ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Senior wide receiver Zach Homyk (Chicago, IL/St. Ignatius Prep) caught the game-winning touchdown from senior quarterback Joey Baum (Dalton, OH/Walsh Jesuit) with 46 seconds remaining in the game as the Case Western Reserve University football team rallied to defeat the University of Rochester on Saturday, September 11 at Fauver Stadium.

The Spartans improve to 2-0 overall heading into a bye week and have now won 33 consecutive regular season games. Rochester falls to 0-1 and has now lost three straight to Case.

Case took the opening drive 29 yards on five plays and scored when Baum connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Homyk. The point after from senior Sam Coffey (Middletown, OH/Lakota East) made the score 7-0 at the 12:44 mark.

Rochester threatened to score on two consecutive possessions at the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second but had both drives stopped at the Case 33 with a turnover on downs and an interception by senior defensive back Zach Hass (Peru, IN/Peru).  

However, Case's next possession resulted in an interception by Yellowjacket DB Kobie Hamm that was returned to the Spartan 28. Rochester then found the endzone 10 plays later when QB Patrick Keegan tossed a three-yard score to WR Tony Messana on fourth-and-goal from the three. The ensuing PAT by Zachary White-Stellato tied the score at 7-7 with 5:13 left in the half.

The next Spartan drive sputtered out in four plays and Rochester followed with a nine-play, 34-yard drive that ended in a White-Stellato 38-yard field goal with 11 seconds left before half.

Case tried to rally on its second possession of the second half but had a 13-play, 84-yard drive end in an interception by Cole Valko in the Rochester endzone.  

The defense kept the Spartans alive in the fourth quarter when senior linebacker Lucas Sasala (Kittanning, PA/Kittanning) and junior LB Jacob Adams (Cincinnati, OH/Princeton) stuffed Rochester RB Clarence Onyiriuka on fourth and one at the Case 20.

Case's next two drives reached Rochester territory but each ended in long missed field goal attempts.

Undaunted, the Spartans took their final possession of the game 82 yards on five plays and scored the winner when Homyk made one of his game-high 13 receptions for 161 yards.

For the game, Baum completed 27-of-36 passes for a career-high 346 yards. Defensively, Adams posted 12.5 tackles and sophomore linebacker Michael Fioramonti (Loxahatchee, FL/Seminole Ridge) finished with 11.

Rochester's Keegan completed 12-of-27 for 122 yards and Onyiriuka rushed for a game-high 119 yards on 23 carries.

Following the bye week, Case returns to action on Saturday, September 25, versus Denison University at 7:00 p.m. at Case Field in Cleveland. The game is designated as Heritage and Fireworks Night and will include Case throwback uniforms and a postgame firework display.