Friday, November 15, 2013
photo by Sunny Strader
MONON120
THE DEPAUW’S SPECIAL EDITION
2 | Monon special section
Friday, NOvember 15, 2013
Tigers see resurgence in second half of season with 4-5 record leading into Monon Bell game
Defensive back Cody Baker, center, fends off Oberlin’s offensive lineman Josh Guisler during the third quarter of the game on October 12th at Nick Mourouzis Field. The Tigers defeated the Yeomen 45-11. SUNNY STRADER / THE DEPAUW By JACOB LYNN sports@thedepauw.com
This year’s Tiger football squad has made an impressive second half resurgence. After starting the year with four straight losses, the Tigers have rebounded with wins in four of their last five games. They now head into the Monon Bell Classic game with a record of 4-5. With new coach Bill Lynch at the helm, the Tigers began the season by traveling to Tennessee to take on Sewanee: University of the South. Trailing 10-0 at halftime, DePauw mounted a charge with an early fourth quarter touchdown that cut Sewanee’s lead to only three. Late in the game, sophomore quarterback Justin Murray drove the Tigers down the field, only to be picked off deep in Sewanee territory.
With that, Sewanee was able to sit on the ball en route to a 10-7 victory. From there, DePauw headed home for its first home game, a North Coast Athletic Coast matchup against Wittenberg University. From the opening kickoff, it was clear that the Tigers were overmatched. Wittenberg scored on its first three possessions and had a 17-0 lead before the Tigers could even get a first down. Things would not get any better for DePauw, as Wittenberg would go on to blow out the Tigers, winning by a score of 45-0. As with the game at Sewanee, DePauw’s week three matchup at Kenyon College was decided late in the game. Trailing by eight points with less than five minutes remaining in the contest, first-year quarterback, Matt
Hunt, executed a scoring drive that put the Tigers in a position to win the game. With 3:59 left in the fourth quarter, first-year Matt Hunt found senior wide receiver Barry Flynn open for a touchdown. Now trailing 28-26, DePauw needed a two-point conversion to tie the game and possibly send it to overtime. However, the Tigers were unable to convert and dropped their third straight game to open the season. The following Saturday, DePauw traveled to Denison University to take on the Big Red and Hunt started for the first time in his DePauw career. Unlike any of the first three weeks, DePauw was able to strike first and actually opened up an impressive 14-0 lead on Denison. DePauw limped into halftime nursing a 21-14 lead. However, the Big Red would go on to score 28 unanswered
second half points and defeat the Tigers 42-28. Hunt was impressive, however, in his debut. The first-year threw for 249 yards and two touchdown strikes. “The transition to Matt [Hunt] wasn’t too difficult,” Flynn said. “It’s the coaches job to decide who starts each week and it’s my responsibility to not worry about that.” With the loss, DePauw sat at 0-4 overall and 0-3 in NCAC play. “We were very competitive in those games, aside from Wittenberg, we were in every game with a chance to win,” Coach Lynch said. “We just had to keep working.” Things would finally go the Tigers way when DePauw returned home for the Old Gold weekend game against Oberlin College. Hunt was the star. He threw for 321 yards, tossed three touchdowns, and ran for another score in DePauw’s 45-11 rout of Oberlin. “We knew that we could play with anyone,” said the standout first-year quarterback. “We just needed to put it all together for sixty minutes.” Following their first win of the season, DePauw went on the road again, this time to face Ohio Wesleyan University. The Tigers jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but the Battling Bishops came roaring back to take a 21-10 lead with only the fourth quarter remaining. DePauw would own the final quarter, scoring 13 points on a Nikko Sansone, senior touchdown run, and two field goals from senior Eric Malm. Hunt took the Tigers on a 14 play, 50 yard drive that culminated in Malm’s 37-yard field goal to win the game. Sansone was the star of this game, rushing for 200 yards on 39 carries. Sansone also had four catches for 55 yards as he helped the Tigers earn their second straight win and improve to 2-4. The following weekend, winless Allegheny came to DePauw to take on the Tigers. Despite their poor record, the Gators scored on their first possession to take an early 7-0 lead. From then on, DePauw controlled
the game. Just six minutes later, Hunt connected with Flynn for a 39-yard touchdown pass. The Tigers took a 13-7 lead into halftime and added ten second half points to easily defeat the Gators 23-7. DePauw saw its three game winning streak come to an end when they dropped a tough 27-24 battle to the College of Wooster. The Tigers jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but were unable to hold onto it, as the Fighting Scots came back to take 13-10 lead early in the second half. The rest of the game would be a back and forth battle. However, in the end, the Fighting Scots edged the Tigers and earned a 27-24 win. Wide-receiver Flynn helped keep the Tigers alive. Flynn’s big afternoon included eight catches for 130 yards and all three of DePauw’s touchdowns. “It was one of those days where I found myself getting open against their defense and Matt [Hunt] was delivering the ball where it needed to be,” Flynn said. “It was unfortunate that we still couldn’t get the job done.” With running back Sansone out of the game with an injury, it was his replacement senior Armani Cato who stepped up and carried the Tigers to a 24-13 win at Hiram College. Cato carried the ball 19 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns and picked the Tigers up on a day when Hunt couldn’t get anything going. Hunt was only 9-27 for 150 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers head into this weekend’s Monon Bell Game with a 4-5 record and nothing to play for but pride. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:07 p.m. at Blackstock Stadium. “This is one of the great college football games played every year,” Lynch said. “When you realize how important this game is to so many people, you really begin to feel the energy build up.”
