UR Defense Comes Up Big As 'Jackets Defeat Case
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Rochester 's defense stood tall - particularly in the fourth quarter - and the Yellowjackets defeated Case Western Reserve University, 17-7, at Case Field.
The Yellowjackets held the Spartans to 182 yards in offense, minus one on the ground.Junior linebacker Brendan Pidgeon had two fourth quarter interceptions, both at the 14 yard line as Case tried to even the score.
Offensively, Rochester produced 345 yards - 241 through the air - and 104 rushing. Clarence Onyiriuka rushed 24 times for 64 net yards and scored the first TD - on a two-yard dive through left guard with six minutes left in the second quarter. braezen Subick rushed 11 times for 17 yards. He was sacked four times. Subick completed 15 of 25 passes for the 241, including a 25-yard TD pass to Thomas Hayes who made a leaping catch at the pylon. That came with 1:08 left in the second quarter.
Case QB Erik Olson was 18 of 35 for 183 yards. The Spartans rushed 25 times for a net of minus one. Manny Sicre led the Case ground game with 27 yards on 10 carries. The touchdown was a three-yard reverse by tight end Bryce Coleman.
Tony Ortega and Bill Campi led Rochester with 10 tackles each. Campi had three solos and seven assists, Ortega foru solos and six assists. Chris Bickford had nine stops - one solo. Zach Cicero had seven hits (two solo). Campi had 1.5 sacks for eight yards in losses and a total of three tackles for 11 yards in losses.
Rochester drove 73 yards in six plays for its first TD. Subick hit Garrett Kesel for gains of 18 yards and 13 yards, then found Jared Hilton for a 34-yard strike down the middle. That put the ball on the two and Onyiriuka plunged through left guard on the next play. Alex Antonucci made the PAT.
After the defense forced a punt, Subick took the Yellowjackets 61 yards in seven plays for a 14-0 lead. He rushed for a 13 yard gain on third and 9 to keep it going. After a sack pushed Rochester back to the UR 44, Subick rushed for 10 yards, then threw to Willie Roberson for 21 yards. On first and 10 from the Case 25, he found Hayes on the right side by the pylon for the score.
Case moved 70 yards in nine plays on its first possession of the third quarter to cut the lead in half, The drive was aided by a pass interference call and later a personal foul. Olson hit Sicre with an 11 yard pass to put the ball on the three and Coleman took it in on the next snap. Daniel Vasil's PAT made it 14-7 with 8;35 left in the third.
The Spartans drove from their own 14 to the Rochester 24 early in the fourth. On fourth-and-8, Pidgeon made a diving interception at the Rochester 14. The Yellowjackets went three-and-out. Olson drove Case to the UR 18 where his second down pass was intercepted by a diving Pidgeon again, this time at the 13.
Case's last chance came after the Spartans stripped Onyiriuka at the CW 20 with less than four minutes to play. A loss by Sicre, a Campi sack, and an incompletion forced foruth and 19 from the CW 15. Olson threw the ball to midfield where Bryan Metlesitz was open between defenders, but he couldn't hold on to the pass.
Rochester took over with 2:28 left. The Yellowjackets ran three plays before Antonucci kicked a 17-yard FG to clinch the win.
