Wabash Rallies Past Tigers, 28-21

CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN - The Wittenberg Tigers gave host Wabash a scare before dropping a hard-fought 28-21 decision.

The win kept Wabash in the hunt for a share of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) title and an at-large berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament at 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the league. The Little Giants' lone defeat came at the hands of first-place John Carroll by a narrow 31-28 margin, and Wabash still has two games remaining - against Oberlin and arch-rival DePauw, which is tied with the Little Giants for second place in the standings.

For Wittenberg, the loss was the first in two games under Interim Head Coach Joe Nemith. Overall, the Tigers fell to 3-6 overall and 2-5 in the NCAC, good for sixth place with one game remaining on the schedule, a home game against Kenyon on November 15.

In this one, Wittenberg delivered the initial blows, scoring the first 14 points of the game. Wabash responded, however, with a clutch drive for a touchdown just before halftime, followed by a pair of third quarter scores to take a 21-14 lead. After the Tigers tied the game midway through the fourth quarter, the Little Giants took the lead for good with a 64-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass with 5:30 remaining.

Wittenberg quarterback JJ Miller (Amelia, OH / Williamsburg) finished the game 16-of-24 for 211 yards through the air and another 61 yards on 18 carries on the ground. He scored the game's first two touchdowns on short runs, and he threw for another score, covering five yards to Donald Bailey (Cincinnati, OH / College Preparatory Academy). It was Bailey's first collegiate touchdown catch.

Pierce Ayers (Alexandria, KY / Williamsburg) was Wittenberg's leading receiver with six catches for 119 yards, followed by Adam Polacko (Oakwood, OH / Oakwood) with four receptions for 52 yards, and Brody Graham (Cape Coral, FL / Barron Collier) with three catches for 29 yards.

Defensively, Andrew Stamp (Powell, OH / Olentangy Liberty) led the way with nine tackles. Dalton Allen (Delaware, OH / Hayes) had another outstanding game with six tackles and an interception, and William Reid (Loveland, OH / Milford) was credited with his first collegiate interception.

Written By: Ryan Maurer