3 | Monon special section
Friday, NOvember 15, 2013
Wabash dominates season thus far boasting 8-1 season record and an average 48 points per game
Junior Eric Downing after catches the first pass of his career during the game against Kenyon which ended in the score of 48 - 7. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BACHELOR By CHRIS FEDERMANN sports@thedepauw.com
The Little Giants rack up nearly 48 points per game to their opponent average of 10 points per game. That statistic describes powerhouse Wabash College and its 8-1 season thus far. Their most impressive wins include a 69-0 season opener against Hanover College, and a 66-0 win two weeks ago against the Hiram College Terriers. The point is, Wabash is good. Very good. Their scoring offense and scoring defense statistics rank as the best in the conference and fifth and fourth in the nation amongst Division III schools respectively. This combination of stellar offense and shut-down defense has led to Wabash’s great season thus far, winning eight games in a row until their 35-17 defeat last week at the hands of Wittenburg University. DePauw senior wide receiver Barry Flynn said this will affect the way they play on Saturday. “They are one of the top teams in the confer-
ence, just now having their first loss against Wittenburg last week so you know they are going to be fired up,” Flynn said. The Little Giants are currently ranked 17th nationally on the D3football.com Top 25, reaching as high as 13th during the season. Their success can be attributed also to the great plays by their leaders in the key positions on both sides of the ball. Anchoring a defense that allows only 63 rushing yards per game, third best in the nation, is senior linebacker Nate Scola. Out of his 62 total tackles amounted so far this season, an astounding 22 of those were tackles for losses. He averages 2.5 tackles for loss per game, tied for second nationally. Another big contributor at the linebacker position is junior Cody Buresh. His 10 sacks on the season rank sixth in the nation and are a big reason why Wabash leads the conference in sacks with 35. On the opposite side of the ball several sophomores have been putting up very big numbers for Wabash. Leading the offense is sophomore quarterback Michael Putko. Although the offense does not
Grant Klembara ‘15 rushing for 106 yards during the game against Oberlin that ended in a 27 - 10 win. PHOTO COURTESTY OF THE BACHELOR
center on passing as much as other teams, averaging only about 22 pass attempts per game, Putko performs at a very high level. His accuracy on his throws and ability to stray away from turnovers
on offense, ranking first in the conference in rushing yards per game, average yards per carry and rushing touchdowns. Leading this rushing attack is a pair of sophomores in Mason Zurek and Anthony Stella. Zurek has been especially great in the five games he has played so far this season, rushing for 506 yards on only 63 attempts. That adds up to 101 yards per “All the respect to them and their game and an unbelievable eight yards per carry. success.” The DePauw players recognize the lofty challenge that is ahead and are doing all they can to prepare for the game. Senior running back Nikko - Nikko Sansone, senior runningback Sansone offered his opinion on Wabash. “They are a great program and have been for a long time. This will be my third Monon Bell game and just like the two years before they were a powerhouse,” he said. “All the respect to them and their success.” helps out an offense that is third in the conference Flynn agrees and knows it will be a tough fight. in pass efficiency. Putko also has a 63.5 percent “They are going to come out ready to play us completion rate, which ranks fourth in the North hard and we have to understand that and match Coast Athletic Conference. their energy.” Wabash has an absolutely stellar rushing game
4 | Monon special section
Friday, NOvember 15, 2013
The O-Line: Pushing the team forward
5 | Monon special section
Friday, NOvember 15, 2013
DePauw alumnus’s book recounts and celebrates Monon tradition By NICOLE DECRISCIO news@thedepauw.com
Tyler James ’11 never thought that he would write a book, especially within two years of graduating. “I didn’t even have a full time job yet after graduation. I was just doing part time stuff,” James said. “Being a sports writer, you think it’s a cool idea [to write a book]. I certainly didn’t expect that I would be doing this so soon after graduation.” The book, which is titled “The Monon Bell Rivalry: Classic Clashes of DePauw vs. Wabash,” was released at the end of October. James said the book is about “the history and passion behind the rivalry,” and it details the history of the Monon Bell Classic game, personal anecdotes and the shenanigans surrounding the tradition, such as stealing the bell. It can be purchased at Eli’s Bookstore, as well as online through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. James will be returning to campus for this year’s game, and a book signing will be held at Eli’s Bookstore from 10 to 11:30 a.m. before the game on Saturday.
Brittain Phillips ’03, chief operating officer for The History Press, which published the book, had the idea of doing the book as part of a sports rivalry series. “I realized that we needed a Monon Bell project,” “I’m proud of the fact that a DePauw guy wrote the book ... Instead of a damn Wabash guy.” - Greg Schwipps, English professor
Phillips wrote in an email. “One of our acquisitions editors asked if I could help find an author, and for suggestions I turned to Professor Greg Schwipps.” Schwipps ’95, an English professor, had both James and Phillips as students. He immediately thought that James would be a good fit. “It seems like it really worked out,” Schwipps said. “I was happy to be able to help both of them out.” Phillips thought that the book was important for
DePauw and Wabash fans alike. “The Monon Bell rivalry is a touchstone for generations of DePauw and Wabash students and alumni,” Phillips said. “The book is a celebration of an experience that continues to resonate with members of those communities long after they leave Greencastle and Crawfordsville.” James said that the most interesting thing about writing the book was talking to people from the Wabash side of the rivalry. “When I would call them, I usually wouldn’t tell them I was a DePauw grad, unless they’d ask,” James said. Instead, he would normally introduce himself as someone who simply wanted to write a book on the rivalry. “I didn’t want them to hang up on me right away,” James said. James said he enjoyed hearing their side of the tradition, which sometimes differs from the way DePauw tells the story. “I’m proud of the fact that a DePauw guy wrote that book,” Schwipps, also a DePauw graduate, said. “Instead of a damn Wabash guy.”
