GRANVILLE, Ohio (October 2, 2021) – Just like it did the week before, the Denison University football team trailed by two scores in the first quarter before coming back to take the lead in the second half, This time, however, the Big Red were unable to hold on and finish off the job as they fell 39-38 in overtime against undefeated and No. 18 nationally-ranked Wabash College

Trailing 14-0 after the first quarter, Denison began to chip away with back-to-back field goals of 35 yards and then 43 yards by Pat Kramer.

Then after a field goal by Wabash made it 17-6 with 4:37 left to play before halftime, the Big Red went 83 yards in 15 plays before finishing with a three-yard touchdown by Andrew Blanchard with only 24 seconds on the clock. The drive featured 10 running plays, a timely 16-yard pass from Drew Dawkins to running back Trey Fabrocini on third-and-one from Denison's own 26-yard line, and a run for a first down by Blanchard on fourth-and-two from Wabash's five-yard line to set up the touchdown one play later.

Denison then converted the two-point play on a pass from Dawkins to tight end Mack Marston to get the Big Red to within three at 17-14 and prove that Denison was not going to go down without a fight.

And what a fight it was. On the kickoff to start the second half, Denison wasted no time capitalizing on its momentum as freshman Jaylin Epps took the kick 93 yards to the house to put the Big Red ahead for the first time in the game at 21-17.

Kramer then added a 24-yard field goal on Denison's next drive to give the home team a touchdown lead at 24-17; however, Wabash came back to tie it on its next drive on the third passing touchdown of the game by quarterback Liam Thompson.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Little Giants jumped back ahead by a score of 31-24 on its first rushing touchdown of the game with only 2:46 left to play.

Fortunately, the Big Red dug down deep and put together a game-tying drive that was finished off with an incredible 27-yard touchdown catch down the sideline by DJ Johnson on the pass from Dawkins with only 22 seconds left in regulation. Kramer added the extra point try to officially tie the game.

In overtime, Denison went on offense first and came up with a two-yard touchdown rush by Fabrocini, and again, Kramer added the extra point to put Denison up seven, this time at 38-31.

Unfortunately, the Wabash offense was just too much to stop as a rushing touchdown from the one-yard line followed by a two-point conversion passed in for a touchdown on a misdirection play left the Big Red stunned.

In the end, Dawkins was 18-for-29 passing for 146 yards and a score while Johnson had five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown, Josh Aiello had five catches for 35 yards, Fabrocini had four catches for 41 yards, and Marston had three catches for 24 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Fabrocini rushed 17 times for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Denison will now look to benefit from a week off before playing again on Saturday, October 16, at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.