-6. After a Wabash timeout with 11 seconds remaining, Campbell connected with Adams for another 12 yards to the John Carroll 41.
Following a spike to stop the clock, Campbell found Adams over the middle for a 39-yard gain to the 2-yard line. Time expired on the play, ending Wabash's attempt to force overtime.
The finish echoed the Little Giants' late comeback in the 2025 meeting, when Wabash scored 22 unanswered fourth-quarter points to trim a 31-6 deficit to 31-28. Campbell threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Nick Witte with 1:46 remaining in that contest, but John Carroll recovered the ensuing onside kick to preserve the victory.
Campbell completed 11 of 21 passes for 140 yards Saturday, moving within nine yards of Dave Broecker's career total of 4,894 passing yards. Gilbert finished 2 of 3 for 15 yards and a touchdown.
The Little Giants converted 10 of 18 third-down attempts and scored on all three trips inside the John Carroll red zone. Wabash finished with 261 yards of total offense, including 106 rushing and 155 passing, and held the football for 30:58.
In addition to Harris and Foxen's eight tackles apiece, Will Freeman and Gage Gulley each finished with five tackles. Jaron Smith and Liam Butler added four each. Dakota Johnson recorded a 6-yard sack.
Green completed 28 of 43 passes for 345 yards and a touchdown to lead John Carroll, which totaled 364 yards of offense. Lindstrom finished with eight receptions for 102 yards, while McDaniels caught four passes for 94 yards and the winning touchdown. Dorian Facen Jr. added seven receptions for 81 yards.
The Little Giants return home Saturday, Oct. 24, to face Washington University in St. Louis in NCAC action. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Little Giant Stadium in Crawfordsville.
