The Observer, September 15, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 3
Spartans' strong second half preserves victory at Denison
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Whatever Case head football coach Greg Debeljak is telling his players in the locker room during halftime, it is working. Whether it's giving them words of encouragement or motivational speeches, the Spartans have looked very impressive in the last half of the game.
Last Saturday's game against Denison followed this trend. After allowing 14 points to the Big Red in the opening quarter, the Case defense posted a shutout en route to a 27-14 victory.
"That's what we expect," Debeljak said of his team's performance in the second half. "What we can't figure out is why we can't come out of the gate better. It's not a lack of intensity, just a matter of execution. We haven't been able to string together four good quarters yet."
The first quarter of the game seemed to last forever as the two teams engaged in a scoring marathon. Denison drew first blood, as bruising running back Fred Lee tore through the Spartan defense for a 15-yard touchdown run.
Case's offense stalled on the next possession, but punter Brian Calderone buried the Big Red on its own two-yard line after a perfectly placed kick. Linebacker Tom Brew then sacked Denison quarterback Jordan Linck in the endzone for a safety, giving the Spartans their first points of the day.
On the ensuing kickoff, a personal foul penalty was called against Denison, giving Case great field position for its next drive. The Spartans took advantage, as quarterback Dan Whalen connected with receiver Josh Dudek for a 21-yard touchdown pass, giving Case an 8-7 lead.
The Spartans got the ball right back on the next possession, as linebacker Ben Chlebina intercepted a Linck pass at the Denison 23 yard line. After a punishing 16-yard run by senior running back James Rosenbury, Whalen threw his second scoring pass of the game, this time to Corey Checkan. Calderone's extra point gave Case a 15-7 lead.
Denison scored again late in the quarter as Lee continued to batter the Spartan defense. His touchdown with 17 seconds remaining in the quarter brought the Big Red back to within one point of the lead. That would be the last touchdown of the day for the Big Red. The Case defense settled down over the next three quarters, while the Big Red inexplicably abandoned its running game, as Lee only had three more carries the rest of the game.
The Spartans increased their lead in the second quarter. After another great punt by Calderone, Brew recorded his second safety of the game, giving Case a 17-14 lead with 6:22 remaining in the half. The play set the tone for the rest of the game, and helped Brew earn Athlete of the Week honors.
After missing most of last season due to injury, Brew appears to be as good as new once again.
"He changed the momentum of the game," Debeljak said of Brew's two safeties. "At 235 pounds, when he blitzes, it is a mismatch for a running back to pick him up. His role is to disrupt things on defense, and he took advantage of two opportunities."
Calderone added a field goal as time expired, giving Case a 20-14 lead heading into the locker room. Trailing by only six points, Denison still appeared to be very much in contention for a victory.
However, the Spartans began the second half with a different level of confidence, while Denison looked tired. The Big Red only had three first downs in the second half, none in the fourth quarter, and was 0-for-8 on third down conversions during the game.
The Spartans' scoring machine slowed down in the second half as well, but did score another touchdown in the third quarter, when Joe Brenner scampered into the endzone for a 24-yard score. It was the second consecutive time that Brenner caught a touchdown pass, and the three senior receivers (Brenner, Dudek, and Matt Skolnicki) each had five catches.
"[The experience] certainly helps," Debeljak said of his receiving corps. "All these guys have been in our system for five years. With Brenner over there, it gives us some more athleticism. Receiver was a perceived weakness coming into the season, but so far it has been a strength."
One position that does cause some concern is the offensive line, where injuries have begun to resurface. Brandon Jeffries left the game, and Tom Zagorski has yet to appear in a game.
"We're a little nicked up [on the line]," Debeljak said. "The good news is that we have more people there this year. Last year, we had nine, and this year we have 13. We'll need to some people to step up, and some of them could be freshmen."
The coaching staff's eyes will be on the offensive line tomorrow as it will be tested by an improving defense from Kenyon. The game will be the second home date of the season for the Spartans, with kickoff set for 6 p.m. The athletic department's second annual fireworks display will follow the game.
