Crawfordsville, Indiana | November 11, 2011 | Volume 104, Issue 10 BRANDAN ALFORD ‘12 utive wins after DePauw had limped SPORTS EDITOR to a 1-4 record to begin the season. After the Tigers’ most recent win, they On Saturday, Wabash and DePauw have been able to claw back to .500 for will renew one of college football’s the season, catching momentum at the oldest and most storied rivalries. The right time heading into the Bell Game. undefeated Little Giants (9-0) will On the ground, the Tigers have travel to Greencastle, Ind. to visit been hampered by an injury to senior their rival Tigers (4-4) in the 118th Jon Ellis. Armani Cato has led the installment of the Monon Bell game. rushing attack for DePauw, rushing In last year’s matchup, the Little for 274 yards in seven games this sea- Giants shocked the Tigers and most son. In all, the Tigers have struggled in attendance on a rainy afternoon to find the end zone on the ground, with a dominating 47-0 win that rushing for a total of six touch- nearly earned Wabash a playoff berth. downs through the first eight games A year ago, the Tigers were un- of the season while only averaging defeated, SCAC champions and look- 165.2 yards per game on the ground. ing forward to an appearance in the Through this season’s offensive national playoffs the following week. struggles, the Tigers have been able This year, the roles are reversed as to maintain a staunch defensive effort. Wabash secured the North Coast Ath- DePauw is only allowing 17.2 points letic Conference title last week with per game this season, while limiting its 28-17 win over Wittenberg. The opposing offenses to only 94.8 yards Tigers, on the other hand, have strug- per game rushing. Individually, the gled through much of the 2011 season. Tigers have been led defensively by “We know we have to take care Ben Brandstatter and Graham Wilker- of business in Greencastle this son. Brandstatter has totaled 71 tack- weekend,” senior Jonathan Horn les and an interception while adding said. “I know there is a lot of hype three pass breakups, four defended, about this game, and everyone is and a forced fumble on the season. going to be there, but we are still Wilkerson has anchored the defensive treating this like any other game.” line with 41 total tackles, 6.5 tackles A year after passing for over 3,000 for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a pass breakup. yards as a team, DePauw has had While the offense has struggled, GRANT MCCLOSKEY | WABASH ‘12 problems finding any consistency at special teams have been able to gen- Senior C.J. Gum reacts after delivering a blow to DePauw’s quarterback a year ago. the quarterback position. In all, four erate points at times for DePauw, as Tigers have started under center, with Taylor Wagner has been a threat to Will King earning the start in last score on both punt and kick returns While Saturday’s outcome is far day,” Horn said. “This is a key game week’s 7-3 over Albion. Joining King this year. Wagner has averaged 13.1 from a certainty, one thing is for sure to win. We are not looking at the play- with starts at quarterback this season yards on 15 punt returns and 31.3 in Horn’s mind: Wabash’s approach. offs; we are concentrating on DePauw. are Ethan Schweir, Jackson Kirtley, yards on 11 kick returns this season. “We are going to stick to what “Once we get the win this week- and Drew Seamen. Seamen, a fresh- He has scored two return touchdowns we have been doing all year and we end we can focus on the playoffs.” man, had guided the Tigers to consec- this season, one kick and one punt. should take care of business Satur- Wabash Will Get It Done Bell Winnable for Tigers Here we are again: It’s Monon We’ve all heard it before. You Bell week, with Wabash and De- throw the records out for this game. Pauw a day from squaring off in BRANDAN For the 4-4 Tigers facing a 9-0 MICHAEL one of the nation’s oldest and most ALFORD ‘12 Little Giant team, the odds are seem- APPLEGATE tightly contested football rivalries ingly stacked against the Old Gold. once again. Not much has changed SPORTS EDITOR But there is a chance. Anything can SPORTS EDITOR in the 118 years that these two teams THE BACHELOR happen in the Monon Bell Classic. THE DEPAUW have done battle on the gridiron. Last year, the inconceivable hap- For the third time in the last four pened. A 47-0 final score sent De- tenberg, it