Fifth-year quarterback Kaden Buza tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Braden Fitchko that brought the Ohio Wesleyan football team within a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, but Wabash pulled away for a 30-13 win in the North Coast Athletic Conference opener for both teams on Saturday in Crawfordsville, Ind.
After the Little Giants held the Bishops on fourth-and-3 on the Wabash 36 on the opening drive of the game, Wabash moved the chains with a 10-yard rush by Xavier Tyler, a 19-yard connection from Blake White to Connor Garrity, and a 2-yard run by White on fourth-and-1 from the OWU 13. Two plays later, Tyler found T.J. Alexander on a 6-yard scoring play. The hosts got the ball back after a short punt and took advantage of the short field on Brody Rucker’s 39-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead late in the period.
Senior linebacker Drew Grup picked off a White pass on the first play of the second quarter and returned it to the Little Giant 28-yard line. Buza ran for 14 yards and a first down on a third-and-13 call, and 2 plays later, it was Buza to junior wide receiver J.T. James for a 9-yard touchdown. Freshman Collin Wehner misfired on the point-after to keep the score at 10-6.
Wabash increased its lead with a 20-yard field goal by Rucker with 1:10 left in the half, culminating a 72-yard, 14-play drive that took more than 5 minutes off the clock, but the Bishops responded with completions of 31 yards from Buza to junior wide receiver Bryan Hines Jr. and 26 and 10 yards to junior wide receiver C.T. Taylor for a first down at the Wabash 5-yard line with :07 remaining. Two passes fell incomplete before a Wabash penalty gave the Bishops a third chance, but Buza was sacked on the final play of the half and it remained 13-6.
Wabash’s Gavin Ruppert intercepted a Buza pass and returned it to the OWU 23 early in the second half, and on the first play from scrimmage, Kannon Chase caught a 23-yard pass from Brand Campbell to extend the Wabash lead.
In the fourth quarter, Buza found Hines for 13 yards, freshman running back Nathan Severs for 13 more yards, and Fitchko for 20 yards and a first down at the Wabash 6. Facing fourth-and-goal from the 7, the Bishops got another chance when a Buza interception was wiped out by a Little Giant penalty, and Buza took advantage by finding Fitchko for 3 yards and a score, with Wehner’s conversion kick making it 20-13.
Campbell broke loose on a 31-yard run on Wabash’s next possession, setting up a 28-yard field goal by Rucker, and Wabash’s Avery Epstein returned an interception 51 yards to the OWU 5-yard line to set up a touchdown run by Tyler that sealed the outcome.
Buza completed 28 of 48 throws for 343 yards and 2 scores. Junior wide receiver Josh Hurst and James caught 6 passes apiece, with Hurst compiling 90 yards and James 68. Severs and junior running back Devon Haley ran for 44 yards apiece.
Senior linebacker Seth Anderson led the Bishops with 9 tackles.
OWU Sports Information contributed to this report.
