Wabash ran for three touchdowns and threw for three more in its 41-17 season-opening football win at Hiram College Saturday afternoon. The Little Giant defense racked up nine sacks for losses totaling 39 yards.
The victory extends the Little Giants' (1-0, 1-0 NCAC) winning streak in season openers to 12 games and started the year with a win against a North Coast Athletic Conference opponent.
The nine combined sacks for the Little Giants tied for the fifth-most in a single game, one short of tying for the school record of ten sacks in a game. Byshup Rhodes and Lucas Bucina each tallied two sacks to pace the Wabash defense. The Little Giants limited the Hiram (0-1, 0-1 NCAC) quarterbacks to 17-of-24 passing for 136 yards, matching the host Terriers' rushing yards for a total of 272 yard of offense in the game. Wabash ran for 216 yards and threw for 278.
Junior quarterback Jake Reid completed 18-of-20 passes, connecting on five consecutive passes to open the game in his first start for the Little Giants. His completion percentage of 90 percent tied for fourth on the all-time Wabash single-game record list. Reid led Wabash down the field on the first possession for a six-play scoring drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown run by Ra'Shawn Jones on a reverse to give the Little Giants a 6-0 lead. Jones found the end zone again in the fourth quarter with an 18-yard reception. He caught five passes for a team-high 139 yards including a single reception for 48 yards.
Fullback Matt Penola scored the second touchdown of the game for Wabash in the second period to answer a 30-yard field goal by Hiram. The senior hauled in a seven-yard pass from Reid to push the Little Giants' lead to 13-3. Ike James added a third score for Wabash in the first half on a four-yard run. The junior tailback carried the football nine time for 107 yards with a long run of 62 yards to set up the TD reception by Jones.
Wabash led 20-3 at halftime, adding to that advantage with a quick four-play, 60-yard drive in the third period that ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Isaac Avant to stretch the lead to 27-3. Avant rushed for 52 yards on 13 carries.
Senior receiver Oliver Page celebrated his return to the Wabash lineup with a nine-yard touchdown reception midway through the third period to extend the Little Giants' lead to 34-3. Page missed the final six games of the 2017 season after suffering a leg injury against Hiram. He caught a team-best six passes for 79 yards.
The Terriers sandwiched Jones' touchdown catch with a pair of touchdowns late in the third and fourth quarters to provide the final scoring differential. Isaiah Jones led Hiram's offense with 113 rushing yards and one touchdown on 14 carries.
The Wabash defense held Hiram starting quarterback Randy Tucker to 13 rushing and 82 passing yards for the game. He threw for 182 yards and one score against the Little Giants in last year's game. Brandon Yeagy led Wabash with six solo tackles and 11 total for the game. The Little Giants combined for 12 tackles for losses totaling 45 yards, led by 2-1/2 for Bucina accounting for 11 yards of losses.
Wabash opens the home portion of its schedule on Saturday, September 8 in a non-conference contest against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Hollett Little Giant Stadium with the annual senior day celebration to take place prior to the start of the game. The Pointers lost at home to John Carroll 45-21 in their Saturday opener.