SPORTS STORIES:
SPARTAN FOOTBALL—2008
NO. 13 CASE 45, ROCHESTER 14...
CLEVELAND, OH (September 12, 2009) - Although Dan Whalen’s (Willoughby, OH) first pass in Saturday’s 45-14 win at the University of Rochester, a four-yard out, was not glamorous, it put an exclamation mark on his storied career at Case Western Reserve University.
The senior quarterback became the school’s all-time leading passer with that toss, surpassing All-American Eli Grant, who threw for 6,792 yards from 2000-2003. Whalen finished the game with 331 yards bringing his career total to 7,120. The two-time University Athletic Association Player of the Year is also the Spartans career leader in passes completed with 547 and his mark of 933 pass attempts is two shy of breaking Nick Leskiewicz’s (1994-97) career record of 934.
Head Coach Greg Debeljak also tied Jim Chapman (1982-1986: 36-7-1) with the most career coaching victories at Case Western Reserve. The two-time Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year finalist is 36-19-0 during his tenure in University Circle.
The Spartans (2-0, 0-0 UAA), behind the arm of the 2008 Gagliardi Trophy finalist, wasted no time jumping out to a commanding lead against Rochester. Whalen threw two touchdown passes to junior receiver Zach Homyk (Chicago, IL), a 45-yarder at 13:51 and a 20-yarder at 0:22. In between that, he hit junior receiver Shaun Nicely (Willoughby, OH) for a 37-yarder and Case Western Reserve led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Yellowjackets (0-1, 0-0 LL) put their first points on the board with 7:55 left in the half on a one-yard touchdown run by junior running back Clarence Onyiriuka. Then after a successful fake punt, Whalen ended the half [0:22] with his fourth touchdown pass of the game, a six-yarder to senior receiver Tim Cowdrick (Mentor, OH) that put the Spartans up 28-7.
Whalen took to the ground midway through the third quarter as he finished off a 10-play, 85-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown run that put the Spartans up 35-7. Rochester’s Onyiriuka scored again on a 57-yard gallop at 4:38, but Whalen found Cowdrick again – this time from eight yards out with 1:59 left in the quarter. It was Cowdricks fifth touchdown of the season and Whalen’s ninth touchdown pass. It put Case Western Reserve up 42-14 and ended the day for Whalen as he did not play in the fourth quarter.
Junior kicker Sam Coffey (Middleton, OH), who was six-of-six on point after attempts for the day, hit a 25-yard field goal with 6:43 left in the game to make the final score 45-14. Senior running back Greg Meyer (Clearwater, FL) ran the ball nine times for 68 yards to lead the Spartans on the ground.
Defensively, senior linebacker Lee Sasala (Kittanning, PA) led Case Western Reserve with 7.5 tackles and a fumble recovery. Junior defensive back Zachary Hass (Peru, IN) had 5.5 tackles and an interception while Lee’s brother Lucas, a junior, had an interception and four tackles.
Case Western Reserve, who won their 23rd consecutive regular season game today, hosts Oberlin College Saturday, September 19 at Case Field at 7:00 p.m. There will be a postgame fireworks show immediately following the game.
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