Oct 23, 2010
GRANVILLE, Ohio – Wabash College's Little Giants were missing six starters Saturday but didn't miss a beat in thumping Denison, 55-20.
Junior quarterback Tyler Burke
threw for 350 yards and four touchdowns in his first Little Giant
start. He had scoring throws of 19, 45, 23, and 40 yards.
View photos of the game here.
"I thought he played good," Coach Erik Raeburn said.
"He's been in several other games but last week I
thought was his shakiest performance of the year against Oberlin. I
was really happy to see him bounce back this week."Burke spread the ball around to
six different receivers. Jonathan Horn had more than 100 yards for
the fourth time in five weeks. He had 128 yards, including a
45-yard scoring play, against the Big Red (3-5) on five catches.
Junior Geoff Wright had 96 yards on just two receptions, but one
went 40 yards for a score mainly on extra effort.
"I don't think
I'm as athletic as a lot of these guys out here,"
Wright said. "I'm working hard and I think the coaches
see that and they've given me the opportunity. When I get the
opportunity, I don't want to let it slip by."
Brady Young added three catches
for 44 yards and a score. Derrick Yoder caught one pass for a
23-yard touchdown. The senior running back added 33 rushing yards.
Sophomore Vann Hunt had 46 yards on six carries. Freshman Tyler
Holmes carried the ball five times for 56 yards and a fourth
quarter score.
The defense did its part getting
the Little Giants going early after the first of two Spencer
Whitehead field goals. Jake Martin picked off a pass and returned
it 18 yards to post Wabash to a 10-0 lead in the game's first
five minutes.
But it was a familiar
combination in the second half that really sparked Wabash play. For
the third time this year defensive back Sam Smith blocked a punt
and for the third time sophomore Jonathan Koop was on the spot to
pick it up and run it in 25 yards for the touchdown.
"Sam did a great job of
getting in there and blocking the punt and Koop … the guys
are giving him a hard time, he's either super smart getting
in the right place at the right time or he's real
lucky," Raeburn laughed. "All those punts that Sam
blocks bounce right up to Koop and he knows what to do with it once
he gets it."
The blocked kick was
Wabash's ninth of the season, a new Wabash record. Sam Smith
tied the single-season record with his fourth block.
"We just practice every
week and try to execute the punt block," Koop said.
"The blockers just go in there as fast as they can to get the
block and the gap opens up. I'm just looking to get the ball
- scoop and score."
Defensively, Arizona freshman
Nate Scola led Wabash with seven tackles. Dan Ryan Wood, Sam Smith,
C.J. Gum, and Pat Clegg had six stops apiece. The defense recorded
four sacks and recovered a fumble.
Raeburn was particularly happy since many of the missing six
starters were on defense."Honestly, we had a ton of
defensive linemen hurt and out this week," the coach said.
"I thought our young linemen did a nice job. But some of the
younger guys that went in there like Grady Phillips, Brady Tolle,
Tyler Buresh, and Jorge Diaz-Aguilar played well. I think when we
watch the film we're going to see some great plays out of
those young linemen."
At 55 points, obviously the
Little Giants ran up some big numbers on the statistic sheet.
Wabash compiled 518 total yards to Dennison's 259. They
out-rushed the Big Red 168-128 and gained more passing yards
350-259.
After struggling with penalty
problems in recent weeks, Wabash cut penalties down to just five
for 52 yards.
The 6-1 Little Giants now enter
the toughest stretch of their season. Wabash will host Allegheny
Saturday before traveling to Wittenberg and then return to home for
the Monon Bell Game with DePauw.
Photos - (top right) Jonathan Horn makes an over-the-shoulder catch down the Denison sideline in the first half. Horn caught five passes for 128 yards and one touchdown in the Little Giants' victory.
(Bottom left) Junior Luke Zinsmaster scrambles after a loose football. Wabash forced three turnovers in the contest.