Two Case Touchdowns Late in First Half Lead to 28-7 Setback for Scots

Robert Flagg

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The College of Wooster held nationally-ranked Case Western Reserve University (No. 15 D3football.com, No. 16 American Football Coaches Association) to a season-low 28 points on Saturday afternoon, but it was not enough as the Fighting Scots fell 28-7 in the northeast Ohio schools' annual match-up, played at a sunny, warm Case Field.

The key sequence of the game came late during the first half when Case (5-0), which wins the Baird Brothers Trophy for the second year in a row, scored two quick touchdowns.

Leading 7-0 with 4:40 to go in the second quarter, the Spartans took over on their own 27-yard line. Early in the drive, Case was backed up, facing a 3rd-and-13, however, a scrambling Dan Whalen found Zach Homyk for 30 yards down the right sideline. On the ensuing play, Whalen hit Ryan Kolesar on a short crossing pattern over the middle and he turned it into a 38-yard gain down to the eight. Following a near-interception on 1st-and-goal, Whalen connected with Shaun Nicely for the score at the 2:25 mark.

Wooster (4-1) proceeded to go three-and-out on the ensuing possession, giving it back to the Spartans at their own 41 with 1:38 remaining in the half. Whalen directed the Spartan offense down the field, again converting a long 3rd-down play in the process, this time 3rd-and-15 from the Scot 30. The drive ended with another Whalen-to-Nicely touchdown pass, as the duo hooked up on a 10-yard slant from the left.

Down 21-0, the Scots would get back into it as they opened the second half with a 76-yard touchdown march. Wooster had two long plays – a 19-yard rush by Robert Flagg (Oldsmar, Fla. / Dunedin) to midfield and a 36-yard pass from Austin Holter (Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown-Monroe) to Zack Gust (Bannock, Ohio / Union Local) on a 3rd-and-9. Flagg capped the drive with a four-yard run to the right, marking the freshman's first career touchdown. He had two called back by penalties last week.

Just five plays later, though, Case's explosive offense was back in the end zone. The Spartans gained a first down, then picked up 21 yards on a Whalen pass and 22 more on a Billy Deitman rush on back-to-back plays, the second resulting in a score that made it a three-touchdown game again (28-7).

Neither side would score again, although the Scots did penetrate Case territory on three of their five remaining possessions. They never advanced the ball past the Spartan 30, though.

For the game, Wooster had more first downs (20-18) and outgained Case 376-373, but lost the turnover battle 2-0.

Holter threw for a season-high 230 yards, completing 21-of-42 passes without an interception, and he also led the team in rushing with 79 yards on 13 attempts. Also for the Scots, Mike Redick (Wooster, Ohio / Northwestern) made a career-high eight receptions for 68 yards and Flagg contributed 68 yards as well – 46 receiving on four catches and 22 rushing on five carries.

Whalen keyed the Spartans to victory, going 17-of-31 through the air for 247 yards, with Nicely being on the receiving end of eight of those for 86 yards. Deitman led them in rushing with 43 stripes on five touches, while Case's other touchdown came via Corey Checkan on a four-yard run on the initial drive.

Next Saturday afternoon, Wooster will host Washington University-St. Louis (3-2) in the schools' first-ever meeting on the gridiron.