The Case Western Reserve University football team played a tight game against Grove City College on Saturday afternoon at DiSanto Field in Cleveland, but ultimately came out on the short end of the contest, falling 28-14 to the Wolverines.

The Spartans dropped to 4-4-1 overall and to 4-3 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference with one game remaining in the regular season. The Wolverines raised their record to 7-2 with the win, including a 6-1 PAC mark.

Stats and Standouts

• CWRU outgained Grove City 338-259 on Saturday but were ultimately undone by five turnovers in the game that led to 14 of the Wolverines' 28 points in the game
• Junior quarterback Sam DeTillio completed 18 of his 41 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns, while also leading the team with 71 yards rushing
• Senior wide receiver Dylan Cave caught six passes for 76 yards and a touchdown
• Sophomore wideout Will Stack added 73 yards on five catches
• Senior defensive back Osi Chukwuocha had a team-high eight tackles
• Senior defensive lineman Joseph Swarm recorded three quarterback hurries, three tackles, and a pass breakup

First Quarter

• The first three drives of the game ended in punts
• The Spartans took over at midfield midway through the frame and drove to the Grove City 17-yardline
• Two negative plays forced a 43-yard field goal attempt, but CWRU could not convert the long try
• The game was scoreless after 15 minutes following a pair of punts and a long Grove City drive

Second Quarter

• CWRU ended that drive with an interception by first-year Jack Griffiths, his second of the season
  
• However, the teams traded three-and-outs before the Spartans lost their first turnover on a fumble three and a half minutes into the frame
• Grove City took advantage of the extra possession, scoring on a 26-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead with 9:45 left before halftime
• The teams traded interceptions on the next two drives as a deep ball by DeTillio found the hands of a Wolverine defender, and a Grove City pass was intercepted by junior Tyler Fikis, the first of his career
• DeTillio led the team to the Grove City 23-yard line on the ensuing possession, using both his arm and legs during the drive. However, his pass to Cave was picked off at the 10 and returned to midfield, ending the threat
• Grove City used up most of the remaining clock, missing a 44-yard field goal attempt with 35 seconds remaining in the half

Third Quarter

• After first-year punter Nick Delfau pinned the Wolverines at their own nine-yard line, sophomore Jake Kavcic forced a fumble that was recovered by junior Phil LaVerde to give the offense a very short field to work with
• DeTillio found junior Beau Wolf in the end zone on the very next play, tying the score at 7 with Wolf's second receiving TD in 2025
• The Wolverines blocked a punt later in the quarter, setting up a short field of their own
• Grove City reclaimed the lead with an 11-yard touchdown pass with 7:09 left in the third quarter
• The Spartans drove down the field, but a DeTillio pass in the end zone was intercepted, ending the threat

Fourth Quarter

• The visitors scored with their special teams unit early in the final frame, blocking a punt and returning it 10 yards to the end zone to extend the lead to 21-7
• The Spartans converted a fourth-and-seven at midfield on the ensuing drive, and DeTillio found Cave in the end zone five plays later to cut the deficit to just one score
• Cave caught his third touchdown pass of the season, and the score was the 19th of the year for DeTillio (14 passing, five rushing)
• CWRU forced a three-and-out and had a chance to tie the game, starting the next drive near midfield
• DeTillio found Stack at the 15-yard line, putting the hosts in the red zone with 7:16 to play
• Two incomplete passes and a penalty made it 3rd-and-25 at the 30 with DeTillio rushing 22 yards to set up a manageable fourth down attempt at the eight-yard line
• A pass to the end zone fell incomplete, and Grove City took over on downs
• The Wolverines gained two first downs, but the Spartans forced a punt, regaining the ball with a chance to tie the score again with 1:44 left in regulation
• A DeTillio pass was intercepted, and Grove City scored on a long run 10 seconds later to seal the victory

Spartan Notes

• Grove City evened the all-time series between the two schools at five, though CWRU still holds a 5-4 edge since rejoining the PAC prior to the start of the 2014 campaign
• The Spartans scored for the 113th consecutive game in a streak that dates to the penultimate game of the 2013 season
• DeTillio led the team in rushing for the sixth time in nine games. The junior quarterback averages 50 yards per game on the ground
• The Spartan defense broke up six passes during the game, matching a season high
• CWRU picked off two passes for the third time this season, and the Spartans have forced at least one turnover in all their 60-minute games

Up Next

The Spartans will conclude their 2025 season at home next Saturday, November 15, against Geneva College at 1 p.m. Prior to the start of the game, the team will recognize the 26 graduating players who will be appearing in their final collegiate game with a Senior Day ceremony