Oberlin, Ohio – The Oberlin College football team gave Wabash College all it could handle, but in the end the Little Giants were able to escape town with a 35-21 victory over the Yeomen on Saturday afternoon at the Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex.
 
Oberlin had not played in front of its home crowd in 42 days and wasted little time getting them excited, scoring on the game's second play to set the tone early on.
 
Quarterback Zach Taylor moved the Yeomen offense as he finished with 251 yards on 16-of-26 passing to go along with two touchdowns and one interception, which came on the final play of the game. Taylor, who was sacked six times, also added a 28-yard TD run.
 
Senior Corey Fussinger was his top target as he snagged five balls for 87 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, Oberlin's ground game never got going as Chuck Williams ended as the team's top rusher with 23 yards on eight carries.
 
The Yeomen could not have asked for a better start to the contest as they grabbed a 7-0 lead just 47 seconds in. A perfectly executed wheel route had senior tight end Matthew Bullock open on the near sideline and Taylor would hit the Wellington, Ohio, native in stride at the 50-yard line and Bullock would do the rest as he raced down the field for a 77-yard touchdown.
 
The Little Giants would even the game on their ensuing possession, but the Yeomen would also find the end zone once more before the end of the first quarter.
 
Freshman Malachi Clemons made his first-career interception at the 50-yard line to put the Yeomen in business. Just five plays later, Taylor would call his own number with a designed QB draw play up the middle. The sophomore from Artesia, California, would break two tackles on his way to the end zone to make it a 14-7 Yeomen lead.
 
In the second quarter, the Little Giants put their potent ground game on display as they ran for 206 of their 361 total rushing yards in the period. After taking over at their own 11-yard line, Wabash needed just four plays to tie the game as Ike James ripped off a 78-yard run down to the Oberlin six. He would take it in on the next play to even the score at 14-14. The 84 yards by James on the drive went toward his final total of 206 yards, which he earned on 29 attempts.
 
Following a 65-yard punt by Bryant Walker to pin the Little Giants at their own 2-yard line, the Yeomen were once again victimized by the big play as Isaac Avant went off-tackle for a 77-yard run that ended with a horse-collar tackle to set them up at the Oberlin 11. James would do the rest of the work from there, ultimately running in from three yards out to give Wabash a 21-14 lead at the half.
 
In the third quarter neither team did much offensively. However, Oberlin did have a nice drive going on its second possession, but after making a first-down catch in Wabash territory Robby Reinheimer was stripped of the football and Ahmaud Hill was able to jump on it for the recovery.
 
At the start of the fourth quarter the Yeomen defense would come up with another big play as Devin Wilkins forced James to fumble at the Yeomen 40. Unfortunately, the momentum-changing play was extremely short-lived as Henry Webberhunt came off the corner blitz untouched on Taylor's blindside and strip-sacked him at the 32-yard line where Luke Ksniak scooped it up and ran it in for a Wabash touchdown.
 
The Yeomen were not deterred by the play as Taylor bounced back by leading his team on a 4-play, 65-yard drive in just 1:41. On 2^nd-and-6 from the 50, Taylor looked off the deep safety and then found a streaking Fussinger down the far side as he dropped in a perfect pass to the senior from Florence, Kentucky, to get Oberlin back within seven, 28-21, with 11:47 left to play.
 
With the lead in hand Wabash was willing to work the clock and the Yeomen defense was desperately trying to get off the field, but the Little Giants made the plays when they needed to the most. A diving catch for 13 yards on 3^rd-and-9 by Ra'shawn Jones put the ball at the 50. It was later 4^th-and-1, but James rushed for six yards. Facing another 3^rd-and-10, Ivan Martinez hauled in an 11-yard gain.
 
Oberlin appeared it was finally going to force Wabash to lineup for a 38-yard field goal on 4^th-and-7, but the Yeomen were inexplicably called for unsportsmanlike conduct prior to the kick, which gave Wabash an automatic first down. Three plays later, Avant would cash in a 3-yard TD to effectively end the game.
 
Senior Bennett Jackson led the Yeomen defensive effort with a season-high 13 tackles as he moved into third on the all-time list with 266 stops. Jackson passed former teammate Justin Bute (2013-16), who had 259 tackles in his career. Sophomore Von Wooding registered his fourth double-digit performance of the year as he made 12 tackles in the setback.
 
Walker was sensational punting the ball for the Yeomen as he covered 423 yards on eight punts for an average of 52.9 yards per kick, which include a career-long of 70 yards. He placed five of his eight kicks inside the 20-yard line.
 
The loss marked the fifth straight for the Yeomen as they fell back to 2-5 overall and 1-5 in the NCAC. Wabash heads back to Crawfordsville at 6-1 and 5-1 in league play.
 
Oberlin will play its final road game of the season next Saturday at Ohio Wesleyan University. The opening kickoff is set for 1 p.m.