Wabash College takes its unbeaten record on the road for the first time this season Saturday when the Little Giants face Oberlin College in a North Coast Athletic Conference football matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for noon at Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex and Dick Bailey Field. The game will be broadcast on the North Coast Network.
Wabash enters the contest 2-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play after opening the NCAC schedule with a 31-0 home victory over Wittenberg last Saturday. The Little Giants, receiving votes in both the D3football.com and American Football Coaches Association national polls, have outscored their first two opponents 60-20 after defeating Hampden-Sydney 29-20 in the season opener.
Junior running back Cole Dickerson leads a Wabash offense averaging 358 yards and 30 points per game. Dickerson earned NCAC Football Offensive Athlete of the Week honors after rushing for a career-high 206 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries against Wittenberg. He added 32 receiving yards to finish with 238 yards from scrimmage and enters Saturday's game averaging 126.5 rushing yards and 164 all-purpose yards per contest. Dickerson has scored four touchdowns through the first two games.
Senior quarterback Brand Campbell has completed 19 of 35 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns this season. His 25-yard touchdown pass to Nick Witte against Wittenberg gave Campbell 41 career scoring passes, moving him into sole possession of eighth place on the Wabash career list. Witte leads the Little Giants with 130 receiving yards on six catches, while Luke Adams has six receptions for 84 yards.
Wabash has also produced a strong defensive start. The Little Giants enter Saturday ranked 14th nationally in total defense according to the game notes after posting their first shutout of the season against Wittenberg. Wabash held the Tigers to minus-30 rushing yards while recording five sacks for 51 yards. Dakota Johnson leads the Little Giants with three sacks through two games, while Samuel Poriah has 2.5 and Camden Singer has two. Johnson, William Harris and Carson Foxen share the team lead with 10 tackles apiece.
Oberlin enters the game 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the NCAC under fourth-year head coach John Pont. The Yeomen opened with a 33-2 loss to Hiram before falling 50-0 at Denison. Oberlin averages 162 yards of offense per game, including 43 rushing yards and 119 passing yards, while allowing 422 yards and 41.5 points per contest.
Sophomore running back Daniel Pressley leads the Oberlin ground game with 100 yards on 32 carries, including 83 yards on 20 attempts at Denison. Senior Massimo Vliet has completed 15 of 35 passes for 159 yards with two interceptions, while Ben Suler has thrown for 76 yards. CJ Cooper II leads the Yeomen with seven catches for 77 yards, and Ben Rosenblatt has five receptions for 68 yards.
Kingston Askerneese leads the Oberlin defense with 17 tackles. Peyton Rough has added 16 tackles, two tackles for loss and an 11-yard sack. The Yeomen have recorded two sacks through two games but have not forced a turnover.
Saturday marks the 30th meeting between Wabash and Oberlin. The Little Giants hold a 26-2-1 advantage in the all-time series and have won the past 12 meetings. Wabash is 14-1 all time at Oberlin and has won 14 consecutive road games in the series since losing the first matchup there in 1945. The Little Giants built a 42-0 lead through three quarters in last year's meeting before earning a 42-13 victory at Oberlin, finishing with 422 yards of offense while holding the Yeomen to 43 rushing yards.
