Case Western Reserve Spartans (3-3, 3-3 PAC)
No. 16/18 Washington & Jefferson Presidents (6-0, 4-0 PAC)
Saturday, October 25, 2014 - 2:00 p.m.
Cameron Stadium - Washington, Pa.
LIVE VIDEO: http://washjeffsports.tv/broadcasts/index.cfm?fuseaction=usrbrd&broadcasterid=59090&mobi=0
LIVE AUDIO: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm
LIVE STATS: http://www.sidearmstats.com/washjeff/football/
Download the complete CWRU game notes in .pdf format by clicking HERE.
THE MATCHUP
The Case Western Reserve University football team begins a brutal three-game stretch on the road versus No. 16/18 nationally ranked Washington & Jefferson College (Pa.) on Saturday, October 25 at 2:00 p.m. at Cameron Stadium. The Spartans are 3-3 both overall and in the Presidents' Athletic Conference following a 33-19 Homecoming win versus Geneva College (Pa.). The Presidents are 6-0 overall and in first place in the PAC at 4-0. W&J is ranked 16th in the nation by the AFCA and 18th by D3football.com.
SERIES NOTES/LAST MEETING
Saturday's gridiron meeting will be the first between Case Western Reserve and Washington & Jefferson since 1985. The schools met annually from 1970-85, and W&J holds a 9-7 lead in the all-time series. CWRU had won three straight meetings from 1982-84 before W&J claimed the last, 20-13, in Cleveland.
THE COACHES
Case Western Reserve is coached by Greg Debeljak, who is in his 11th season in 2014 with a 75-34 (.688) record. Debeljak has led the Spartans to four UAA Championships in the last seven years with three consecutive undefeated (10-0) regular seasons and NCAA Playoff berths from 2007-09. Since the beginning of the 2007 season, Case Western Reserve has posted an outstanding overall record of 62-17, earning Debeljak and his assistants the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year award four times (2007-09, '11). In addition, CWRU has been ranked in the AFCA Top 25 in four of the past seven seasons (2007-10).
Mike Sirianni is in his 12th season at W&J with an overall record of 107-24. Sirianni is a five-time PAC Coach of the Year, and he entered the 2014 season ranked fourth in winning percentage amongst active 10-plus year coaches at all levels of the NCAA. During Sirianni's tenure, the Presidents have qualified for the NCAA Playoffs eight times.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Through six games, the Spartans have averaged 22.5 points, 118.5 yards rushing, 216.0 yards passing and 334.5 total yards per game. CWRU opponents have averaged 19.6 points, 108.8 yards rushing, 225.3 yards passing and 334.1 total yards per game. With a +3 performance against Geneva, the Spartans improved their turnover ratio to -3.
CWRU STATISTICAL LEADERS
Senior QB Billy Beecher (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area) has completed 120-of-204 passes (58.8%) for 1,177 yards with 10 TDs and five INTs. Beecher has also rushed for 95 yards and two TDs. Sophomore RB Anthony Bianco (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) has rushed for 183 yards on 55 carries (3.3 ypc) with one TD, while freshman RB Anthony Canganelli (Mayfield Heights, Ohio/Mayfield) has 181 yards rushing on 38 carries (4.8 ypc) with a score. Junior FB Adam Hochman (Austin, Texas/Anderson) has 115 yards rushing on 20 carries (5.8 ypc) with a team-best four total TDs (two rushing/two receiving). Sophomore WR Brendan Lynch (Sarver, Pa./Freeport Area) has a team-high 31 receptions for 278 yards (9.0 ypc) and a pair of TDs. Freshman WR Luke DiFrancesco (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) has 18 receptions for 182 yards (10.1 ypc) with one TD, while junior TE Ethan Albers (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty) has hauled in 14 catches for 183 yards (13.1 ypc) and three scores.
Defensively, junior OLB KJ Pederson (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) leads the team with 57 tackles, including two sacks, to go along with a forced fumble and two pass break-ups. In less than three full games, fellow junior OLB Everett Dishong (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) has 29 tackles with team bests of 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. Junior CB Mike O'Donnell (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) has 22 tackles and a team-best two interceptions.
SCOUTING THE PRESIDENTS
Through six games, the Presidents have averaged 49.1 points, 236.3 yards rushing, 302.3 yards passing and 538.6 total yards per game. The Presidents rank fourth in the nation both scoring offense and total offense. W&J opponents have averaged 18.3 points, 127.0 yards rushing, 191.6 yards passing and 318.6 total yards per game. The Presidents boast a +9 turnover ratio.
W&J STATISTICAL LEADERS
Offensively, sophomore QB Pete Coughlin has completed 139-of-194 passes (71.6%) for 1,686 yards with 18 TDs versus just two INTs. Junior RB Ryan Ruffing has rushed 186 times for 934 yards (5.0 ypc) with 16 TDs and hauled in 10 receptions for 190 yards (19.0 ypc) with a pair of scores. Sophomore RB David Kincaid has 203 yards rushing on 30 carries (6.8 ypc) with two TDs. Senior WR Max Creighan has a team-high 38 receptions for 408 yards (10.7 ypc) with four TDs. Junior WR Daniel Lis has 36 catches for a team-best 437 yards (12.1 ypc) with five scores.
Defensively, senior LB Jared Pratt has a team-high 64 tackles to go along with an INT and a forced fumble. Junior DE Jon Turner has 34 tackles with team bests of 10.5 TFL, five sacks and three forced fumbles. Junior DB Dan Graziano has 27 tackles, an INT and a team-high seven break-ups.
ALL THREE PHASES
Against Geneva, the Spartans scored in all three phases in the first quarter with two touchdowns offensively, a safety for the defense, and a field goal, extra point and two-point conversion for the special teams.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior linebacker Gavin Sandidge (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) earned his first career UAA Defensive Player of the Week award following a 12-tackle effort against Geneva. Sandidge, who also forced a fumble against the Golden Tornadoes, has 41 tackles this season and 117 for his career.
WHAT A RUSH
Freshman running back Anthony Canganelli (Mayfield Village, Ohio/Mayfield) rushed for 90 yards on 16 carries with the game-clinching 41-yard TD against Geneva. Canganelli has the team's top two rush yardage totals this season with 90 versus Geneva and 82 at Waynesburg University (Pa.) one week earlier.
IMPACT PLAYER
Junior linebacker Everett Dishong (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls), who has played less than three full games because of injury, ranks amongst the leaders in Division III in sacks per game (1.67) and tackles for loss per game (2.8). In just 12 career games, Dishong has 104 tackles, 20.5 TFL, 9.5 sacks and 12 pass break-ups.
30-7...
During its past 37 road games dating back to 2007, CWRU has compiled an overall record of 30-7.
5-2...
CWRU's is 5-2 in games played in Pennsylvania dating back to 2007.
62...
CWRU is 62-17 overall since the beginning of the 2007 season.
