Chicago Maroons (7-1, 2-0 UAA) at
Case Western Reserve Spartans (3-6, 3-5 PAC, 1-1 UAA)
Saturday, November 15, 2014 - 12:00 p.m.
Seniors' Day - DiSanto Field - Cleveland
LIVE VIDEO: http://tv.case.edu/athletics/
(Dave Wilson, play-by-play; Ed Daugherty, color analyst)
LIVE STATISTICS: http://athletics.case.edu/sports/fball/2014-15/boxscores/20141115_nivv.xml
Download the complete CWRU game notes in .pdf format by clicking HERE.
THE MATCHUP
The Case Western Reserve University football team wraps up the 2014 campaign with Seniors' Day versus the University of Chicago on Saturday, November 15 at 12:00 p.m. at DiSanto Field. Prior to the game, CWRU will honor its eight football senior student-athletes. The Spartans are 3-6 following a 66-34 loss at Thomas More College (Ky.). Chicago is 7-1 after a 28-7 home victory against Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.).
SERIES NOTES
CWRU and Chicago have a young history on the gridiron which dates back only to the 1990 season. The all-time series is tied at 12-12 as CWRU has won three meetings in a row and seven of the last eight overall. The first-ever meeting between the two resulted in a 25-0 Spartan victory at home in 1990.
LAST MEETING
CWRU forced four turnovers and blocked a pair of punts en route to a 16-3 Seniors' Day victory versus Chicago on November 2, 2013 at DiSanto Field. The Spartans limited Chicago to 141 yards of total offense, including just 10 on the ground. CWRU's 16 points went unanswered after the Maroons grabbed an early 3-0 lead.
THE COACHES
Case Western Reserve is coached by Greg Debeljak, who is in his 11th season in 2014 with a record of 75-37 (.670). 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 62-20, 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).
Chicago is coached by Chris Wilkerson, who is 13-5 in just his second season as head coach. Wilkerson is in his 20th year as a collegiate football coach and spent the previous six seasons as associate head coach at Dartmouth College.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Through nine games, the Spartans have averaged 23.3 points, 111.9 yards rushing, 228.2 yards passing and 340.1 total yards per game. CWRU opponents have averaged 27.3 points, 134.6 yards rushing, 248.4 yards passing and 383.0 total yards per game. The Spartans have a -10 turnover ratio.
CWRU STATISTICAL LEADERS
Senior QB Billy Beecher (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area) has completed 179-of-310 passes (57.7%) for 1,795 yards with 16 TDs and 10 INTs. Beecher has also rushed for 138 yards and two TDs. Freshman RB Anthony Canganelli (Mayfield Heights, Ohio/Mayfield) has rushed for 282 yards on 61 carries (4.6 ypc) with one TD, while sophomore RB Anthony Bianco (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) has 278 yards rushing on 89 carries (3.3 ypc) with two TDs. Junior FB Adam Hochman (Austin, Texas/Anderson) has 174 yards rushing on 28 carries (6.2 ypc) with a team-best six total TDs (three rushing/three receiving). Freshman WR Luke DiFrancesco (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) has 28 receptions for 253 yards (9.0 ypc) with one TD, while junior TE Ethan Albers (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty) has hauled in 26 catches for 330 yards (12.7 ypc) and five scores.
Defensively, junior OLB KJ Pederson (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) leads the team with 73 tackles, including two sacks, to go along with a forced fumble and three pass break-ups. In less than five full games, fellow junior OLB Everett Dishong (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) has 49 tackles with team bests of 10.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. Junior CB Mike O'Donnell (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) has 37 tackles and a team-best two interceptions.
SCOUTING THE MAROONS
Through eight games, the Maroons have averaged 27.4 points, 167.5 yards rushing, 142.2 yards passing and 309.7 total yards per game. Chicago opponents have averaged 15.8 points, 83.8 yards rushing, 167.8 yards passing and 251.6 total yards per game. The Maroons are tied for ninth in Division III with a +13 turnover ratio.
CHICAGO STATISTICAL LEADERS
Offensively, senior QB Patrick Ryan has completed 89-of-161 passes (53.3%) for 1,138 yards with 14 TDs and four INTs. Senior RB Zak Ross-Nash has rushed for a team-high 610 yards on 153 carries (4.0 ypc) with eight TDs. Freshman RB Chandler Carroll has 495 yards rushing on 105 carries (4.7 ypc) with three TDs. Junior WR Sam Coleman has 25 receptions for 413 yards (16.5 ypc) with six TDs.
Defensively, sophomore LB Jackson Garrey has a team-high 67 tackles with eight for loss, five sacks, two fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles. Junior DB Vincent Beltrano has 46 tackles, two INTs and a team-best nine pass break-ups. Senior DL Brandon Bolock has 45 tackles with team bests of 11.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks to go along with two INTs, six break-ups and three blocked kicks.
ROOKIE REPORT
Both of CWRU's rookie quarterbacks threw touchdowns on Saturday at Thomas More. For the day, Connor Simpson (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Windward) was 8-of-11 for 94 yards with a team season-best 50-yard TD pass to senior WR Colin MacLeod (Tacoma, Wash./Charles Wright Academy). Rob Cuda (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) went 5-of-7 for 47 yards and a TD on a trick play in the first quarter.
8
Eight different Spartans factored in touchdowns in the game at Thomas More.
18
CWRU has limited Chicago to just 18 points in the last three meetings combined. Chicago has also been held to just three points combined in its last two trips to Cleveland.
Nov. 2, 2013 - CWRU 16, Chicago 3 (in Cleveland)
Oct. 27, 2012 - CWRU 28, Chicago 15 (in Chicago)
Oct. 29, 2011 - CWRU 6, Chicago 0 (in Cleveland)
62-20
CWRU is 62-20 overall since the beginning of the 2007 season.
HOME COOKIN'
CWRU has now posted a winning record at home in nine of the last 10 seasons. With three victories this season, the program is 36-15 all-time at DiSanto Field. Formerly Case Field, the facility opened in 2005.
ENDING ON A HIGH NOTE
CWRU has won eight consecutive regular season finales dating back to 2006.
