CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Wabash College used a dominant defensive performance and three rushing touchdowns to defeat Kenyon College 27-7 Saturday afternoon at Little Giant Stadium, snapping a four-game losing streak and extending its winning streak against the Owls to 21 consecutive games.
The Little Giants (5-4, 4-4 North Coast Athletic Conference) held Kenyon (3-6, 2-6 NCAC) to eight rushing yards and 204 yards of total offense while recording a season-high eight sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Wabash scored the game's first 27 points before the Owls avoided the shutout with a touchdown in the final two minutes.
Wabash finished with 302 yards of total offense, including 128 rushing yards and 174 passing yards. Junior running back Cole Dickerson led the ground attack with 85 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Senior quarterback Brand Campbell completed 10 of 16 passes for 160 yards, while Luke Adams caught seven passes for 87 yards. Nick Witte added two receptions for 63 yards.
The Little Giants capitalized on three Kenyon turnovers, converting two into touchdowns, and scored on all five trips inside the red zone.
Wabash took advantage of a Kenyon mistake on the game's opening possession. Carac Johnson recovered a fumble on a mishandled punt attempt at the Owls' 13-yard line, setting up a three-play scoring drive. Dickerson carried twice for 12 yards before Jackson Gilbert scored on a 1-yard run. Tyler Church added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 12:27 remaining in the first quarter.
The Little Giants extended their advantage early in the second quarter after Campbell connected with Witte on passes of 28 and 35 yards during a nine-play, 76-yard drive. Church capped the possession with a 25-yard field goal to give Wabash a 10-0 lead with 14:19 remaining before halftime.
Wabash's defense kept Kenyon off the scoreboard throughout the first half. Ayden Salpietra recorded his first interception of the season, returning the ball 17 yards to the Wabash 45-yard line. The Little Giants also stopped the Owls on fourth down at the Wabash 43 with 4:31 remaining in the second quarter when Luke Barrett broke up a pass attempt.
Kenyon managed 112 yards of total offense in the opening half, including just 10 rushing yards, as Wabash carried its 10-0 lead into the locker room.
The Little Giants added to their advantage early in the third quarter when Ty Okocha intercepted a Drew Morgan pass and returned it four yards to the Kenyon 26-yard line. Dickerson carried for six yards on the next play before breaking free for a 20-yard touchdown run. Church's extra point extended the Wabash lead to 17-0 with 12:27 remaining in the period.
The touchdown was Dickerson's 13th rushing score of the season and extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one touchdown to nine. He finished the afternoon with 15 total touchdowns this season.
Wabash's defense and special teams combined to create another scoring opportunity late in the third quarter. Dakota Johnson recorded a 13-yard sack to force a Kenyon punt before Carson Foxen blocked the kick, giving the Little Giants possession at the Owls' 10-yard line. Church converted a 28-yard field goal with 1:20 remaining in the quarter to extend the lead to 20-0.
The Little Giants put the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter with a seven-play, 41-yard touchdown drive. Dickerson gained 26 yards on four carries during the possession before Chase Shurn scored his first rushing touchdown of the season on a 13-yard run. Church's extra point gave Wabash a 27-0 advantage with 6:01 remaining.
Kenyon scored its lone touchdown with 1:26 left when Morgan connected with Brendan Comerford on an 11-yard pass to complete an 81-yard drive.
Wabash's defensive effort was led by Camden Singer, who recorded a team-high eight tackles, including 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. Singer also registered three quarterback hurries as the Little Giants finished with a season-high six.
Foxen added seven tackles, a half-sack and the blocked punt. His performance pushed his career total to 104 tackles, surpassing the 100-tackle milestone.
Wade McAllister recorded a career-high two sacks, while Dakota Johnson added 1.5 sacks to reach 10 for his career. Jack Gause collected his first sack and forced fumble of the season. Will Freeman contributed four tackles and two pass breakups.
The Little Giants limited Kenyon to 0.2 yards per rushing attempt and recorded 10 tackles for loss. The Owls converted just five of 18 third-down opportunities and failed on all three fourth-down attempts.
Adams reached another career milestone, surpassing 1,500 receiving yards with his seven-catch performance. He now has 1,522 career receiving yards after adding 87 against Kenyon. Witte also reached two career milestones, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards and recording his 50th career reception.
Church converted both field goal attempts and all three extra-point tries, bringing his season total to 10 made field goals.
Kenyon quarterback Drew Morgan completed 12 of 29 passes for 177 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. Max Heis led the Owls with eight receptions for 101 yards, while Charlie Runco rushed for 41 yards on 12 carries. Defensively, Andrew Pohlman recorded a game-high nine tackles, and Dominic Simpson finished with six tackles and two interceptions.
Wabash closes the regular season Saturday, Nov. 14, against archrival DePauw University in the 132nd Monon Bell Classic. This year's rivalry game will be played at a neutral site, Scheumann Stadium on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:07 p.m.