MONON FLASHBACK Offensive Linemen pictured from left to right: Craig Neece, Daniel Howard, Taylor Shellman, Kody Bontreger and Hunter Logan. SUNNY STRADER/THE DEPAUW By PANYIN CONDUAH sports@thedepauw.edu
When people think about their favorite football player, the star quarterback, the fast running back and even the bigplay wideout usually top the list. The neglected players are often the offensive linemen, the men who provide protection for the skill positions. Although these five players are the least talked about because of the lack of statistics for this position, their role as protectors plays a huge part in the Tigers overall performance. “It starts with us and it ends with us,” said junior Craig Neece as he describes how the offensive linemen lead the game. Neece, junior Daniel Howard, sophomores Kody Bontreger, Taylor Shellman and Hunter Logan, make up DePauw’s five starting offensive linemen. They work as a unit on a day-to-day basis in order to build cohesion. Some of them first started playing football in elementary school, so they are used to the hard grind of football practice six days a week.
Logan enjoys how, as an offensive lineman, he is involved in every aspect of the game. “When people think about football the first thing they think about is hitting people and you get to do that on every single play,” Logan said. Unlike other players, such as the wide receiver, Logan said they get to do their job and begin every offensive play. The offensive linemen find that the most rewarding part of their position is the physical contact they have in the trenches when battling the defensive unit. “I love being physical [and] getting under everybody’s skin,” Neece said. “If you could just upset and ruin somebody else’s day, then there’s nothing like that.” But because of the strength they need to be successful, their work never ends. “As soon as the old season is over, the new season begins and getting stronger is a big part of it,” Bontreger said. The line is looking forward to a bit of a break though. Shellman said he uses his free time after the season ends
to recover from the injuries he has accumulated. “I’ve been told I need to take three to four weeks to heal and then I’m back doing lifting, getting bigger, faster [and] stronger,” he said. Since playing on the offensive line
“I love being physical [and] getting under everybody’s skin,” Neece said. “If you could just upset and ruin somebody else’s day, then there’s nothing like that.” - Craig Neece, junior offensive lineman
requires the players to be big and strong to effectively do their job, they must lift and eat a lot. The players all eat food that helps
them gain “good weight,” such as meats, vegetables and carbohydrates. “I’m a meat and potatoes kind of guy,” Howard said. Shellman likes snacking on almonds while Logan has incorporated a lot of chocolate milk into his diet to gain weight. With all the lifting, eating and general roughness involved with the job, the players often deal with the negative misconceptions people have about their position. “Linemen aren’t just the big guys that stand in the way of people,” said Neece. Instead, his peers on the offfensive line must understand all of the offensive formations, so their jobs of protecting and facilitating offensive efficiency can be achieved. “We’re actually one of the smartest positions besides the quarterback,” said Shellman. The offensive line must recognize the defense’s plays, their pre-snap shifts and be on their toes for defensive audibles throughout the game. Shellman said that the talent on the offensive line has been a major factor in the team’s improving offensive statistics. “We’re scoring a lot more than we
did last year, we’re putting points on the board which is good,” Shellman said. The players are putting up an average of about 20 to 25 points. While the players like a good win, they also remember the low-points in the 2013 season. All the players agreed that the loss in their second game against Wittenberg University was the hardest. “We came in against Wittenberg and the team got beat up pretty good and I got beat up pretty good,” Logan said. In his first game of the season against Sewanee: University of the South, Logan felt like “the big man on campus” after playing his personal best, but felt the blow to his self esteem after the team’s loss against Wittenberg. Despite some losses, the linemen are still confident about their strengths and still believe they could help push the team to victory. “As we go the whole team goes,” Neece said. “If we’re playing well our whole team is going to play well.”
Havercamp makes history in 2007 Bell game By ARTHUR SMALL sports@thedepauw.com
Basketball courts, batting cages and football fields across the country witness the scene countless times a day: a young athlete imagining he has the opportunity to hit the game winning three, home run or touchdown to win the championship. It is a childhood fantasy for any athlete, all the pressure on their shoulders and they deliver. Every time they envision the scenario and the shot goes in, they imagine what it would feel like to
be the hero, if only for a brief moment in time. Then we grow up and realize not everyone is destined to experience that moment. The situation and circumstances need to perfectly synch up and your number needs to be called. The odds are against you. The wonderful thing about the Monon Bell Classic game is that it provides DePauw football players with an opportunity every year to be a hero. This is the story of one of those perfect moments in time for Jordan Havercamp ’10 during the 2007 Monon Bell.
Havercamp, a sophomore transfer kicker from Denison University at the time, had yet to attempt a field goal during the season. For Havercamp, who received small Division I offers, his moment in the spotlight and that perfect swing of his leg was redemption. After choosing to transfer to DePauw because he felt he could easily win the starting kicker job, he was never able to crack the starting line-up even after consistently out-kicking his competition in practice. A story that Hollywood would consider too cheesy was made even more
poetic by Havercamp’s missed extra point earlier in the game. The scene was set for a hero’s ending. With 2.7 seconds left on the clock and the score tied at 21-21, DePauw head football coach Matt Walker asked his inexperienced kicker whether he could hit the most important 47-yard field goal of his life. Havercamp calmly replied that he could. A few minutes later the kicker no one had ever heard of booted a perfect kick through the uprights as the time expired. His body language immediately gave it away; he knew it was good off his foot. Pandemo-
nium ensued, fans rushed the field and mobbed Havercamp. The kick propelled DePauw to a 24-21 victory in the Monon Bell and prevented Wabash from finishing the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record. Six years later, in the same stadium where Havercamp became a campus legend with one swing of his leg, DePauw and Wabash will play for the 120th time in the rivalry’s history. Will fate grant another Tiger the opportunity to live out his long-held childhood fantasy? This is why we love sports.
