Case Western Reserve Spartans (1-0, 1-0 PAC) at
Saint Vincent Bearcats (0-2, 0-0 PAC)
Saturday, September 20, 2014 - 1:00 p.m.
Chuck Noll Field - Latrobe, Pennsylvania
SVC LIVE VIDEO: http://athletics.stvincent.edu/watch/
SVC LIVE AUDIO: http://1480wcns.com/svcbearcats.htm
Dow Carnahan (play-by-play)
Download the complete CWRU game notes in .pdf format by clicking HERE.
THE MATCHUP
The Case Western Reserve University football team hits the road for the first time this season for a 1:00 p.m. matchup at Saint Vincent College on Saturday, September 20 at Chuck Noll Field in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Fresh off of a bye week, the Spartans are 1-0 with a 30-0 victory in week one against Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.). The Bearcats have dropped their first two games of 2014, including a 35-24 loss at Waynesburg University (Pa.) this past Saturday. The game did not count towards the Presidents' Athletic Conference standings.
SERIES NOTES/LAST MEETING
Case Western Reserve and Saint Vincent have met just once on the gridiron with the Spartans claiming a 42-0 victory in Cleveland on October 20, 2007. In that game, CWRU improved to 7-0 with 509 yards of total offense. Then sophomore fullback Corey Checkan rushed for three touchdowns as the Spartans churned out 335 yards on the ground.
THE COACHES
Case Western Reserve is coached by Greg Debeljak, who is in his 11th season in 2014 with a 73-31 (.702) 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 60-14, 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).
Ron Dolciato was named the eighth head coach in Saint Vincent history in January of 2014. Previously, Dolciato was Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator at his alma mater, John Carroll University. Dolciato served alongside CWRU Coach Greg Debeljak for eight years on the staff at JCU.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
In their week one victory against Carnegie Mellon, the Spartans scored 30 points on 498 yards of total offense (187 yards rushing/311 yards passing). CWRU did not allow a score while limiting CMU to 188 total yards (39 rushing/149 passing). The shutout was the first for the program since September 8, 2012 versus Hiram College. Against CMU, the Spartans had a -1 turnover ratio.
CWRU STATISTICAL LEADERS
Offensively, senior quarterback Billy Beecher (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area) has completed 24-of-37 passes (64.9%) for 301 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Beecher has also rushed for 16 yards and a TD. Sophomore running back Anthony Bianco (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) has rushed for 54 yards on nine carries (6.0 ypc) with one TD, while senior running back Manny Sicre (Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit Preparatory) has 52 yards rushing on 13 carries (4.0 ypc). Freshman wide receiver Luke DiFranceso (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) has a team-high five receptions for 56 yards (11.2 ypc), while sophomore tight end Zech Medved (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) has three receptions for a team-best 58 yards (19.3 ypc). Junior WR Ethan Albers (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty) has hauled in three catches for 38 yards (12.7 ypc) and a team-high two TDs.
Defensively, junior linebacker Everett Dishong (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) has a team-high 13 tackles, including four for loss and two sacks, with three pass break-ups. Junior linebacker KJ Pederson (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) is second on the squad with 12 tackles, including a team-best two sacks, to go along with a forced fumble. Junior safety Jordan Esteban (Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit Preparatory) has seven tackles.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Through two games, the Bearcats have averaged 12.0 points, 85.0 yards rushing, 104.0 yards passing and 189.0 total yards per game. Saint Vincent opponents have averaged 39.5 points, 221.0 yards rushing, 199.5 yards passing and 420.5 total yards per game. The Bearcats have maintained a +2 turnover ratio.
SVC STATISTICAL LEADERS
Offensively, senior QB Matt Deakins has completed 17-of-43 passes for 124 yards with three INTs. Fellow senior QB Andy Borgen is 10-of-17 for 84 yards and one INT. Sophomore RB Shavonta Craft has rushed for a team-high 90 yards on 22 carries (4.1 ypc) with a pair of TDs. Sophomore WR DJ Oceant-Kelly has team bests of 12 receptions and 53 yards receiving.
Defensively, junior safety Renny LaRue-Holloman has a team-best 15 tackles with one of the team's four fumble recoveries. Junior LB Matt Jenkins has Saint Vincent's lone sack, while senior corner Darius Brown has one of the team's two INTs.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
For their performances in the week one victory versus Carnegie Mellon, senior quarterback Billy Beecher (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area) and junior linebacker Everett Dishong (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) were named the UAA Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively. Beecher earned the UAA honor for the second time in his career. Dishong was also tabbed to the D3Football.com National Team of the Week, becoming the first Spartan to receive that honor since Dan Calabrese in 2011.
For Saint Vincent, senior corner Darius Brown was named PAC Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in week two at Waynesburg.
THE 300 CLUB
Senior quarterback Billy Beecher (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area) passed for a career-high 301 yards against Carnegie Mellon. The last time a CWRU QB passed for at least 300 yards came on October 9, 2010 when then senior Joey Baum threw for 363 in a win at Oberlin College.
PENNSYLVANIA = SPARTAN FRIENDLY
CWRU has won five consecutive games in the state of Pennsylvania dating back to 2007. Four of the wins came against Carnegie Mellon, while the fifth came at Allegheny College (Pa.). CWRU's last loss in PA came by a score of 40-33 in a non-conference matchup at Grove City College on November 4, 2006. That loss was the last prior to the program's 38-game regular season win streak.
ROAD WARRIORS
During its past 35 road games dating back to 2007, CWRU has compiled an overall record of 30-5.
BENEFITS OF THE BYE
CWRU has won seven consecutive games following a bye week dating back to 2007. The team's last loss after a bye came against Ursinus College (Pa.) on October 7, 2006.
60...
The number of wins for Case Western Reserve since the beginning of the 2007 season. The Spartans are 60-14 overall during that span.
COUNTDOWN TO 200
Including its week one victory, CWRU now has 199 wins in program history. After the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University federation of 1967, the first CWRU football team was fielded during the fall of 1970.
