DePauw Comes Up Short in 113th Monon Bell Classic, 23-20

November 11, 2006

[Download Video: "2006 Monon Memory" - 8811kb]; Order Your Monon Bell DVD Here

Monon Bell 2006-1.jpg November 11, 2006, Crawfordsville, Ind. - The DePauw Tigers roared back from a 14-0 deficit in the second half, but Wabash College held off the visitors and retained possession of the Monon Bell this afternoon, 23-20. The loss ends DePauw's season at 6-4; Wabash finishes at 8-2. Wabash now leads the all-time series 53-51-9, while DePauw still holds a 35-34-6 edge in Monon Bell games.

[Download Video: "A Wabash Connection" - 1211kb] A 32 yard pass from Wabash's Dustin Huff to Tim Schirack, the final play of the first quarter, set up the game's first score. [Download Video: "Paydirt" - 1133kb] Two plays later, Shane Keffer ran the ball in from 2 yards out. The Little Giants missed the extra point, and led Monon Bell 2006-2.jpg 6-0.

Just before halftime, [Download Video: "14-0 Wabash" - 1527kb] Huff and Schirack teamed up for a 9 yard touchdown strike. Wabash executed the two-point conversion and took a 14-0 lead to the locker room.

But the Tigers clawed back. On their first possession of the second half, [Download Video: "Marks Gains 16" - 933kb] DePauw's Jeremiah Marks picked up 16 yards on a draw play. [Download Video: "DePauw Scores" - 1119kb] He rumbled in for a touchdown on the next play, and it was a 14-7 contest.

[Download Video: "It's Loose!" - 1844kb] Wabash fumbled the kickoff that followed, and with the ball back in its possession, DePauw went on another march. [Download Video: "Marks Again" - 1822kb] The drive ended with a touchdown when Marks plunged in from about a yard out, and the score was knotted at 14.

[Download Video: "Tables Turn Again" - 1307kb] Wabash reclaimed the lead late in the third quarter when Huff completed a ten yard scoring pass to Mike Russell. The extra point gave the Little Giants a 21-14 advantage.

[Download Video: "A Safety" - 1520kb] That expanded by two points when DePauw quarterback Spud Dick was sacked at the goal line for a safety.

With less than a half a minute remaining in the game, Monon Bell 2006-4.jpg Spud Dick threw two consecutive long completions to fellow freshman Bryan Mulligan, [Download Video: "The Final Drive" - 1221kb] first for 42 yards to the Wabash 35, [Download Video: "To the Four" - 940kb] then a 31 yard pass to the 4. Dick spiked the ball, [Download Video: "Touchdown!" - 1611kb] then completed a four yard TD pass to David Araiza. The extra point was no good, and DePauw was unable to recover the onside kick with just a few seconds remaining on the clock.

Today's game was televised nationally by HDNet. Alumni gathered at parties in 53 cities across the country to cheer on the Tigers.

Voted Indiana's best college sports rivalry by fans of ESPN, the Monon Bell Classic will again be the subject of a commemorative DVD. Monon Bell 2006-5.jpg The disc will contain every play of the contest, plus a treasure trove of historic and special features, including an extensive photo gallery from today's game, and is available for $15 (plus $3 shipping; Indiana residents will also be charged 6% sales tax). Read more about the disc, which will contain a number of "Monon Memories" of past games, here.