CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. – Thirteenth-ranked Wabash clicked on all cylinders to defeat Allegheny 59-7 in North Coast Athletic Conference action at Bryan P. Hollett Stadium.
The host Little Giants out-gained Allegheny 630-107 in total offense, showcasing a particularly strong rushing game that accounted for 513 yards and seven touchdowns.
A week after rolling up over 450 yards of total offense, the Gators were stymied by the Little Giants, surrendering five sacks and losing three turnovers that led directly to Wabash touchdowns.
The Gators' defense looked to make a statement on the game's first possession, as
Marcus Davenport and
Ben Capella combined to force a Little Giant fumble just three minutes into play. Allegheny's offense was unable to capitalize, before Wabash scored a pair of touchdowns in a three-minute span to take a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.
The Little Giants added a pair of rushing touchdowns and a field goal in the second quarter to head into the locker room ahead 31-0, before putting the game away with a trio of third quarter touchdowns.
Allegheny got on the board midway through the fourth quarter, as the Gators took advantage of a costly Wabash penalty and rode freshman
Brandon Sellers to orchestrate their most sustained possession of the contest. Granted a second life after a Wabash roughing the kicker penalty on a Gator punt, Allegheny marched 71 yards in 12 plays to score its first points of the game. Sellers was integral on the drive, running the ball on six consecutive plays to gain 37 yards and advance it just shy of the goal line. Sophomore quarterback
Logan Lee did the rest, bowling in through the middle for the touchdown with 11:08 left in regulation.
The Little Giants would answer with their final touchdown of the day on the ensuing drive, ultimately closing the scoring for the afternoon.
Sellers was a major bright spot for the Gator offense, gaining a running for a team-high 78 yards on 14 carries, all in the second half. Facing a stellar Wabash pass rush, the Allegheny passing game struggled, as quarterback
Logan Lee, who completed eight passes for 60 yards. For a second straight week, rookie
Alex Victor was Lee's favorite target, as the speedy Floridian made four receptions for 47 yards.
Defensively,
Wyatt Boyler picked up a team-leading nine tackles to lead the Gators, including six solos.
Jahnaaman Boone tallied eight stops, including his first career sack, while
Marcus Davenport and
Deangelo Logan were each credited with seven tackles.
Freddy Ruiz made five tackles, with three going for a loss.
The Little Giants' offense was led by Matt Penola, who carried 16 times for 128 yards and three touchdowns. Isaac Avant ran for 91 yards and a touchdown, while Taylor Downing gained 84 rushing yards with a score.
The Gators will look to bounce back and earn their first NCAC win of the season next Saturday, Sept. 24, closing out a three-game road swing with a 1 p.m. contest at Kenyon.
