Wabash College recorded a comfortable 71-7 win over Spanish club team Barcelona Uroloki at the Estadi Municipal Joan Serrahima in the Catalan capital.
Kicker Derek Fox made nine extra point attempts to earn MVP honors as the Little Giants built on a 30-0 half time lead to see of the spirited challenge of the hosts whose MVP was fullback Alberto Garcia Cano.
Freshman running back Matt Penola opened the scoring with a two-yard run and Fox tagged on the first of his PATs to open a 7-0 lead, which was quickly increased as freshman Joel Janak claimed a safety.
A second Penloa scoring run and Fox kick made it 16-0 before Luke Kseniak recorded a 20-yard tackle for a loss on bad snap.
Drake Christen returned an Uroloki punt 45 yards to extend the advantage to 23 points then after a fumble recovery by Brock Heffron got the ball back, Tom Garrity’s 10-yard run and another automatic Fox kick made it 30-0.
Kseniak had a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown called back for pass interference and when Barcelona threatened in reply, a Tommy Allgood pass break up in end zone on fourth and goal from the seven shut down the Uroloki. As the defense stood firm, Ethan Shultz’s tackle for a loss put paid to another fourth down attempt
The defensive stand resumed after the interval with Connor Karns producing sack on fourth down.
When the offense had the ball in its hands, freshman quarterback Austin Nightingale hit Gage Ulery for 25 yards opening up the field for a Penola 25-yard run for his third touchdown of the afternoon, a Fox kick and a 37-0 lead.
Kirby Cox made it 44-0 on a reverse, before Barcelona put points on the board win an 80-yard Ramon pass to Juarez on a double reverse.
Wabash replied with a Kirby Cox 70-yard kickoff return to the Barcelona 15, but the Little Giants were unable to turn the field position into points. On the Americans’ next possession Jordan Culp’s one-yard scoring run was followed by the only missed kick attempt of the game as a 50-7 advantage opened up.
A Shultz fumble recovery led to freshman Dillan Howard’s seven-yard scoring run, then Trenton Brazel’s interception set up Allgood’s 64-yard pass to Cox and a 64-7 advantage once Fox had again split the uprights. Karns completed the scoring with a 60-yard run late in the game.