This past weekend, the 23rd/19th-ranked Case Western Reserve University Spartans traveled to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where they improved their record to 6-0 with a 34-26 win over Saint Vincent College. This win affirmed their standing as leaders in their Presidents’ Athletic Conference, where they have a conference record of 5-0.

While the Spartans’ running game struggled, the passing attack picked up most of the slack, quarterback Drew Saxton completing 30 out of 50 passes and threw four touchdowns. Saxton’s career-high 416 yards passing yards, marked the fourth highest single game mark in program history. With these achievements, Saxton received his second straight UAA Athlete of the Week Honor.

The first two touchdowns of the game were scored by Colt Morgan, a third-year wide receiver, off of a pair of five-yard passes during the first half. Second-year Robertson Albrecht tied off the two touchdowns by successfully making the extra points. Albrecht also made a 32-yard field goal, which increased the Spartans’ lead to 17-6 and finished off the first half.

The second half saw more exciting action, with St. Vincent and CWRU scoring a combined 34 points during the third quarter. As the game picked up speed, St. Vincent cut the Spartans’ lead, scoring two touchdowns. CWRU fired right back, with the Spartans going 67 yards down the field in one minute and 21 seconds. This drive included Saxton catching a 28-yard pass from running back Donald Day III to extend the lead to 24-13. St. Vincent then caught up to CWRU, catching a touchdown to bring the score back to within five points of CWRU. Third-year Travis Johnston pushed back with a 55-yard kick return. This allowed Saxton to work with third-year wide receiver Chase Witte to score a 30-yard touchdown with 6:28 remaining in the third quarter. St. Vincent did not let up and scored one more touchdown after the Spartans failed to convert to end the quarter.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the score was 31-26. The Spartans kept a five-point lead until the closing minutes of the game. Then they extended their lead even further in the last six minutes with a  65-yard drive that culminated in a Mario Robaina catch-and-run touchdown.

Saint Vincent made one last attempt to keep the score, but senior cornerback Kevin Chrissis blocked that attempt with five seconds remaining in the game. This last play secured the Spartans’ lead and victory, with the final score being 34-26.

The Spartans will return home next Saturday to host Geneva College at DiSanto Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.