ST. LOUIS – The Case Western Reserve University football team lost the inside track to the 2013 University Athletic Association Championship in a 29-0 defeat at the hands of Washington University in St. Louis on Saturday afternoon at Francis Field.

The Spartans (4-4, 1-1 UAA) will close out the season next Saturday, November 16 in the 28th Annual Academic Bowl at rival Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.). The Bears (7-2, 2-0 UAA) clinch at least a share of the UAA Championship and stay alive for an at-large berth to the NCAA Playoffs.

Case would need a win at CMU coupled by a Washington loss at home to the University of Chicago in order to grab a share of the league title. The Spartans have won four of the past six UAA Championships (2007-09, '11).

To say Washington controlled the pace in the first half would be an understatement. The hosts held a 21:25 to 8:35 advantage in time of possession and outgained the Spartans, 221-69.

The dominance began early on as the Bears took the opening possession of the game 73 yards on 18 plays and ate 9:30 off of the clock as Alex Hallwachs hit a 21-yard field goal to put his team in front, 3-0. Almost a quarter later, Washington added to its lead thanks to a 10-yard touchdown run by Cody Ratterman. Hallwachs hit the extra point and the Bears led 10-0 with 7:46 left before halftime.

A turnover on downs by the Spartans deep in their own end set the Bears up on the following drive with possession at the visitor 22. Five plays later, Hallwachs hit a 22-yard field goal to bump the score to 13-0.

The Spartans were unable to generate a score or run out the clock on the their next possession, and the Bears capitalized with a 51-yard TD run by quarterback Eric Daginella with 48 seconds left on the clock. Hallwachs' second PAT made the score 20-0 headed into the locker room.

In the second half, Daginella threw a 38-yard TD pass to Tim Bartholomew at 2:29 in the third quarter, and the Bears added a safety with 7:45 left to play to make the final, 29-0.

Statistically, Case was led on offense by freshman wide receiver John Mangelluzzi (Gates Mills, Ohio/Mayfield) with 51 yards on six receptions. Defensively, senior linebacker Scott Campbell (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls), sophomore linebacker Aaron Weisberg (Plantation, Fla./American Heritage) and second-year safety Scott Suren (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) tied for the game high with 10 tackles. Sophomore outside linebacker Everett Dishong (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) finished with seven tackles, including two for loss and a sack.  

Daginella finished the game with 171 yards passing and 66 on the ground. Ratermann eclipsed the 100-yard plateau with 110 rushing.