Friday, Friday, NOvember NOvember 15, 15, 2013 2013
offense
offense
10 20 30 40 50 40 30 20 10 BARRY BARRY FLYNN FLYNN #85 #85 Senior Senior Wide Wide Receiver Receiver
CRAIG CRAIG NEECE NEECE #58 #58 Junior Junior Right Right Tackle Tackle
KEVIN KEVIN UDE UDE #19 #19 Senior Senior Tight Tight End End
HUNTER HUNTER LOGAN LOGAN #74 #74 Sophomore Sophomore Left Left Tackle Tackle
KODY KODY BONTREGER BONTREGER #50 #50 Sophomore Sophomore Left Left Guard Guard
TAYLOR TAYLOR SHELLMAN SHELLMAN #56 #56 Sophomore Sophomore Center Center
ERIC ERIC BROOKS BROOKS #65 #65 Freshman Freshman Right Right Guard Guard
CHARLIE CHARLIE KOLISEK KOLISEK #37 #37 Senior Senior Tight Tight End End
WES WES BROWN BROWN #51 #51 Sophomore Sophomore Left Left Tackle Tackle
MARK MARK RIFFLE RIFFLE #62 #62 Senior Senior Left Left Guard Guard
NATHAN NATHAN BROCK BROCK #75 #75 Junior Junior Center Center
PATRICK PATRICK SINGLETON SINGLETON #73 #73 Senior Senior Right Right Guard Guard
MATT MATT HUNT HUNT #10 #10 Freshman Freshman Quarterback Quarterback
NIKKO NIKKO SANSONE SANSONE #4 #4 Senior Senior Tailback Tailback
D.J. D.J. STEWARD STEWARD #8 #8 Junior Junior Wide Wide Receiver Receiver
CONNOR CONNOR JEFFERS JEFFERS #9 #9 Sophomore Sophomore Wide Wide Receiver Receiver
MICHAEL MICHAEL DEL DEL BUSTO BUSTO #55 #55 Senior Senior Right Right Tackle Tackle
HOUSTON HOUSTON HODGES HODGES #1 #1 Junior Junior Wide Wide Receiver Receiver
JON JON LAIRD LAIRD #7 #7 Senior Senior Wide Wide Receiver Receiver
SEAN SEAN HILDEBRAND HILDEBRAND #23 #23 Senior Senior Wide Wide Receiver Receiver
MICHAEL MICHAEL PUTKO PUTKO #10 #10 Sophomore Sophomore Quarterback Quarterback
defense
TOPHEL TOPHEL SECUSKIE SECUSKIE #91 #91 Senior Senior Defensive Defensive End End
MICHAEL MICHAEL MCMANIS MCMANIS #64 #64 Senior Senior Nose Nose Guard Guard
MICHAEL MICHAEL MITSCH MITSCH #94 #94 Freshman Freshman Defensive Defensive Tackle Tackle
INDI INDI LAVARIAS LAVARIAS #92 #92 Senior Senior Defensive Defensive End End
ANTHONY ANTHONY STELLA STELLA #30 #30 Sophomore Sophomore Runningback Runningback
defense
WILL WILL LONGTHORNE LONGTHORNE #24 #24 Freshman Freshman Outside Outside Linebacker Linebacker
MITCH MITCH DWENGER DWENGER #30 #30 Senior Senior Middle Middle Linebacker Linebacker
TYLER TYLER MCCULLEN MCCULLEN #45 #45 Sophomore Sophomore Defensive Defensive End End
EVAN EVAN RUTTER RUTTER #34 #34 Junior Junior Nose Nose Guard Guard
ZACH ZACH BREUCKMAN BREUCKMAN #98 #98 Senior Senior Defensive Defensive End End
OLLIE OLLIE BAUER BAUER #20 #20 Junior Junior Outside Outside Linebacker Linebacker
A.J. A.J. AKINRIBADE AKINRIBADE #44 #44 Junior Junior Inside Inside Linebacker Linebacker
NATE NATE SCOLA SCOLA #42 #42 Senior Senior Inside Inside Linebacker Linebacker
10 20 30 40 50 40 30 20 10 NICK NICK FREUND FREUND #34 #34 Junior Junior Outside Outside Linebacker Linebacker
LAN LAN SANSONE SANSONE #31 #31 Junior Junior Cornerback Cornerback
CODY CODY BAKER BAKER #16 #16 Freshman Freshman Safety Safety
ADAM ADAM FOLTA FOLTA #7 #7 Sophomore Sophomore Safety Safety
DENNIS DENNIS CALLICUTT CALLICUTT #13 #13 Senior Senior Cornerback Cornerback
CODY CODY BURESH BURESH #39 #39 Junior Junior Outside Outside Linebacker Linebacker
EDDIE EDDIE CMEHIL CMEHIL #13 #13 Sophomore Sophomore Cornerback Cornerback
DELON DELON PETTIFORD PETTIFORD #15 #15 Freshman Freshman Cornerback Cornerback
JUSTIN JUSTIN WOODS WOODS #9 #9 Sophomore Sophomore Safety Safety
DENZEL DENZEL WILKINS WILKINS #32 #32 Junior Junior Safety Safety
WABASH
DEPAUW
6 & 7 | Monon special section
By ERIC ST. BERNARD sports@thedepauw.com
LONGEST WINNING STREAK Wabash holds the longest winning streak in the history of the Monon Classic. The Little Giants won seven straight games, from 1921-1927. The first six games were shutouts in which the combined scores totaled, 121-0.
LONGEST POSSESSION OF THE BELL Prior to the introduction of overtime to college football, DePauw held onto the bell for 10 consecutive years from 1955-1964. With the games in 1956 and 1959 resulting in ties, the rule of that time stated that the winner from the previous year kept custody of the bell.
THE LITTLE GIANTS’ DOMINATING TRIFECTA The latter half of Wabash’s six-game winning streak from 1949-1954 consisted of three shutouts. The 1952, 1953 and 1954 games combined for a 116-0 Wabash triumph.
