Harbaugh, Wabash Too Much for Wooster

Chris Craig and Phil Vitalbo stop Wabash's Don Juan Brown for no gain in the first quarter.

WOOSTER, Ohio – Russ Harbaugh passed for a career best and the second-highest total in Wabash College history Saturday, as his 452 yards through the air lead the Little Giants to a 44-10 victory at The College of Wooster during North Coast Athletic Conference action.

Wooster (4-2, 1-2 NCAC) started out the game well, stopping Wabash on a 4th-and-3 play and then marching 54 yards over eight plays to set up a 31-yard Andy Milligan (Orrville, Ohio / Orrville) field goal.

The Little Giants (6-0, 4-0 NCAC) had an answer, though, less than two minutes later. On the ensuing drive, Harbaugh found a man deep over the middle, where Mike Russell cleanly reached over a Scot defender to grab it and then took the ball the rest of the way for a 62-yard touchdown to give Wabash a lead that it would never relinquish.

It remained 7-3 heading into the second quarter, thanks in part to a blocked field goal by Wooster’s Jeff Geffert (Mentor, Ohio / Mentor) near the end of the first. The Little Giants used a 51-yard pass play from Harbaugh to Eric Summers to set up a 27-yard field goal by Chad Finley on their next drive (10-3).

On Wabash’s next possession, it converted a fourth-down play, followed on the next series of downs by a Brandon Roop catch-and-run for a 26-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-10, making it 17-3.

The Scots nearly cut into that lead before the half, but were stopped on a 4th-and-2 play from the Little Giants’ 19-yard line.

Harbaugh rolled up 328 of his passing yards in the first 30 minutes, however, Wooster was still in the game, down by just the two touchdowns.

Wabash opened the second half with a trick play, as Finley successfully recovered his own on-sides kick. From there, the Little Giants went 52 yards in seven plays, capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Harbaugh to Geoff Walker, which upped their lead to 24-3.

On the ensuing possession, the Scots again moved the ball on the Wabash defense, driving it to the Little Giant five-yard line. They turned it over on downs, however, once again being stopped on 4th-and-2.

Wabash turned right around and steadily marched 95 yards over 13 plays, with Harbaugh finding a fourth different receiver on a touchdown pass, this time tight end Graham Nelson from five yards out.

Late in the third quarter, Wooster drove the ball into Little Giant territory for the sixth time on the day, but gave it back to Wabash on a fumble. The Little Giants took advantage, scoring seven plays later, with Roop running it in from two yards on the first play of the fourth quarter. That put the score at 38-3, essentially sealing the game.

Overall, Wabash (6-0, 4-0 NCAC) threw for 499 yards, which was a school record for the Little Giants as well as the most passing yards every given up by Wooster. Harbaugh dissected the Scot defense, completing 28-of-42 attempts for the aforementioned 452 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Eight different receivers caught balls, led by Eric Summers’ seven for 151 yards.

Harbaugh’s counterpart, Justin Schafer (Bethesda, Ohio / Union Local), played well after missing last week’s game due to injury. He was 20-of-39 for 272 yards with one touchdown and one pick. The one score went to tight end Greg Peltz (Amherst, Ohio / Amherst Steele), who paced Wooster with seven receptions for 71 yards.

Chris Ogden ran for a game-high 107 yards on just 11 carries, while the Scots’ top rusher was freshman Dustin Sheppard (Newark, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) with 31 yards on 13 attempts.

Wooster will look to end its two-game losing skid at Oberlin College (2-4, 1-2 NCAC) next Saturday.