Wittenberg’s home winning streak lasted 12 days short of four years. In that span, the Tigers had won 20 straight at Edwards-Maurer Field, wearing out the Victory Bell and their singing voices with 20 boisterous performances of the fight song.

That ended Saturday with a 27-24 loss to Wabash, also the last team to beat Wittenberg in Springfield on Oct. 18, 2008. Now the two kings of the North Coast Athletic Conference find themselves at 2-1 in the conference and looking up at Ohio Wesleyan (3-0), Allegheny (2-0) and, believe it or not, Kenyon (2-0).

“As tough as this loss was for our team, we’ve still got half of our schedule left to go,” said Wittenberg captain and offensive lineman Matt Widemon. “We’ve got to grind through this and win out.”

All this game lacked was the thrilling climax of so many before it in the series, which has seen five three-point games in the last 14 meetings. This one ended with the “War and Peace” of time-killing drives, a 17-play, 9 minute, 32 second drive by the Little Giants, who kneeled on the ball as the final seconds ticked away.

Wittenberg (4-1 overall) played well against the run in the first half, but couldn’t stop Wabash (4-1) with the game on the line. The big play was a 4th-and-1 decision to go for it by Wabash at its own 45. Tyler Holmes gained 2 yards on the play.

“The difference was we didn’t make many plays offensively in the first half,” Wittenberg coach Joe Fincham said. “When we did get back in the ballgame, you’ve got to give those guys credit for being able to drive the ball like they did at the end when momentum had shifted and things were coming back our way. I really felt if we had gotten the ball back at the end, we had a great chance.”

Wabash quarterback Chase Belton’s passing (12-of-17 for 218 yards) might have opened up the running game.

“We were close in the first half of popping a couple of runs,” Wabash coach Erik Raeburn said, “and their D-line was doing a good job of getting off the blocks. Particularly in that fourth quarter, we finished our blocks a little better.”

Wittenberg trailed 13-3 at halftime and then fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half. The Little Giants took advantage with a quick score and led 20-3.

The Tigers got back in the game with a 72-yard run by Reed Florence. That led to a 9-yard touchdown run by Jimmy Dehnke.

Then Wittenberg’s Heath Eby blocked a punt at the goal line. Jake Kelly recovered it at the 2, and Dehnke punched it in, and the Tigers trailed 20-17.

Down 10 again in the fourth, Wittenberg seized momentum with a fumble recovery and the third touchdown of the half by Dehnke. But Wabash took over and didn’t give the Tigers another chance.