DEPAUW’S GOLDEN ERA From 1955-1975, DePauw defeated Wabash in all but four of the Monon Bell Games (1965, 1967, 1971, 1972). This Tiger-dominated 20-year stretch began and ended with games that were decided in the last few seconds. In 1955, Fred Williams kicked an 18-yard field goal as time expired to give DePauw a 23-20 victory. In the 1974 game, with 18 seconds left on the clock, a Wabash receiver dropped the ball in the end zone, giving the Tigers a 15-12 victory.
There is only one man in the Tigers’ locker room that knows what it feels like to conquer the Monon Bell: head Coach Bill Lynch. In 2004, Lynch won the Bell game in Crawfordsville, Ind. with a score of 14-7. The win tied the Bell series at 51-51-9. The team, comprised of mostly upperclassmen, saw the seniors get their first Monon Bell victory. Then-first-year running back Jermiah Marks rushed for 96 yards. His fellow running back Jason Murphy and quarterback Ross Weithoff each had a rushing touchdown, which proved to be enough for Tigers’ defense. After the 8-2 season in 2004, Lynch left the athletics program to coach at Indiana University with his long time friend,Terry Hoeppner. Lynch found success coaching the Hoosier offense, helping them score their most points since their 2001 season. Meanwhile, the Tigers lost their next two Bell games. In both the 2005 and 2006 season, DePauw lost the game by score of a field goal. They made up for the close losses the next two seasons, however. The team won the Bell in its 2007 season in a game that became an
instant classic. It was the first Bell game they won since Lynch’s departure. The Tigers won on a heroic last-minute field goal by sophomore transfer Jordan Havercamp. The winning goal was Havercamp’s first kick in his collegiate career. In 2008, DePauw conquered its secondstraight Bell victory. The 7-2 Tigers team travelled to Crawfordsville, where they scored 30 points consecutively against the Little Giants. Since that game, the Wabash rivalry has never been the same. The Tigers lost to Wabash 32-19 in the 2009 season. The game featured a Little Giants squad that was ranked 14th in the nation. In 2010, the Tigers were blown out by Wabash, 47-0, in what was one of the worst losses for either program in Bell game history. Things didn’t get much better the next two years, with the Tigers losing 45-7 in 2011 and 23-0 in 2012. In coach Lynch’s return with the program, he finds himself in a similar position as 2004. His senior core, led by running back Nikko Sansone, wide out Barry Flynn and linebacker Mitch Dwenger don’t know what winning a Monon Bell game feels like, just as his seniors did in the 2004 season. The team’s offense has established a threat similar to those of Lynch’s
Farewell to the Bell Head Coach Bill Lynch teams’ past. One question stands for Lynch: can he repeat his 2004 Bell success almost a decade later?
Raeburn looks for fifth straight Monon Bell victory By ERIC ST. BERNARD sports@thedepauw.com
Wabash College head Coach Erik Raeburn is coming into Nick Mourouzis field expecting a win against the 4-5 Tigers. The Mount Union College alum has won the Bell for four straight seasons, including a 47-0 blowout in 2010 and a 23-0 win 2012. Raeburn only has 10 losses in six seasons with the Little Giants’ program. He has an overall record of 5510, which is an impressive 85 percent winning average. In 2008, his first year with the Little Giants, Raeburn had 11 of his players named to the first-team North Coast Athletic Conference. Prior to that, he coached at Coe College, winning conference championships in 2004 and 2005. His team went 7-0 in the conference, earning them first place. One of their two losses came against DePauw, in what would be coach Raeburn’s sole Monon Bell loss to date. Raeburn made history in his second season with the Little Giants, as he was the first coach in Wabash history to take the Little Giants to the
NCAA Division III playoffs for two consecutive seasons. His 2009 team ranked sixth nationally in rushing defense and quarterback Matt Hudson won the NCAC Player of the Year award. The 6-foot-5-inch quarterback put up some of the best numbers in Division III history. Hudson threw for 8,420 yards and 79 touchdowns in his college career, ranking first in Wabash history in completion percentage, and second in passing yards and passing touchdowns. Hudson is also the third all-time in career passing yards in the NCAC. He has taken the Little Giants to the NCAA Division III playoffs for three of the last five seasons, including a run to the quarterfinals in 2011. His team missed the playoffs in 2010 and 2012, when they went 8-2 each season. Raeburn’s squad is 8-1, with their lone loss being last weeks’ 35-17 loss against Wittenberg University. There is no doubt that Raeburn has created a dynasty in Crawfordsville. Wabash is often listed as conference favorites, and their seasons under Raeburn are examples of the programs’ success.
Date Location Score
November 14, 2009 DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. 32-19, Wabash
After an uneventful first half, the Tigers led 7-6 after Wabash’s extra point was blocked. The Little Giants wasted little time in taking the lead for good in the second half, earning a 51-yard touchdown and then a another after an interception on DePauw’s 14. Overall, DePauw outgained Wabash 450-418 and held a 30-20 advantage in first downs, but committed three turnovers, while the LIttle Giants had none. The Tigers sadly said goodbye to the bell as Wabash tied up the all-time record since the Monon Bell was introduced as the victor’s prize.
Date Location Score
Another rainy day November 13, 2010 Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. 47-0, Wabash
Insult to injury
Date Location Score
The Little Giants dominated the Monon Bell game from start to finish, ending the Tiger’s undefeated record of 9-0 and keeping the Bell in Crawfordsville. Wabash made the score 19-0 by the half. The score blew up in the 21-point third quarter, which made it difficult for the DePauw fans to expect a comeback, especially with DePauw’s 95 total offensive yards. DePauw gained only 11 yards on the ground, and totaled just seven first downs. The Little Giants closed the game with a 43-yard touchdown and sent DePauw off without the Bell, again.
