The Observer, September 8, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 2
Whalen leads Spartans' late comeback in thrilling victory
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Hopefully someone taped the fourth quarter and overtime of last Saturday's football game against Oberlin. Coach Greg Debeljak would not be able to find a better video to show recruits while trying to convince them to play at Case. With a festive crowd in an electric atmosphere, the Spartans made a triumphant fourth quarter comeback to defeat the Yeomen, 29-23, in an overtime thriller.
Freshman quarterback Dan Whalen took center stage during the rally. Whalen, who did not play in the first half, had an inauspicious start to his collegiate career, fumbling on his first possession. After that turnover, however, he displayed a strong arm and confidence typical of an older quarterback that was no match for Oberlin's defense.
After the game, Whalen noted that the fumble might have actually helped him settle down to engineer the comeback.
"After the fumble, the game seemed to slow down a little bit," he said.
He also said that fourth quarter comebacks are not a new thing for him.
"I had three or four games like this in high school," he said. "I was taught to keep my head on straight and believe in my teammates. If I do that, then things should go my way."
Believe in his teammates he did, as the Spartan receiver corps had a big game. Tim Cowdrick, also a freshman, caught seven passes for 121 yards. Senior Joe Brenner had five catches for 67 yards, including a touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter with a two-point conversion catch that followed. Debeljak was looking for a few playmakers to emerge, and Whalen, Cowdrick, and Brenner did their part.
Case's defense allowed two big plays that helped give Oberlin the lead earlier in the game. The first came on Oberlin's first possession of the game, when Oberlin's Chris Schubert turned a short completion into a 53-yard touchdown. The Yeomen then added a field goal on their next possession after they recovered a James Rosenbury fumble.
The Spartans chipped away at Oberlin's lead with two field goals in the second quarter to make the score 10-6 entering halftime. However, the Spartans were not able to put the ball in the end zone, and Debeljak inserted Whalen at quarterback in hopes of bucking that trend.
After Case forced Oberlin to punt on its first possession of the third quarter, Whalen's fumble gave the ball right back to the Yeomen. Then Oberlin's R.V. Carroll proceeded to break through the Spartan defense for Oberlin's second big play of the game on an 86-yard touchdown run. That play capped a bizarre, roller coaster three minutes in which the Spartans seized momentum by stuffing Oberlin to start the quarter but then gave it all back and more following the fumble and Carroll's run.
To its credit, the Spartan defense did not give up and kept the team in the game while the offense took time to catch fire. Tom Brew led the defense with 13 tackles, including three for a loss, and a sack. Brew turned up his play another notch in the second half, looking as good as ever after overcoming a knee injury last year.
"It felt good," Brew said of his knee. "It was weird at first, being back on the field, and I had to keep my emotions in check."
Brew and the defense did indeed give the offense time to catch fire, and the offense did, at least for a moment, in the third quarter. After Carroll's run, Whalen showed no ill effects of his fumble and led his team to a touchdown on just two plays, a 28-yard completion to Tim Cowdrick, and a 44-yard pass play to Josh Dudek for the score. A run by holder Marshall Hampton failed on the two-point conversion attempt, keeping the score at 17-12.
Case's chances looked bleak early in the fourth quarter, though, when Schubert scored his second touchdown of the game, a 19-yard pass from Andy Stein. But midway through the quarter, Whalen brought the Spartans closer, completing a nine-yard touchdown pass to Joe Brenner. On the next play, he connected with Brenner again for the two-point conversion, bringing Case to within three points of the lead at 23-20. On the scoring drive, Whalen completed all four of his passes for 57 yards.
Kicker Brian Calderone then tied the game with 21 seconds left in regulation on a 26-yard field goal after a methodical drive by the Spartans. Playing in its first overtime game since 2001, Case won the coin toss and elected to play defense first. This turned out to be a good decision, as the Spartan defense did not allow the Yeomen to get a first down, and Scott Madden blocked their field goal attempt to keep them off the scoreboard.
The Spartans only needed a field goal to win, but fittingly, Whalen finished the game with a touchdown run of his own, giving Case the 29-23 win. The victory extended Case's winning streak over the Yeomen to 21 games.
The game was a perfect way for the Spartans to start their season and for Whalen to start his collegiate career. After the game, he was obviously quite pleased with the comeback victory.
"There's not another feeling like it," he said.
