Maroons Fall to #17 Wabash

CHICAGO -- Scoring three of its seven touchdowns on special teams and defense, 17th-ranked Wabash defeated Chicago 49-7 Saturday at Stagg Field.

Chase Belton threw the first of his three touchdown passes, a 6-yard strike to Wes Chamblee, for the only scoring of the first quarter.

Wabash (3-0) scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, first on a Nate Scola 34-yard blocked punt return.

Belton then connected with Brady Young from 12 yards away and with Jonathan Horn on a 43-yard completion to put the Little Giants on top 26-0 at halftime.

A 94-yard Chamblee punt return and a 22-yard Ian McDougall field goal increased Wabash's advantage to 36-0 after three quarters.

Chicago (2-2) got on the board early in the fourth quarter when Vincent Cortina  connected on a 16-yard scoring play with junior wideout Dee Brizzolara.

The catch extended Brizzolara's career-long consecutive games receptions streak to 23 games and his touchdown receptions streak to nine games.

Wabash closed out the scoring on a 21-yard touchdown scamper by Vann Hunt and a 68-yardDavid Direnfeld interception return in the game's final minute.

Belton finished the day 10 for 17 for 151 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Cortina was 8-of-17 for 81 yards, one touchdown, and three picks.

Horn had five catches for 77 yards, while Tyler Holmes rushed for 60 yards on 10 carries as Wabash extended its series winning streak to four games.

The loss was the Maroons' first in nine games at Stagg Field dating back to the 2009 campaign.