2011
sports@thedepauw.com
Four years of foggy memories
November 12, 2011 DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. 45-7, Wabash
DePauw lost the Monon Bell for the third year in a row making a combined point margin of 144-26 in favor of the Little Giants over the three games. Wabash entered the competition 10-0 and took a commanding 31-0 lead at halftime. The Tiger’s lone touchdown was scored in the third quarter, adding to the low total of 150 offensive yards for a team led by fourth- and fifth-string quarterbacks because of injuries to others. At worst, DePauw fumbled the ball in their own end-zone which Wabash capitalized on for a touchdown.
Little Giants tackle Tigers
2012
By LEAH FREESTONE
For Bill Lynch, thrill of the Monon Bell game is nothing new
9 | Monon special section
Friday, NOvember 15, 2013
2010
Longest Bell streaks in Monon history
Friday, NOvember 15, 2013
2009
8 | Monon special section
Date Location
November 10, 2012 Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.
Score
23-0, Wabash
In the 119th installation of the rivalry the visiting Tigers didn’t score one touchdown, crossed midfield just once, and never threatened the Little Giant defense in the red zone. The Wabash running game ran free for much of the game, and the Little Giants retained the Monon Bell for the fourth straight year, 23-0. Despite trick plays and new offensive formations, the DePauw football team was beaten by Wabash College in the Monon Bell Classic.
Head Coach Erik Raeburn Raeburn will try to hold the longest consecutive Bell wins in the history of the season. The Tigers will be waiting to disappoint.
DePauw totaled 142 yards to Wabash’s 432. The 2-8 season finish is the Tigers’ worst record since 1994.
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Sports Editors predict outcome of 120th Bell Game THE DEPAUW
Little Giants to claim Monon Bell victory
U
sually, when a 4-5 football team with an inexperienced freshman quarterback faces off against an 8-1 program with an all-state offensive player of the year under center, predictions for the game are fairly easy to make. For the upcoming Monon Bell Classic game, however, that is not the case. First, it would be unfair to call Matt Hunt the average first-year quarterback. He is averaging 213 passing yards per game, throwing for 14 touchdowns in only eight games for the Tigers. Hunt’s 1701 yards thus far this season beats out Wabash College quarterback Michael Putko by almost 300 yards. After an 0-2 start to his college career, Hunt has won four of his last five games. The lone loss comes at the hands of the College of Wooster, who the Tigers lost to by only three points on Nov. 2. The Tigers will be returning their leader in allpurpose yards, senior tail back Nikko Sansone. It is hard to imagine Sansone as a non-factor in the last game of his college career. After all, he is averaging 147 all-purpose yards per game, 42 percent of the Tigers offense on the average game. This, however, isn’t the average game. Sansone will have trouble against the thirdbest run defense in the nation, giving up only 63 yards per game. Sansone, senior Armani Cato and sophomore Amen Galley need to mind their Ps and Qs against the Wabash defense, led by linebackers Nate Scola and Cody Buresh. One thing is for certain: the Wabash offense will have a big game. Putko and company puts up 48 points a game, including 69 against Hanover College and 66 against Hiram College. The Little Giants offense puts the team in a position to score on ev-
ery drive. Furthermore, DePauw’s defense has given up touchdowns in the red zone 72 percent of the time this season. Combine that with the loss of junior linebacker Garrett Rice to injury, who had two interceptions earlier this year, and senior defensive tackle Pat Keller, an offensive lineman’s worst nightmare, and the chances of keeping Wabash under 21 points seems slim to none. The Tigers’ chances of winning falls on the shoulders of their 6-foot-5-inch star wide out, senior Barry Flynn. Flynn wouldn’t be put under the pressure that Sansone will have to endure with Wabash’s front seven. The tallest player in the Little Giants’ secondary is 6-foot-1-inch sophomore safety Justin Woods. The Little Giants’ starting corners, who both stand at 5 feet 9 inches, will barely be able to get a hand up against Flynn. Even against double coverage, and less time in the pocket for Hunt, a simple game of pitch and catch between the two will be hard to defend. Two weeks ago, Flynn had eight receptions for 130 yards and three touchdowns against Wooster, tying a school record. Expect a similar stat line on the biggest stage of the Tigers’ season. At the end of the day, with nationally ranked players on both sides of the ball, Wabash has upper hand, and is the favorite to win. Nevertheless, Little Giant head coach Erik Raeburn and the rest of his staff will leave Nick Mourouzis field shaking in fear of what next year may hold. Prediction: Wabash 40, DePauw 27 — Eric St. Bernard is sports editor of The DePauw. sports@thedepauw.com
THE BACHELOR
Drama won’t keep Wabash from the win
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poor start doomed Wabash College Saturday in its only loss of the season to Wittenberg University. Mental errors and bad fundamentals spotted the Tigers a 14-0 lead after one quarter, and a 28-3 lead at the half. The Little Giants will need to start much better this Saturday to retain the Monon Bell for a fifth consecutive year. Four decisive Bell game victories by a combined score of 147-26 have given a notion of dominance in the rivalry by Wabash. A quick DePauw deficit would remove its confidence that things will be different this year. To their credit, the Tigers have some solid wins en route to a 4-4 conference record. They easily handled Oberlin College 45-11, and upset Ohio Wesleyan University on the road, 23-21. DePauw is also streaking. It has won four of its last five with the only loss coming by three points to Wooster. Coach Bill Lynch has returned to the Tiger sidelines and entrusted his offense to first-year quarterback Matt Hunt, and he has delivered. The Indianapolis native has thrown 14 touchdowns to just three interceptions, and averaged over 200 yards passing. Nine of Hunt’s touchdowns have gone to senior receiver Barry Flynn. The tall receiver will cause matchup issues for the Wabash secondary. To further complicate matters, cornerback junior Houston Hodges and sophomore safety Justin Woods will not be available in the first half. Wittenberg’s big receivers used their bodies well against Wabash shielding the defender from the ball. The Tigers will undoubtedly try the same approach with their go-to playmaker, and the
Little Giants need to do a better job tightening down the coverage. However, Saturday will serve as the biggest game of Hunt’s young career. Little Giant pass rushers will need to make him uncomfortable early in the pressure-packed contest. Junior Cody Buresh and senior Nate Scola are third and fourth in the conference’s sack rankings with 10 and 8.5 sacks, respectively. If Hunt struggles to find a rhythm, it should spell a long day for the Tigers as they are not likely to find success on the ground against Wabash’s conference-low 63.4 yards-rushing allowed. Wabash’s offense will need a fast start also as Saturday showed it is not built to play catch up. The unit had little success in coming up with quick-strike-scoring plays to eliminate Wittenberg’s lead. When successful, the Little Giants have pounded the ball on the ground and mixed in a variety of play-action and quick-screen passes. Wabash tops the conference in rushing with almost 240 yards-per-game, despite five running backs receiving a significant amount of carries at some point this season. Saturday’s Bell game should provide a little more drama than in recent memory, but a ticked off, hungry Wabash team will set the tone early and remind everyone its football program is still on a higher level than DePauw. Prediction: Wabash 31, DePauw 10
