Nine Sacks Help Wooster Down Wabash 23-7

Joe Kearney sacks Wabash quarterback Russ Harbough — one of nine sacks for the Scots Saturday.

WOOSTER, Ohio — The College of Wooster entered Saturday’s game with Wabash College with one of the top offenses in NCAA Division III, but it was the Scot defense that was the difference in Wooster’s 23-7 North Coast Athletic Conference victory at John P. Papp Stadium.

Wooster (6-2, 3-2 NCAC) sacked the Little Giants quarterback nine times, including seven times in the second half, for a loss of 55 yards. The Scots also limited the Wabash rushing attack to just 86 yards on 38 carries, and only allowed 289 yards of total offense on 76 plays, or an average of 3.8 yards per play.

The Wooster defense also turned in what may have been the biggest play of the game, when senior Nick Hajjar (Prospect, Ohio / Marion Pleasant) intercepted a pass and returned it 68 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter to give the Scots a 17-0 lead. It marked Hajjar’s 14th career interception and third career touchdown, however, it was his first interception return for a score, as his others were on punt returns.

Not to be overshadowed by the defense was junior tailback Tony Sutton (Akron, Ohio / Archbishop Hoban), who entered the game leading the country in rushing and scoring. Sutton gained 188 yards on 33 carries to become Wooster’s all-time single-season rushing leader (1,506), breaking his own mark set last season (1,418).

After forcing the Little Giants (5-3, 3-2 NCAC) to punt on their first possession, the Scots quickly moved the ball, thanks to a 49-yard run by Sutton down to the Wabash eight-yard line. The drive stalled, however, and Wooster settled for a Richie McNally (Westerville, Ohio / St. Francis DeSales) 23-yard field goal.

On the ensuing possession, the Little Giants missed a 39-yard field goal. Then, after two first downs moved the Scots to the Wabash 44-yard line, they pulled out a trick play, as senior wide receiver Dan Steck (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick) took a backwards pass from quarterback Justin Schafer (Bethesda, Ohio / Union Local) and found a wide open McNally, who took the ball to the one-yard line. Sutton scored on the next play — his 20th rushing touchdown of the season — to give Wooster a 10-0 lead.

Tony Sutton nearly breaks free of a tackle by Wabash's Aaron Selby. Sutton finished with 188 yards rushing.

After Hajjar’s interception, the Little Giants settled down in the second quarter, mounting their best offensive drive of the game. They started from their own 12-yard line, but marched 88 yards on 11 plays, capped by a nine-yard touchdown run by Aaron Lafitte.

It appeared that the Scots would go into halftime with a 17-7 lead, but they caught a break when Lafitte fumbled the ball at the Wabash 21-yard line with 14 seconds left in the second quarter, allowing McNally to connect on a 38-yard field goal as time expired.

In the third quarter, Wooster took advantage of a great punt by sophomore Andrew Branch (Newcomerstown, Ohio / Newcomerstown), who booted it 46 yards and had it stop inside the one-yard line. After the Little Giants were unable to pick up the first down, the Scots got the ball at the Wabash 41. Wooster drove it to the eight, eventually settling for a McNally 23-yard field goal to make it 23-7, which marked the seventh time in Scot history that a kicker has made at least three field goals in a game and first since 2000.

From that point on, the story was the Wooster defense. The Little Giants were able to move the ball, but the Scots stiffened when they entered the red zone. The biggest stand of the game came late in the third, when Wabash had the ball first-and-goal at the five-yard line but turned it over on downs.

On their next possession, the Little Giants reached the Wooster 16-yard line, but three consecutive sacks, including one on fourth down by junior Bobby Vega (Windsor, Conn. / Pomfret School), ended the threat.

Wabash had one last scoring opportunity with under six minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but turned the ball over on downs again, this time at the Scot 11-yard line after three-straight incompletions.

Leading the way defensively for Wooster was Vega, who was credited with a career-high 16 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, while freshman Andy Mizak (Warren, Mich. / Paul K. Cousino) recorded 3.5 sacks — the second-most in a single-game in Scot history since the statistic has been tracked (1981).

Lafitte and wide receiver Josh Bronough were the stars for Wabash. Lafitte had 109 rushing yards on 24 carries, while Bronough hauled in 11 of Russ Harbaugh’s 18 completions for 120 yards.

Wooster closes out its home schedule next Saturday (Nov. 8), when it hosts Denison University (3-5, 2-2 NCAC) at 1 p.m.