122nd Monon Bell Classic "Has Nearly Everything on the Line"
November 13, 2015
"It’s not like the Monon Bell Classic needs anything more to add to it." writes Jonathan Batuello in the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. "But in case Wabash College’s recent dominance against DePauw University had dwindled the fire, this season’s contest has nearly everything on the line."
He adds, "There’s the always-present pride and intensity that goes into the rivalry’s 122nd game, but this Saturday’s game at 1:07 p.m. at Blackstock Stadium on DePauw’s campus offers so much more. This year is the first time the game is being played for an automatic bid to the NCAA Div. III tournament. It is also the third time in history the two teams are playing for a conference championship and first since 1996."
"It’s hard to say it could get any bigger than our rivalry already is, but certainly there is a lot more on the line this year than there has been the last few years," Wabash head coach Erik Raeburn tells the newspaper.
Wabash is 9-1, DePauw comes in at 8-1.
"Their defense is very, very difficult to go against and they don’t let you run the ball," says DePauw head coach Bill Lynch. "They’re great against the run and then they get you in third and long and that’s when their pass rush gets after you … It’s going to be a challenge for us but we’re going to have to play well on first downs where we aren’t in those third and longs because that’s when they really begin to dominate."
"Wabash boasts one of the best rushing attacks in the country, ranked No. 20 behind running back Mason Zurek, and DePauw has a rushing defense that is No. 7 in the country," reports Batuello, a 2010 DePauw graduate. "All of this goes into a contest with lots of implications, but there is also one more than can tie a historic mark in the rivalry. Wabash is playing for its seventh consecutive victory in the rivalry, which would tie the longest winning streak currently held and set by Wabash in 1927 (the longest unbeaten streak, which 
includes ties, is owned by DePauw with 10)."
Access the story at the paper's website.
Saturday's game kicks off at 1:07 p.m. (EST) and will be televised nationally by AXS TV.
A preview of the contest with a link to game notes, stats and the WGRE radio broadcast is available here.
History of the rivalry can be accessed at DePauw's Monon Bell web page, including "Monon Memories" of all 121 games.
A limited edition DVD will be produced after Saturday's game and is available here.
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