Morgan Porter connected on three field goals, and Derek Yanosick had four key receptions for 116 yards in the second half, as the Bearcats defeated Case Western Reserve University, 23-20 at Chuck Noll Field.
The Bearcats got on the board first, putting together a 13-play, 61-yard drive that started with just under 10 minutes left in the first quarter. The drive stalled at the Case 15 yard line, and Porter came on to hit his first field goal of the day, this one from 31 yards, to put Saint Vincent in front, 3-0.
On their first possession of the second quarter, the Spartans took over at their own 34 after a Bearcat punt, and 16 plays later, Billy Beecher completed a one-yard pass to Adam Hochman for the Case score. However, SVC's Dwayne Hewitt blocked the extra point, keeping the score at 6-3.
After another Bearcat punt, Case again started at their own 34, and this time took only nine plays to go 66 yards, with Hochman this time carrying the ball in for his second score of the quarter. After the Nick Bavaro extra point, the Spartans led 13-3 with 3:24 left in the half.
The Bearcats were not yet finished for the half, as Andy Borgen took over at quarterback and quickly completed a 31-yard pass to Matt Duffey which moved the ball to the Case 32. Borgen then hit Shavonta Craft for a 24-yard catch-and-run to set up a first-and-goal at the 9.
With 14 seconds left in the half, Craft carried the ball into the end zone, and after the Porter extra point, the score was 13-10 Case at the half.
After the teams traded punts to start the third quarter, Case was able to extend its lead to 20-10 with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Beecher to George Darany.
Saint Vincent returned the favor quickly, as Borgen hit Yanosick for his first catch of the day, good for 24 yards to near midfield. Later in the drive, the Borgen-to-Yanosick connection came through again, this time for 32 yards, with Jordan Esteban making the touchdown saving tackle at the Case 1.
Two plays later, Craft scored on a 1-yard run to make the score 20-17.
After holding Case and forcing a punt, Saint Vincent took over at its own 10-yard line, and once again Borgen hit Yanosick for a big play, this time good for 28 yards to the Case 46. Borgen then took off on a 14-yard quarterback keeper, followed by a Craft 20-yard dash that went to the 12-yard line. After a Case penalty brought the ball halfway to the goal line, the defense held, forcing a field goal by Porter at the start of the fourth quarter. He hit from 19 yards away to tie the game, 20-20.
On the next drive, Hewitt stopped Dan Cronin on a carry, stripped the ball and recovered it at the Case 31. Saint Vincent then got as close as the visitors' 14, before Porter was called on for his third field goal, this one from 31 yards out, which put the hosts in front, 23-20 with 9:19 left in the fourth quarter.
On the ensuing drive, Beecher stepped back for a key third-down pass, but SVC's Darrell Burrell dove in front of the intended receiver and pulled in a circus catch for the interception, giving Saint Vincent the ball.
Borgen and Yanosick then started the next drive with another long pass, this one for 32 yards that moved the ball to the Case 31, but a sack by Zach Lyon ultimately resulted in a Bearcat punt.
Case started a drive with just under six minutes left in the game, but the Bearcat defense was up to the challenge, and the Spartans were forced to punt with 3:48 to go.
Saint Vincent never let the visitors get the ball back, as Borgen converted a clutch third down run, and Dustin Lowman later took a fourth-down handoff and ran for 8 yards for another first down, that allowed SVC to take a knee and run out the clock.
For first-year head coach Ron Dolciato, it was his first Bearcat victory, and the team's first since November of 2011, a span of 23 games.
As a team, Saint Vincent had 408 yards of total offense, compared to 273 for Case Western.
Individually, the SVC offense was led by Borgen, who completed 13 of 18 passes for 215 yards. Yanosick had four catches for 116 yards. Craft caught 7 passes for 80 yards, while DJ Oceant-Kelly had seven receptions as well, for 23 yards. Lazaro Garcia caught three passes for 33 yards, while Matt Duffey had two catches for 44 yards, leaving him just two catches shy of equaling the school's modern-era career record for receptions.
Craft was the Bearcats' top ground gainer, with 65 yards on 19 carries, while Borgen tallied 29 yards on 12 runs.
Defensively, Matt Jenkins had 10 tackles, while Hewitt and Devin Anderson recorded 7 each. TJ Feeney, Nick Revis and Nick Nitowski each recorded a quarterback sack.
With the win, the Bearcats improve to 1-2 overall, and are 1-0 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. Case Western Reserve is now 1-1 overall and 1-1 in the PAC.
Homecoming at Saint Vincent is set for Saturday, September 27, as the Bearcats host Grove City College at 1PM at Chuck Noll Field.
Bearcats snap losing streak with home win over Case Western
/seasons/2014/boxscores/20140920_dcm1.xml
2014
Case Western Reserve
20
St. Vincent
23
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case Western Reserve (1-1) | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| St. Vincent (1-2) | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
Sep 20, 2014