Liam Thompson broke a pair of records Saturday, and the Wabash College football team broke the backs of the visiting Wittenberg University Tigers in a lopsided 52-20 North Coast Athletic Conference victory at Little Giant Stadium.
Thompson, recently announced as one of 16 finalists for the 2023 National Football Foundation Campbell Trophy, threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 78 yards and one score in the contest. Thompson broke the NCAC career record for touchdown passes and eclipsed the Wabash career record for total offense. Both records were held by former Wabash quarterback Jake Knott '02, who threw 97 touchdowns after the Little Giants joined the NCAC. Knott accounted for 12,054 career yards over four seasons as the Wabash starter. Thompson has 99 career TD throws and 12,275 career yards of offense with two regular season games remaining.
Wabash (6-2, 5-1 NCAC) took over sole possession of second place in the conference standings and eliminated Wittenberg (5-3, 4-2) from a possible share of the conference title. The Tigers suffered their second consecutive loss after a 41-35 overtime loss at home last week to DePauw. Wabash can earn a share of the 2023 NCAC title with wins at Hiram next Saturday and a home victory against DePauw in the 129th Monon Bell Classic on November 11.
Wabash jumped out to an early lead with a 64-yard touchdown pass from Thompson to his brother, Connor, in the first minute of the game. The Little Giants force a fumble on a Wittenberg punt return, one of two turnovers in the game by the visiting Tigers. Wabash took advantage by taking a 14-0 lead with a 23-yard TD pass from Liam Thompson to Derek Allen Jr. That duo connected on a second 23-yard touchdown throw and catch to cap an 11-play, 75-yard drive after Wabash held Wittenberg to a three-and-out on its next series.
The Tigers jumped on the scoreboard with three minutes remaining in the first quarter on a 14-yard pass from Max Milton to Troy Tepe, but Wabash answered with a career-long 38-yard field goal from Brody Rucker to put the Little Giants in front 24-6 after one period.
Wabash added two more second-quarter scores on a one-yard TD run by Xavier Tyler and a third touchdown pass from Thompson to Allen, Jr. for a 38-6 halftime lead. The Little Giants put the game away in the third quarter with another Tyler touchdown run from six yards out and a three-yard touchdown run by Thompson for a 52-6 advantage. Wittenberg added an early fourth-quarter touchdown and scored again with 1:26 left in the game for its final points of the contest.
The victory evens the all-time series between the two teams at 13-13, with Wabash claiming a one-game lead over the Tigers since joining the NCAC. The Little Giants have won two straight games against Wittenberg and four of the last five games between the two teams. The 32-point win is the largest margin of victory by Wabash in the all-time series. The 52 points are the most scored in a single game by either team in the all-time series.
Wabash averaged 7.3 yards per play and finished with 517 yards of offense on 71 plays. The Little Giants ran for 261 yards and three scores, with Cade Campbell leading the team with his second consecutive 100-yard game. The senior finished with 114 rushing yards on 14 carries. Allen, Jr. caught eight passes for 104 yards and three scores for his second 100-yard game of the year. His three receiving touchdowns match a three-TD effort to open the 2022 season against Hamden-Sydney.
The Wabash defense limited Wittenberg to 287 yards of offense. The Tigers were held to 130 rushing yards and one touchdown and threw for 157 yards and two scores. Brock Robertson and Gavin Ruppert shared high-tackles honors with eight apiece. Robertson also recovered a fumble, as did Aidan Walker. Jerry McBee recorded the lone sack for the Little Giants with a ten-yard tackle behind the line of scrimmage.
Wabash travels to Hiram, Ohio, next Saturday for a noon kickoff against the Terriers before returning home to face undefeated conference leader DePauw in the Monon Bell game on November 11.
Thompson Breaks Wabash, Conference Records In Rout of Wittenberg
/seasons/2023/boxscores/20231028_rc7y.xml
2023
Wittenberg
20
Wabash
52
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wittenberg (5-3) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
| Wabash (6-2) | 24 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 52 |
Oct 28, 2023