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| Rob Cuda nearly led the Spartans to the PAC championship this year. Photo by Alex Slitz |
Case Western Reserve and Carnegie Mellon are glad to be back in a familiar place – the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.
The two universities have a long history in that circuit. Case Western Reserve competed in it from 1970 until 1984. Before that, Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, the institutions that joined to become Case Western Reserve, were PAC founding members in 1955. The teams competed separately for many years until forming one squad in 1970. Meanwhile, Carnegie Mellon competed in the PAC from 1968 until 1989.
Both came back to the PAC – as affiliate members in football only – last fall. In a unique setup, the programs maintain their affiliation with the University Athletic Association in football as well as other sports.
The programs didn’t come back just for the heck of it. They wanted to compete for a football championship and playoff berth. After a rough 2014 in which both teams went 3-5 in the PAC, the Spartans and Tartans are surging.
Case Western Reserve made the biggest leap this year. The Spartans entered Saturday’s game against Thomas More with a shot at winning a PAC championship. They gave the Saints all they could handle, too. Case Western Reserve held a 32-27 lead in the fourth quarter, but Thomas More rallied for a 36-32 victory to clinch the crown. Before that game, the Saints’ closest margin of victory was 14 points.
“After a tough start, it seems to be a good fit for us in the PAC,” CWRU coach Greg Debeljak said. “I am happy (CMU head coach) Rich (Lackner) and those guys are having a good year. I root for them every game. I am thrilled we have been able to turn it around like we have so far.”
So, what’s been the key for the Spartans?
“I think everything points to a great senior class. I think that’s really important. We had some things we needed to change culturally and that’s tough to do if you don’t have the senior class buying into it. They certainly did. We made some tough decisions over the spring and made some changes. The seniors bought into it and led the way,” Debeljak said. “Second, we stayed healthy. After the second game last year, three of our top D-linemen were out for the year and two of our starting offensive linemen were out for the year. That was difficult to rebound from and it kind of snowballed from there.”
In addition, Case Western Reserve has benefited from Rob Cuda’s breakout season. The sophomore dual-threat quarterback leads the PAC in total offense (2,947 yards).
“We knew he was going to be a great player. When we recruited him, his high school film was unbelievable,” Debeljak said. “The surprising thing is his lack of interceptions. He is a gunslinger and not afraid to pull the trigger. I thought we’d have to go through some growing pains. He just got it right from the first day. He makes great decisions and has great timing throwing the ball. It’s his first time starting at the college level, there just wasn’t those growing pains.”
Cuda had one interception coming into Saturday’s game against Thomas More, but the Saints picked him off three times. Nevertheless, he passed for 356 yards and a touchdown and added 42 yards and a score on the ground.
“Offensively, Rob Cuda has had a remarkable year. He has made so many plays. He is the kind of kid who makes everyone around him better,” Debeljak said. “I think Rich would say the same thing about Sam Benger. You get those special kids and they just make everybody around them better and Rob is one of those kids.”
Carnegie Mellon has its own super sophomore in running back Sam Benger. He’s helped key the Tartans’ turnaround. The squad is tied for third in the PAC standings at 5-2. Benger rushed for 207 yards and two TDs in the team’s 52-7 win over Chicago last week. He leads the country with 1,660 rushing yards and continues to rewrite the program’s record books.
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| Sophomore Sam Benger has already rewritten the Tartans record books. Photo courtesy Carnegie Mellon Sports Information Office |
“He is one of those kids who has a great work ethic in practice. He is kind of a gym rat. He loves being in the weight room and working out and eating right. He likes everything about being healthy and staying healthy and preparing himself for games, both mentally and physically,” CMU coach Rich Lackner said. “He makes very few mental errors on the field. He is just one of those guys who has that burst. When he gets into the second or third level, he has the ability to beat some people with his legs. He’s been a blessing for us.”
Like Cuda at Case Western Reserve, Benger has benefited from strong play from his teammates all over the field as well. For instance, junior Brian Khoury captured the Tartans’ single-season sack mark with 13.5 (and counting), which leads the PAC and is second in the nation. They’ve both helped the squad finish strong.