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Continuing the Monon tradition across the country THE DEPAUW REPORTS sports@thedepauw.com
After graduation, DePauw University and Wabash College students often move their tailgates from the parking lot to bars across the country by way of the annual Monon Bell Classic viewing parties. “Half of the bar was decorated in black and gold and half of it was red and white,” said alumna Kaitlin Klose. Klose attended a viewing party two years ago during her DePauw days when she spent a semester off -campus in Los Angeles. “You could see the divide where people stood.” This Saturday, alumni from Wabash College and DePauw will flock to Greencastle to watch the annual Monon Bell Classic. But with 67 parties in 29 states — stretching as far as Los Angeles, and as
close as Indianapolis — many alumni will gather elsewhere to cheer for their alma mater. Last year, nearly 1,000 DePauw alumni watched in bars and homes across the country, and this year DePauw University alumni relations expects similar numbers. The viewing parties are important to alumni from both schools, providing a way for former students to participate in the Monon Bell tradition. Klose said that many of the attendees were much older than she was. “I was probably the youngest by about ten years, some of them had kids who were my age. But they were all friendly, and interested in what I was doing.” However, Klose said that the competition was still fierce between DePauw and Wabash alumni at the viewing party she attended. “The rivalry was similar as to how it is
here,” she said. “The forty-year-old men from Wabash were still devoted to beating DePauw, and they weren’t afraid to show it.” Brent Harris, director of sports information and marketing for Wabash College, thinks that for former students, coming together to watch the game is a way to be a part of the Wabash alumni community, and the same goes for DePauw. “These schools are producing very similar students, very similar people,” Harris said. “The viewing parties are a common experience for alumni from both schools. It’s something other schools try to mimic, and something we should continue to cherish.” A complete list of locations telecasting the Monon Bell Classic can be found on DePauw University’s website. Local gatherings can also be found on Facebook.
STATES WITH THE MOST TELECAST PARTIES Indiana - 9 parties Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis (3), Michigan City, Muncie, Munster, South Bend Florida - 6 parties Jacksonville, Miami, Naples, Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa California - 5 parties Newport Beach, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Monica
CONNOR JEFFERS
There’s no doubt that the Monon Bell Classic is the game that every DePauw student and alumni marks on their calendar each year. During the entire week leading up to the game, you can feel and see the excitement on campus. This is the type of game that every football play-
bash Little Giants once during the entire season until after we had beat Hiram College last Saturday. We have stayed true to head Coach Bill Lynch’s “process” by taking on the season one week at a time. Each week, all of our energy and focus goes into beating our opponent on that given Saturday just as it will this week for the game against Wabash. Many people have asked how we plan to prepare for an 8-1 Wabash team that surrenders less than a touchdown per game. The answer is, the same way we have prepared all season. Our process and way of preparing hasn’t been thrown out the window because we have a big game coming up. While we are preparing the same ways, there is no doubt that the Monon Bell week brings an excitement to the practice field different from any
Texas - 4 parties Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio North Carolina - 3 parties Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh
By MATT COSTAKIS sports@thedepauw.com
— Jocelyn Hopkinson is the sports editor for The Bachelor, Wabash College’s student newspaper. jehopkin15@wabash. edu
other week. It’s hard not to get excited even from just practicing in front of those extra bleachers for the anticipated crowded. Each rep means that much more, and the players find a little more time in their days to watch extra film on Wabash. We have considered each game this season an opportunity, and that is exactly how I view this game. Take away the fans and the extra stands, and this is just one more opportunity for us to go out there as a team and show what we can do. So get your black and gold on this Saturday, and let’s go get that Bell back. — Jeffers is a sophomore from Batesville, Ind., whose major is undeclared.
Ohio - 3 parties Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus
More than just a game: A reflection on the rivalry
Monon from the field: a player’s perspective er dreams of being a part of, as one of the most exciting rivalries in college football. While this is only my second Monon Bell game, there is nothing more exhilarating than running onto the field in front of nearly 8,000 fans cheering, cursing and yelling. But this weekend isn’t about those 8,000 fans in the stands or the other 2,300 students at DePauw. It’s not about the massive tailgates or the TV stations that will be broadcasting the game across the nation. This Saturday is about the 97 men that will suit up alongside me, just as it has been for the past 9 games long before the hype of Monon, the TV cameras and the packed stands. While students and alumni have been looking forward to Monon for months, as a team we have not talked about the Monon Bell Game or the Wa-
Illinois - 5 parties Chicago (2), Forest Park, Naperville, Peoria
Monon 2012 /THE DEPAUW
The celebrated rivalry between DePauw University and Wabash College encompasses far more than two football teams vying for a 300-pound locomotive bell. While the annual football game itself is the occasion that draws national publicity and brings the student body and alumni of the two schools separated by only 27 miles inside of one stadium, the connection between the two liberal arts institutions goes beyond the yearly gridiron showdown. For those fortunate enough spend time on the campus of either DePauw or Wabash, the presence of the opposing school is clear each day in the week leading up to the game. This perpetual presence of a university close in distance with similar approaches to academics, athletics, and professional ambitions is what motivates DePauw and Wabash students each and every day. This symbiotic relationship between the two schools moves students to attend games and root passionately for their home team, transcends the sphere of athletics. Forbes Magazine ranked both universities within the top 200 collegiate institutions in the world. The DePauw and Wabash rivalry is an essential unifying factor amongst the respective student bodies. This game has stood the test of time and endures to remain meaningful to those involved in both universities is a testament to pride of those tied to DePauw and Wabash, and also a verification of the importance of each university to the success and growth of one another.
