The College of Wooster football team completed its longest pass in over 25 years, and the Fighting Scots pulled within a touchdown with :36 remaining in the third quarter, but No. 18 Wabash College kept Wooster's offense in check down the stretch during a 34-24 North Coast Athletic Conference win on Saturday afternoon at Hollett Little Giant Stadium in Crawfordsville, Ind.
Wabash (6-1, 5-1 NCAC) struck first on a 23-yard Connor Rice-to-Ryan Thomas touchdown pass with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter, and that's where the score stood until Trevor Bowden booted a 43-yard field goal through the uprights as time expired in the stanza to make it a 7-3 game.
On the scoring drive, Wooster (2-5, 2-4 NCAC) moved the ball effectively - both on the ground and through the air. First, Antonio Bailey rattled off a 31-yard run on the first play of the drive. Then, Gary Muntean connected with Christian Pinnock on a 15-yard completion, and later in the drive, Muntean completed a 14-yard pass to Connor Allan on a third-and-9 play.
Wabash answered the field goal with a touchdown, needing just six plays and 2:50 to march 58 yards down the field with Drake Christen rumbling in from five yards out to make it a 14-3 tilt with 11:58 left in the first half.
Two drives later, Wooster pulled within four at 14-10 with 8:32 left in the half. On second down, Muntean set up a screen pass with Bailey, who caught the throw and went for 87 yards for the score. Notable, the touchdown pass marked the longest pass in program history since the school record 91-yard Vic Rowcliffe-to-Phil Puryear touchdown pass against Case Western Reserve University on Sept. 29, 1990.
But, just as it did to Wooster's first score, Wabash answered right back, this time needing 2:10 to cap a 6-play, 77-yard drive with a 11 yard Rice-to-Sammy Adams touchdown and extend the score back to 11 points (21-10).
Wooster pulled within four just before the half with Muntean scrambling in from 18 yards out, making the score 21-17 with :49 remaining. Earlier in the drive, Muntean extended the drive with a 17-yard hook-up with Pinnock, and earlier in the drive worked the ball 25 yards down the sideline to Alex Woods.
Wabash extended its lead back to 11 at 28-17 thanks to a Matt Penola five-yard touchdown run, and later made it a 14-point game at 31-17 on a 44-yard field goal by Andrew Tutsie.
Next, Wooster marched down the field covering 70 yards in seven plays to trim its deficit back to seven on a 6-yard scamper by Muntean that made it 31-24 with :36 left in the third quarter.
Wabash pushed the lead back to 10 on a 44-yard boot by Tutsie with 8:50 remaining in the game, and nearly extended the lead even more with under two minutes remaining, but Wooster's defense came up with a big goal line stand.
On the stand, Christian Santos continued his knack for making big plays in the closing stages of the game, and he ultimately shut down the scoring threat for good, dragging down a Wabash ball carrier at Wooster's 1-yard line on a fourth-down play. One play earlier, Cornelius Gyamfi did likewise stuffing the Little Giants short of the goal line, and on the second-down play, it was Hunter Coia's turn to make a touchdown-saving tackle.
From there, Wooster had one final opportunity to march down the field for a score, but the Scots turned the ball over on downs.
Muntean led the way on the afternoon with 226 yards passing on 13-of-31 passing. The junior signal-caller was responsible for all three touchdowns scored by the Scots.
Defensively, Gyamfi, Jordan Patterson, and Aaron Roberson all wracked up 10 tackles in the game.
Rice paced Wabash's offense with 307 yards passing, and completed 22-of-27 throws on the afternoon. Oliver Page was a big factor in the passing game with eight receptions and 146 yards on the day.
Defensively, Connor Ludwig led the way with 10 tackles, while LV Bowden had two sacks.
Next, Wooster returns home to take on Kenyon College (3-4, 2-4 NCAC) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29.