“After the fourth game, we were 1-3. I will say this about the team – we never lost them. I think it’s easy to lose a team at that point. As coaches, we were encouraging. We simply lost to some good teams and played them tough,” Lackner said. “I just think the encouragement and being positive with them and showing them what mistakes they needed to correct was important. We wanted them to understand we have the ability to do some nice things in every aspect of the game. We won one, then another and we got some momentum and won five in a row.
“It tells a ton about the character of my kids and coaches. The type of kids we get here are incredibly competitive and not the type of individuals who would throw up their arms, get frustrated and quit. Our competitive nature is very unique.”
Lackner believes the strong finish validates the squad’s belief that it can compete with the PAC’s best.
“The PAC is a good fit for our program. We have beaten some good football teams and some teams that beat us last year like Bethany and Saint Vincent. We lost to W&J and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. I will say we played them hard and Sam had over 300 yards rushing against W&J,” he said. “We feel like we’re moving in the right direction, in terms of the PAC. I think some great programs compete in the PAC. Thomas More, Case Western and W&J – they’re all pretty impressive and they all are teams to be reckoned with. Hopefully, we’re moving towards a situation where we can be more competitive with them.”
Both squads wrap up the regular season with their much-anticipated showdown Saturday at Gesling Stadium in Pittsburgh in the 30th installment of the Academic Bowl. Case Western Reserve can lock up second place in the PAC with a win. In addition, the winning team captures a share of the UAA title as well.
“It’s a great rivalry. We enjoy playing Case Western,” Lackner said. “Academically, they are fine school and they’re geographically close. It’s always a great game.”
Debeljak echoed those thoughts: “It always is a great game. There are great relationships between the schools and programs. I have a lot of respect for Rich. We all know each other’s kids so well because we all recruit the same kids. Some make the choice to go to Case Western and some go to Carnegie Mellon – there is no bad choice. I really look forward to the game because it’s played in the right spirit and we get after each other. After the game, there is more conversation going on than after any other game we play.”
Game of the week
Thomas More rallied to beat Case Western Reserve, 36-32, for the PAC title. The Saints wrapped up their sixth undefeated season in the program’s 26 years. Several members of the program’s first squad in 1990 made the jaunt to Cleveland to watch the game. The game featured a rare fumbled Spartans two-point conversion returned by Thomas More for two points. The Saints’ defense came up huge once again as it forced and recovered a fumble at the CWRU six yard line with 6:50 left in the game to set up the winning score. Thomas More is off this Saturday, so it has an extra week to rest up for the playoffs.
Down to the wire
Nic Paolo found Nate Eaton for a 54-yard touchdown with 1:09 to play to give Hiram a 40-36 win over Wooster in NCAC action. The victory is the Terriers’ third in their last five games and marks the program’s first win over the Fighting Scots since 1989. Hiram scored 27 points off four turnovers on the day.
What to watch
Wabash visits DePauw in the annual Monon Bell Classic. However, it’s not just the rivalry on the line – the winner wraps up the NCAC title and automatic conference playoff qualifier. The Little Giants, who have wrapped up at least a share of the crown, have won the last six meetings against the Tigers.
Mount Union visits John Carroll in a huge OAC clash. Can the Blue Streaks, who have found their stride, surprise the Purple Raiders? Mount Union is up to the task as it has been cruising as well.
In the polls
No. 1 Mount Union (9-0) shut out Baldwin Wallace, 42-0. That was the defense’s third donut in a row. The Purple Raiders visit No. 15 John Carroll.
No. 7 Wabash (9-0) dispatched Denison, 38-7. The Little Giants visit DePauw for the Monon Bell Classic.
No. 9 Thomas More (10-0) wrapped up the PAC crown with a thrilling 36-32 win at Case Western Reserve. The Saints are the only Top 25 team with 10 games under its belt so far. They are off this weekend.
No. 15 John Carroll (8-1) cruised to a 42-13 win at Otterbein. The Blue Streaks face a formidable task against Mount Union, but at least it’s a home game for John Carroll.
No. 22 Case Western Reserve (7-2) fell victim to a late fumble that helped Thomas More post a 36-32 triumph. The Spartans visit Carnegie Mellon for the 30th Academic Bowl.
