The Case Western Reserve University football team got back to .500 for the season with a 42-14 win to spoil Homecoming for Saint Vincent College at Chuck Noll Field in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on Saturday afternoon.
The Spartans have now won back-to-back games for the first time this season and stand at 2-2-1 overall with a 2-1 record in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. After winning their opening game of the season, the Bearcats have now dropped four-straight to fall to 1-4 overall with a 0-3 PAC ledger.
Stats and Standouts
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Junior quarterback Sam DeTillio accounted for three touchdowns on Saturday, throwing for a pair and running for another. Despite completing just 12-of-29 passes and throwing three interceptions, he was effective regardless, with 201 passing yards and a team-high 89 rushing yards on nine carries.
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Junior wide receiver Liam O'Brien paced the squad with six catches for 86 yards, while sophomore wide receiver Will Stack and senior wide receiver Dylan Cave each tallied receiving touchdowns.
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Senior defensive back Mason Mehl led all Spartans with seven tackles (three solo).
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Junior linebacker Bidinga Kapapi notched a sack for the second consecutive week and had two total tackles for loss.
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Senior defensive back Osi Chukwuocha had five tackles and recorded an interception, his first of the season.
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CWRU finished with a 460-364 edge in total yards on Saturday, including a 192-105 advantage in rushing yards and a 268-259 bump in passing yards.
First Quarter
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CWRU's running game set the tone early with sophomore running back Andy Kavcic running for 30 yards and junior quarterback Sam DeTillio rushing for 42 during the opening drive. DeTillio set up the opening score of the game with a 32-yard scramble on third-and-eight from the Saint Vincent 33-yard line, and sophomore Jake Kavcic punched the ball in from a yard out on the next play to give the Spartans a 7-0 lead with 11:57 on the clock.
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The Spartans added to their lead later in the quarter when DeTillio completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Cave with 2:17 on the clock. The score remained 14-0 through the end of the quarter.
Second Quarter
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DeTillio and Stack helped to lead the Spartans on an eight-play, 81-yard scoring drive on the team's second possession of the second quarter. DeTillio completed passes of 45 yards and 20 yards to Stack during the drive, the latter going for a touchdown to put CWRU in front 21-0 with 9:38 to play in the half.
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Stack's stellar game continued later in the quarter when he scored on an end around run from 21-yards out to push the team's lead to 28-0 with 2:57 remaining in the period.
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Saint Vincent threatened to score late in the first half, but Chukwuocha intercepted a pass at the Spartans' 10-yard line and returned it 25 yards to give CWRU possession back on its own 35-yard line with 1:08 to play.
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After the Spartans gave the ball back to Saint Vincent with an interception, Jake Kavcic was able to break up a potential touchdown catch as time expired to keep the shutout intact heading into halftime.
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CWRU finished the first half with a 301-190 edge in total yards.
Third Quarter
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CWRU pushed its lead to 35-0 with an 18-yard touchdown run by DeTillio with 10:26 left in the third quarter, but that would prove to be the only score of the period for either team, as the Spartans remained ahead by 35 points heading into the final frame.
Fourth Quarter
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The Bearcats finally got on the board with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jake Phillips to Chris Downs with 12:23 left to cut the Spartans' advantage to 35-7.
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CWRU got the touchdown back later in the quarter when junior quarterback Pierce Olsen ran for a seven-yard touchdown with 6:20 left in the game, the first score of his collegiate career, putting the Spartans in front 42-7.
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Saint Vincent added a rushing touchdown with 1:57 left in the game, but CWRU was able to run out the clock on its next possession to secure the 42-14 win.
Spartan Notes
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CWRU improved to 10-2 all-time against Saint Vincent, including a 5-1 record in games played in Latrobe. The Spartans have now won the last four matchups against the Bearcats.
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Saint Vincent's touchdown in the fourth quarter ended a stretch of 186 minutes and 28 seconds without the Spartans allowing a point to the Bearcats, a stretch that dated back to the 2022 season. CWRU has outscored Saint Vincent 110-14 over the last three meetings.
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Despite seeing the majority of his playing time on the defensive side of the ball, Jake Kavcic leads all Spartan players with three rushing touchdowns this year.
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Cave's touchdown reception in Saturday's game was his second of the season and the sixth of his career.
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Stack's two touchdowns on Saturday were the first two of his career, after not having scored in his previous 10 career games. He also set career highs for rushing (21) and receiving (65) yards in the contest.
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Chukwuocha's interception was the fourth of his career.
Up Next
The Spartans will return home for their Homecoming Game at DiSanto Field in Cleveland on Saturday, October 11. CWRU will aim to ring in the celebration against Allegheny College with the kickoff scheduled for 4:30 p.m.