WABASH
12 | Monon special section
Friday, NOvember 15, 2013
Baustin’s bossy ballads
DEPAUW
BOTH
Tailgating changes to separate Tigers, Little Giants By NETTIE FINN news@thedepauw.com
The tailgating venue for Monon Bell Classic will look a lot different to those who remember it from 2011, the last time DePauw hosted the match up between the Tigers and the Wabash College Little Giants. Changes to DePauw’s campus due to construction have led to changes in how tailgating before the 1 PM game will be arranged. One change is that instead of side-by-side tailgating between DePauw and Wabash fans as in past years, the fan bases of the opposing teams will be separated. While DePauw students, faculty, alumnae and fans have been designated the Blackstock parking lot, Wabash supporters will have tailgating space in the parking lot of the Intramural fields. “When we went to Wabash last year they had designated a field for us, so that’s what we’re doing for them here,” Athletic Director Stevie BakerWatson said. “I remember going to a meeting last year at Wabash and being told, ‘[DePauw has] this lot, just south of the fine arts center, that’s where [DePauw will] tailgate. All that parking that’s over there by the stadium, don’t go over there.’” Though Baker-Watson admitted the Intramu-
ral fields are not as closely situated to Blackstock Stadium as would be ideal, she feels the overall tailgating experience will be better for the change. “We intentionally separate [Wabash and DePauw fans] from a game perspective,” she said. “So seating is separate, concession stands are separate, and now the tailgating will be separate.” However, there will still be opportunities for game attendees with a foot in both camps to intermingle. “We actually have a combo DePauw and Wabash family gathering in the Olin Lot,” Baker-Watson said. That will allow Wabash and DePauw fans to meet without crossing into each other’s space.” Another change was to have parking presold. Those who purchased tickets online were sent emails alerting them that parking was being sold at 10 dollars per space, with up to two spaces being sold per transaction. “The Blackstock lot is actually already sold out as of last Tuesday the fifth,” Director of Public Safety Angie Nally said. This choice to move to presale parking was made to help things run smoothly on the day of Monon itself. “That way, the morning of I don’t have someone standing there with a wad of cash in their pocket and I don’t have people waiting in line
WEATHER day: Nov. 16
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thinking they’re going to get in only to get turned away when they’re that last car,” Baker-Watson said. Those who purchased parking were given hangtags for their mirrors and will be allowed into the parking lot at staggered times after 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. “Athletics has really taken the lead on reserving tailgates and trying to make it less of a parking lot and more of an event space,” Nally said. Aside from the Wabash and DePauw tailgating separation, the presale of tickets and what is sure to be an “influx” of people, according to Nally, this tailgate is not very different from those earlier in the year. All tailgating rules will still be in place and the DePauw tailgating community will remain in the Blackstock Lot. “For anybody whose come to any of the games thus far it will probably look similar to that from a DePauw standpoint,” Baker-Watson said. She also added that though she hopes the tailgate goes well, it is not the focal point of the weekend. “I always like to remind people that we’re here for a football game. I really hope that parking lot is fun, but I really hope they come in the game.”
THE PANCAKE SHOT
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showers 40% chance of rain wind: SSE at 14 mph
showers 60% chance of rain wind: S at 13 mph
night: Nov. 16
Monon festivities start early. While this drink does not consti-
The Monon Bell Classic is a special time to get together with friends, family, and alumni to share a weekend we know all too well filled with Friday night shenanigans and a Saturday of tailgating and football. We wish the best to the Tigers as they attempt to end the Little Giants four-year winning streak. This weekend I would like to give you a perfect party playlist. Many of these songs will play on WGRE all weekend, while others will make their appearance at the many tailgates and parties going on this weekend. Keep on listening and enjoy.
1. “The Future is Yours” by Kraak and Smaak 2. “Farrah Fawcett Hair” by Capital Cities 3. “Afterlife” by Arcade Fire 4. “The Mother We Share” by CHVRCHES 5. “Alive” by Empire of the Sun 6. “Come & Get It” by Krewella 7. “White Noise” by Disclosure 8.“Evil Eye” by Franz Ferdinand 9. “Is This How You Feel” by The Preatures 10. “You Took Your Time” by Mount Kimbie feat. King Krule 11. “Pepe Lopez” by Action Bronson 12. “Girlfriend” by Streets of Laredo 13.“What’s In My Head” by Fuzz 14. “Miasma Sky” by Baths 15. “The Monster” by Eminem feat. Rihanna 16. “Cocoa Butter Kisses” by Chance the Rapper feat. Vic Mensa & Twista
Make sure to listen to “The Ballad of the Monon Bell” before the game too! – Playlist compiled by Brian Austin.
combine & serve
ON SUNDAY: KEEP AN EYE ONLINE FOR 1 oz. of jameson whiskey 1 oz. Butterscotch Schnapps
The DePauw sports editor
ERIC ST. BERNARD’S MONON RECAP www.thedepauw.com