Margaret BauerThe Washington University Bears faced off against Wabash College on Saturday. Following an impressive victory against Westminster last week, the Bears traveled to Bryon P. Hollett Little Giant Stadium in Crawfordsville, Ind. looking to improve their season record to 2-1. However, the Bears were simply outplayed by the Little Giants as they fell 21-10. Wabash, which came into the game ranked 24th in the most recent AFCA Top 25 poll, overcame a ten-point deficit to oust the Bears from their bid to win back-to-back.
The game was highlighted by extraordinary defenses. In the first half, the Bears showcased their defensive unit, which refused to allow a single score until the closing seconds of the second quarter when the Little Giants scored their first touchdown of the game. The Bears were able to hold Wabash’s rushing game to a mere sixteen yards in twelve attempts in the first half. In the second half, however, it was the Little Giants’ defense that shut down the Bears’ attack. The Bears, who scored ten points within the first two possessions of the first quarter, were completely shut out for the rest of the game, paving the way for the Little Giants’ comeback.
The Bears struck quickly and early, capitalizing on a big play by running back senior Kevin McCarthy who broke open the game with a 72-yard rush, which set up a 40-yard field goal by senior Ben Lambert. In the ensuing kickoff, the Bears’ junior linebacker Ben Schaub forced a fumble, which led to a 22-yard rushing touchdown by senior Adam Meranda. At this point in the first quarter, the Bears were already up 10-0 on the Little Giants who owned a fifteen home game winning streak entering the game.
However, Wabash quickly adjusted to the Bears attack and scored 21 unanswered points throughout the course of the game to extend their home winning streak to 16. The Bears offense tried many creative and unconventional ways to score by attempting to catch the Little Giants’ defense off guard. For instance, in the fourth quarter, coach Larry Kindbom successfully devised a fake punt pass to keep the drive going in the fourth quarter. Despite its success, the Bears could not capitalize as they gave up costly sacks that effectively killed the drive.
In this game alone, the Bears’ quarterbacks, Meranda and Nick Henry, who came in for Meranda in the second half, were sacked a combined total of ten times. These sacks often made it difficult for the Bears to maintain their scoring drive. Consequently, the Bears offense was often forced to abandon their drives, exposing their defense to eventually wear down and give up points. The time of possession was in favor of Wabash by a margin of nearly five minutes.
On a positive note, the Bears’ quarterbacks enjoyed a high completion percentage. The Bears quarterbacks went a combined 12 of 17 from the air that translated into 133 total passing yards. Aside from a key interception, which prevented the Bears from scoring in the second half, the passing game definitely showed its prowess and potential.
With that, the Bears are already looking forward to their next game against North Central College in Naperville, Ill. The Bears will look to bounce back and regain the momentum acquired a week ago in the rout of Westminster.