Zach Homyk caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Joey Baum with 46 seconds remaining to lift visiting Case Western Reserve University to a 14-10 victory over the University of Rochester at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
The victory was the 33rd straight in the regular season for the Spartans (2-0). Case has won 16 in a row on the road. Rochester is 0-1.
Case drove 82 yards in five plays for the wining touchdown. The Spartans were pinned at their own 18 after a Rochester punt. Mike Carson's punt to the Case 40 struck Homyk a split second before Rochester's Ed Dauphin hit him. The ball rolled to the 18 where Case's James Wodicka recovered in the melee with 1:35 remaining.
Baum completed an eight-yard pass to Derek Bush, then found Bryan Metlesitz for 27 yards, moving the ball to the Rochester 47. Two sideline passes to Homyk moved the ball to the 32. Rochester was flagged for pass interference on a ball thrown for Shaun Nicely, putting it on the 17. On the next play, Homyk outjumped a Rochester defender in the right corner of the end zone for the TD. Sam Coffey kicked the PAT.
The Yellowjackets drove to the Case 38 where Pat Keegan's pass into the end zone fell incomplete.
Case opened the scoring on a five-play, 29-yard drive after recovering Rochester's fumble on the opening kickoff. Homyk caught a 12-yard pass from Baum for the score. Homyk finished with 13 catches for 162 yards and both TDs.
Rochester tied the score with 5:13 left in the half. Keegan passed three yards to Tony Messana and Zachary White-Stellato kicked the PAT. It came 10 plays after Kobie Hamm returned an interception 45 yards. The Yellowjackets took a 10-7 halftime lead on White-Stellato's 38-yard field goal with 11 seconds left in the half.
The Yellowjackets intercepted Baum three times. Cole Valko intercepted a pass in the end zone meant for Homyk with just over five minutes left in the third quarter. Brendan Pidgeon intercepted Baum early in the fourth quarter.
Case had a chance to tie the score twice, but Coffey missed a 40-yard field goal attempt on one possession, then missed a 39-yarder on the next possession.
Baum finished with 27 completions in 36 attempts for 347 yards, two TDs and the three INTs. The Spartans rushed for 56 yards and passed for 347. Rochester totaled 288 yards in offense. The Yellowjackets ran for 169 – 127 of it by Clarence Onyiriuka. Keegan hit 12 of 27 passes for 119 yards, one TD, and one INT.