won the NCAC for the linebacker Matt Johnson, along with years, one team enters this rival- Pauw fans away in droves at half- first time in three years, it has had safeties Ben Brandstatter and Robby ry with an undefeated record and time. The Tigers came into that game numerous individuals awarded at a Schuler, have done an excellent job one team enters with something to 9-0 led by two-time all-American conference and national-level, and stopping the running game and coming prove; one team has already punched wide receiver Alex Koors and stead- it achieved a perfect pre-Bell record. up with key interceptions when needed. their ticket to the playoffs, and ied by senior quarterback Michael But that’s the key: pre-Bell. The Tiger defense has allowed an one team is looking for a season’s Engle. The running game for De- When you look at it, this game average of 94.8 yards on the ground, worth of validation in one game. Pauw was also potent, led by Derrick is nothing and it is everything. but if there is a weakness which Lit- Last year’s game featured a two- Karazsia and now-senior Jon Ellis. This game is nothing in the sense tle Giants quarterback Chase Belton loss Wabash team hosting an unde- The Wabash defense deserves that it has no bearing on Wabash’s could expose, it is the passing de- feated and playoff-bound DePauw all the credit for shutting down the conference title or playoff berth; fense of the Tigers. Opponents have team. We all know how that one Tiger offense. Engle, who aver- but it is everything in that an entire averaged 206.6 yards through the air ended, with Wabash blanking the aged 289.1 passing yards per game, season rests on one game’s results. against the DePauw secondary. This is Tigers 47-0; that result was similar was held to 84. Koors caught just Regardless of playoffs and confer- mostly due to the fact that the Tigers in many ways to a 2008 game that three passes for 24 yards, way be- ence titles, and individual accolades, have faced good running-based teams featured an undefeated Wabash team low his season average of 114.1. a win in the Bell Game erases a and most defensive game plans have dropping a 36-14 shocker at home. On the ground, Karazsia gained bad year or punctuates a great one. purely focused on stopping the run. Basically, what I’m saying is what 23 yards on 10 carries, also below Wabash is the better team in this DePauw needs to play a per- all of us already know about this his average per game of 57.3. In to- game. The Little Giants have more fect game to beat Wabash. Stopping game: records don’t matter; season tal, the DePauw offense mustered just weapons offensively, and have con- the Little Giant offense is a daunt- statistics don’t matter; number of 95 yards compared to Wabash’s 498. tinually proven they possess a high- ing task. But the Old Gold can do it. all-American players on your roster That’s how defense can win a game. level defense. In special teams, both Putting points on the score- don’t matter (my condolences, Alex The Tigers hope to mirror that squads certainly have playmak- board…the Tigers are hoping senior Koors). What does matter is what strong defense on Saturday at Black- ers that can change a game. This quarterback Will King, DePauw’s team values the Bell more on that giv- stock Stadium in Greencastle. matchup is going to come down fourth starting quarterback this sea- en Saturday. That was painfully ap- Defense has kept the Old Gold to whether Wabash puts DePauw son and backup to Stanford’s An- parent last year. Wabash was able to competitive in almost every game this away early or if the Tigers are able drew Luck in high school, can gen- ride an emotional wave right through season. During the Tigers’ four-game to hang around, rely on their own erate just enough offense and, most DePauw, and an otherwise under- losing streak, the defense surrendered staunch defensive unit and look for importantly, not turn the ball over. whelming season became a success. points because of the offense’s inability a big play or two to win the game. DePauw might be living on a prayer, This year the shoe is on the oth- to drive down the field. The poor field Because if it’s a tight game come the but I’m a believer. I’m calling an up- er foot. And if Wabash thinks for a position limited the field for opponents. fourth quarter, the Little Giants may set win for DePauw at home, 21-24.