Senior quarterback Austin Womack hit sophomore wide receiver Tyler Webb for an 8-yard touchdown to put the Ohio Wesleyan football team on the scoreboard in the fourth, but the game was already out of reach as visiting Wabash rolled to a 31-13 North Coast Athletic Conference win Saturday at Selby Stadium.
After the teams traded 3-and-outs to open the game, the Little Giants assembled a 71-yard, 7-play drive to take the lead. Quarterback Liam Thompson had a pair of key runs, picking up 14 yards on a third-and-13 call from the Wabash 26, then setting up the score with a 17-yard run to the OWU 1-yard line, with Donovan Snyder going over on the next play.
It was still a 7-0 game midway through the second quarter when the visitors connected on a 41-yard scoring play from Thompson to Penn Stoller.
Looking for a spark on their ensuing drive, the Bishops went for it on fourth-and-3 from the Wabash 43, but senior running back Marquis Henry was downed by Gavin Ruppert and Joe Rios, and the Little Giants covered the 56 yards in 7 plays, with Thompson finding Jacob Riddle on a 13-yard scoring play with 1:02 remaining in the half.
Ohio Wesleyan answered with one first down, but a pass from senior quarterback Kaden Buza was intercepted by Wabash’s Jake Pasch and returned 28 yards, with a penalty on the play setting up the Little Giants at the OWU 14. On second-and-goal, Thompson went over from 4 yards out and Brody Rucker’s point-after completed Wabash’s 21-point second quarter.
Sophomore running back Devon Haley picked up a first down with a 4-yard burst on third-and-3 from the Wabash 36, and Womack found sophomore wide receiver Josh Hurst for 13 yards and a first down on a third-and-5 call to move the Bishops into the red zone. Facing third-and-4 from the Wabash 8, Womack and Webb connected again for a touchdown, but a 2-point conversion attempt failed to keep the game at 31-6.
Wabash took nearly 10 minutes off the clock during a 15-play possession that ended when junior linebacker Charlie Hornacek and freshman defensive end Carson Rust came up with a stop on fourth down at the OWU 15, and Womack responded with 8 straight completions, with one incompletion wiped out courtesy of a Wabash penalty. On third-and-1 from the Little Giant 15, Haley broke through the middle and had clear sailing to the end zone.
Buza completed 11 of 26 throws for 80 yards, and Womack completed 11 of 12 passes for 89 yards and a score. Hurst made 10 catches for 73 yards. Haley finished with 32 yards on 8 carries. Hornacek led Ohio Wesleyan with 11 tackles, including 1 for loss and half a sack.
OWU Sports Information contributed to this report.
