Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
The Case Western Reserve University football team suffered a 27-24 overtime loss to Grove City College in the team's home opener at DiSanto Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday night.
The loss dropped the Spartans to 1-1 on the season, while Grove City improved to 3-0.
The setback came despite a strong performance from senior quarterback Alex Fromberg, who entered the game in the second quarter and went on to complete 16-of-22 passes for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also leading the team with 83 rushing yards.
Junior running back Gage Duesler added 64 yards on the ground as CWRU ran for 171 yards as a team. Junior wide receiver Noah Coyne paced the squad with six catches for 66 yards, while senior wide receiver Michael Wojkowski added five catches for a team-high 73 yards and a score.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker Gabe Troch led the team with a career-high 13 tackles and graduate student linebacker Jake Sommers finished with six tackles and a sack. CWRU outgained Grove City 357-301, including a 186-124 edge in passing yards.
CWRU got on the board in the first quarter. After the Spartans took possession at the Grove City 24-yard line following a muffed punt that was recovered by junior Braden Frank, two plays later junior quarterback Ian Kipp found senior wide receiver Riley Knurek with a 24-yard touchdown pass.
The Spartans held Grove City scoreless through the first quarter, extending the team's shutout streak to five-straight quarters, the longest to start a season in program history. However, the Wolverines evened the score with 13:22 left in the half and the game remained tied for the rest of the half.
Grove City scored on its opening drive of the second half to go ahead 14-7, but the Spartans had a response on their next drive. CWRU went 71 yards on 10 plays during the drive, including a 36-yard pass from Fromberg to Coyne, and a three-yard touchdown pass from Fromberg to senior running back Sean-Michael James to tie the score at 14-14 with 3:54 to play in the third.
The Spartans regained the lead in the fourth quarter with a 14-play, 85-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass from Fromberg to Wojkowski on a third-and-goal play from the four yardline with 9:21 left in regulation. The Wolverines answered on their next drive, scoring a touchdown with 5:49 to play to knot the score and the game remained tied through the end of regulation, sending the contest into overtime.
CWRU possessed the ball first in overtime and could not get a first down, settling for a 37-yard field goal from first-year kicker Gabriel Petrozzi to go ahead 24-21. However, Grove City picked up a first down and then scored the game-winning touchdown on an eight-yard pass from Logan Pfeuffer to Scott Fraser.
The Spartans will be back in action next weekend, hosting Geneva College under the lights at DiSanto Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.