The Case Western Reserve University football team vented the frustration from its first three weeks of the season on the field against Bethany College on Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 55-0 win over the Bison at Don Ault Field in Bethany, West Virginia.

The Spartans picked up their first win of the season, improving to 1-2-1 overall and to 1-1 in Presidents' Athletic Conference play. Bethany fell to 0-3 overall with a 0-1 mark in the PAC.

Stats and Standouts

• The Spartans dominated on both sides of the ball on Saturday. Offensively, the team amassed 568 yards, including 300 passing and 268 rushing. Defensively, the team allowed just 117 yards, limiting the Bison to -12 rushing and 129 passing. CWRU also forced two turnovers in the game without committing one.

• Junior quarterback Sam DeTillio had another big performance under center for the Spartans on Saturday, completing 12-of-17 passes for 248 yards with three touchdowns through the air, while also leading the team with a career-high 84 rushing yards.

• Getting a start on Saturday, senior running back Stefan Lopez had a career day with nine carries for 77 yards with a pair of touchdown runs.

• Senior running back Matthew Bittel tallied the first two touchdowns of his career, one receiving and one rushing.

• Sophomore defensive lineman Greg Hanson Jr. registered two sacks, a quarterback hurry, and a forced fumble in the game.

• Junior defensive back Tyler Fikis finished the game with a team-high nine tackles (five solo) and had a pair of passes defended.

• First-year linebacker Jack Griffiths had an interception in the game, the first of his career.

First Quarter

• After receiving the opening kickoff, the Spartans wasted little time reaching the endzone, going 60 yards on five plays over a minute and 29 seconds to take a 7-0 lead. CWRU scored on a 39-yard pass over the middle from DeTillio to junior wide receiver Beau Wolf, who made a diving catch as he crossed the goal line for his first touchdown of the year.

• The Spartans forced a three-and-out on Bethany's first drive, and then tacked on a 34-yard field goal by junior kicker Gabriel Petrozzi on their ensuing possession to take a 10-0 lead with 7:56 left in the first quarter.

• After another Bison three-and-out, the Spartans struck again, this time on a 13-yard touchdown run byLopez, who extended the team's lead to 17-0 with 2:33 left on the clock and capped off an eight-play, 71-yard drive.

• An interception by Griffiths on the first play from scrimmage of Bethany's next drive gave the Spartans the ball back on the Bison 20-yard line, and on the next play, DeTillio found Bittel out of the backfield with a pass into the endzone to push the advantage to 24-0 with 2:21 to play in the frame.

• CWRU outgained Bethany 187-22 during the first quarter and converted 10 first downs compared to just one for the Bison.

Second Quarter

• The score remained 24-0 until the closing minutes of the half. Getting the ball back on their own 15-yard line with just over two minutes on the clock, CWRU went 85 yards on just four plays, including a 47-yard pass from DeTillio to senior wide receiver Dylan Cave and a 17-yard touchdown run by Lopez, who hurdled over a defender en route to the endzone. The touchdown put the Spartans ahead 31-0 with 1:39 on the clock, and the score would hold through the end of the half.

• CWRU finished the first half with a 356-100 edge in total yards, including a 160-23 advantage in rushing yards.

Third Quarter

• On CWRU's first offensive play from scrimmage of the second half, DeTillio found graduate student wide receiver Brian Caldwell Jr. with a 53-yard touchdown pass, expanding the team's advantage to 38-0 with 12:34 left in the third.

• With 4:56 left in the quarter, Bittel scored his second touchdown of the game, this time on a two-yard run off a pitch on an option play that put CWRU in front 45-0.

• Hanson Jr. forced a fumble on a sack on Bethany's final drive of the third quarter, which was recovered by senior linebacker Henry Busch and returned to the Bison 38-yard line.

Fourth Quarter

• Junior quarterback Andrew Lowe rolled out of the pocket on the first play of the fourth quarter and completed a pass on the run to junior tight end Harrison Steeves-Little, who carried it into the endzone for a 19-yard touchdown, putting CWRU in front 51-0.

• Petrozzi added his second field goal of the game with 11:09 left in the fourth, converting a 27-yard attempt to push the score to 55-0.

Spartan Notes

• The Spartans improved to 12-13 all-time against Bethany following Saturday's win. CWRU has won 10-straight games against the Bison and 12 of the last 13 meetings dating back to 1982.

• This was the second consecutive matchup between the two teams that the Spartans have held the Bison to negative rushing yards, after allowing -12 yards on the ground to Bethany last year as well.

• Through four games and three starts this season, DeTillio has completed 55-of-87 pass attempts (63.2%) for 810 yards with five touchdowns and one interception, while running for a team-leading 133 yards.

• The shutout was the 35th in program history and the first since the team blanked Saint Vincent last season.

Up Next

The Spartans will be back on the road next weekend, traveling to Latrobe, Pennsylvania for a PAC matchup against Saint Vincent College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.