The College of Wooster football team denied Wabash College's offense four straight times from the 1-yard line in the first quarter, but the Fighting Scots ultimately could not overcome early turnovers in Saturday's 34-7 loss to the Little Giants at John P. Papp Stadium.

First-year defensive back Grady Harban's touchdown-saving tackle kept Wooster's deficit at 7-0 late in the first quarter. Wabash quarterback Brand Campbell tried to sneak his way into the end zone from a yard out, only to be shut down by junior defensive lineman Isaac LaFay. LaFay and senior defensive back Brock Sivon kept Wabash running back Xavier Tyler out of the end zone on second down, before senior linebacker Braydon Hudson turned away Cole Dickerson on third down. Wabash turned to TJ Alexander for the carry on fourth down, only to see sophomore Damion Cunningham read the play perfectly and spill the Little Giants' receiver to the turf for a 2-yard loss.

An early interception by Wabash's Brock Robertson led to a 53-yard Campbell-to-Luke Adams touchdown. The Little Giants made it 14-0 with a 4-yard Dickerson touchdown run with 6:39 to go before halftime. On that drive, Wabash took over on Wooster's 4-yard line, thanks to Samuel Ringer's strip sack on Wooster's Michael Boyle in the end zone.

Wooster was within 21-7 with 10:07 to go in the third quarter. Boyle found an open Cam Crago in the corner of the end zone from 11 yards out. A play prior, the sophomore receiver turned a short pass up the middle into a big 44-yard gain. Earlier in the drive, senior receiver Tate Journell hauled in a chain-moving 10-yard pass on a third-and-7 play from Wooster's 31-yard line.

Wabash answered Crago's touchdown, scoring on its next three drives, aided by a blocked punt by Camden Singer.
Boyle completed 17-of-31 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown. Crago accounted for 107 of the receiving yards on six catches. Journell followed with 34 yards on four receptions. Sophomore Bryson Douglas was the leading rusher with 10 carries for 35 yards.

Defensively, Hudson and Sivon were credited with 11 tackles each. Hudson had Wooster's lone takeaway of the day. That came midway through the second quarter when senior defensive lineman DT Franklin stripped the ball from Campbell at the Scots' 5-yard line.

Campbell overcame the fumble miscue to finish 11-of-17 for 224 yards with two touchdowns. Adams and Dickerson combined for eight receptions, 177 yards, and two scores. Tyler toted the ball 14 times for 127 yards, the majority of which came on his 70-yard third-quarter touchdown run.

William Harris led the Little Giants' defense with seven tackles. Ringer added four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble in the win.

Wooster had just 202 yards of offense for the day and went 3-of-13 on third down. Wabash finished with 473 yards of offense and converted 8-of-15 third-down snaps.

Of note, Saturday's Homecoming for Alumni and Family Weekend crowd of 3,978 marked the program's second straight Homecoming crowd of at least 3,900 spectators.

Next, Wooster travels to Oberlin College (0-3, 0-1 NCAC) for a noon game on Saturday, Sept. 27.

photo by Samanatha Harris '26