Box Score Case Western Reserve University senior quarterback Drew Saxton threw three touchdown passes and four different players scored their first career touchdowns as Spartans, helping CWRU defeat the University of Rochester 27-20 at Edwin Fauver Stadium in Rochester, N.Y. on Saturday night.
The win was the Spartans' 17th in their last 18 season-opening games, and their third-straight victory over Rochester in a season opener.
Saxton finished the game 19-for-37 with 243 passing yards, becoming just the fourth quarterback in program history to surpass 6,000 career passing yards. Senior wide receiver Colt Morgan caught six passes for 81 yards to move into third place in program history in career receptions (181) and receiving yards (2,412). In his Spartan debut, junior running back Antonio Orsini led the team with 107 rushing yards, the most by a CWRU player in a game since former Spartan Zach Hall ran for 159 against Washington & Jefferson on October 12, 2019.
Junior wide receiver Aiden Cain, sophomore running back Sean-Michael James, graduate student running back Sean Goodman Jr. and sophomore wide receiver Riley Knurek each notched their first career touchdowns as Spartans in Saturday's effort as well.
Defensively junior safety D.J. Wolf led the team with 13 tackles, with first-year linebacker Nate Cikalo and senior linebacker Michael Amadio each adding 11 tackles apiece. Sophomore defensive end AJ Dudowski registered his first career sack in the game, and sophomore defensive back Marco Toth picked up the first interception of his career on Saturday.
After forcing a three-and-out on Rochester's first possession of the game, the Spartans' offense wasted little time getting on the board. CWRU needed just three plays and 1:09 to drive 65 yards into the endzone, with Saxton completing a 27-yard pass to junior wide receiver Lucas DeCaro and a 16-yard touchdown pass to Cain to give the Spartans a 7-0 lead with 11:41 to play in the opening quarter. CWRU's defense went on to stall Rochester's next possession at the Spartans' 23-yard line, and the offense added to its lead with a nine-play 77-yard drive, capped off by a 12-yard pass from Saxton to James taking a 14-0 lead with 2:45 left in the opening period.
Rochester pulled back within a touchdown with a 38-yard touchdown pass from Sean Casey to Noah Shinamin with 10:02 remaining in the half. However, the Spartans responded with their longest drive of the half, a 15 play, 78-yard effort capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by Goodman Jr. to give the Spartans a 21-7 lead with 3:41 remaining in the second quarter. The Spartans would carry the 14-point lead into halftime.
Saxton completed 10-of-16 passes in the first half for 131 yards and the two touchdowns, including two passes for 45 yards to DeCaro. Orsini carried the ball for 51 yards and added 28 receiving yards in the opening frame.
The score remained 21-7 until the 5:51 mark of the third quarter, when Saxton found Knurek for a 23-yard touchdown pass to give the Spartans a 27-7 lead after a blocked extra point attempt.
Rochester would attempt a comeback, cutting the Spartans' lead to 27-14 on a 45-yard catch and run by running back Daniel Papantonis with 1:47 left in the third. Another Yellowjackets drive was stopped on the CWRU 31-yard line when sophomore running back Ryan Santoro stuffed a run at the line of scrimmage on fourth and two with 8:38 to play. Rochester pulled closer with 1:24 left in the game on a four-yard scoring run by Will Varney that trimmed the lead to 27-20, but the ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Spartans, who were able to kneel on the ball and run out the clock to secure the win.
The Spartans will now turn their attention to their Presidents' Athletic Conference opener next weekend. Case Western Reserve will travel to Waynesburg University next Saturday, September 11, for a 1:00 p.m. meeting with the Yellow Jackets.
