CLEVELAND – When a team storms through a regular season and into the second round of the NCAA playoffs, then earns a Top 25 ranking before the new year begins, football fans know the club can master several facets of the game to achieve success: (1) the team balances its offense between run and pass; (2) it can control the clock, and (3) it takes away at least one strong point from its opponent.
 
The University of Rochester football team ran into such a club on Saturday night when the Yellowjackets lost at Case Western Reserve University, 38-10, at DiSanto Field. CWRU rushed for 220 yards and passed for 321 more. Defensively, the Spartans took away the run game from Rochester and were able to hold the passing game somewhat in check. CWRU is ranked #23 in the pre-season poll of D3football.com.
 
There were positives for the Yellowjackets. Connor Byrne and Daniel DiLoreto each caught 62 yards worth of passes. DiLoreto kept a couple of drives going and Byrne scored the first TD of the year – a leaping catch in the corner of the end zone to put Rochester ahead, 7-0.
 
Overall, Rochester had 248 yards in offense – 40 on the ground (22 carries) and 208 through the air. Matt Gallagher was 18 of 35 with one TD and one INT.  The pick came late in the fourth quarter.
 
Byrne's five catches led UR (for 62 yards). DiLoreto had three catches. Dan Diaz caught two for 36 yards, first-year Noah Shinaman had three catches for 21 yards, and Tyler Tanen had three for 18.
 
Defensively, Ricky Simcic had an interception and four tackles. Jordan Caviness, Adam Baghi, and Austin Carr each had pass breakups. Robert Grant had an INT late in the fourth.
 
First-year Jack Dippolito was in on eight tackles (3-5) and had three tackles for loss. His 1.5 sacks led Rochester. Christian Marini had nine tackles as did first-year Caden Cole.
 
Rochester won the toss and deferred the choice. The defense forced a punt on the opening series by CWRU. Rochester took over at its own 19 after a punt.
 
Gallagher directed a 10-play, 81-yard drive, hitting five passes to key it. He found Byrne for 11 yards, then hit DiLoreto for 13 more to move the ball to midfield. After a three-yard gain by Sean Mannion, Gallagher threw to Mannion in the left flat for six more. Shinaman caught a 13-yarder to get it to the 28. Mannion ran for four yards, then Gallagher rolled to his right and found Byrne who made a  leaping catch in the end zone. Dawson Klinger's PAT put Rochester up, 7-0.
 

The Yellowjackets forced a turnover immediately. On fourth and one from the UR 41, Simcic intercepted a pass by Drew Sexton at the line of scrimmage.
 
Rochester was forced to punt and Case started to get rolling. The big play was a 28-yard punt return by WR Justin Phan that put the ball on the CW44. Eight plays later, the score was tied. Case scored on three straight possessions for a 21-7 lead.
 
UR assembled a scoring drive late in the second quarter. DiLoreto caught a 15-yard pass on third and four to get into CW territory,. Then on third and five from the Spartan 41, he caught Gallagher's pass under a heavy rush and turned it into a 34-yard gain to the six. The Spartans stopped first-year Damon Yargeau after a one-yard gain, then defended passes thrown for Shinaman and Diaz in the end zone.  Klinger kicked a 23-yard field goal to pull Rochester within 21-10.
 
The 'clinching' score ended the half. Case drove 91 yards in 11 plays, aided by two Rochester penalties and a 17-yard catch and run by Phan. Ryan Coolidge ran it in from the two and it was 28-10 heading into the locker room.
 
CWRU quarterbacks Drew Saxton (22-35-1, 234 yards) and Coolidge (9-11-1m 87 yards) combined for 321 yards passing. Coolidge ran for two TDs and Sam Jenkins (game high 59 yards on 15 carries) ran for one.
 
Rochester returns to Fauver Stadium on September 8 for the home opener against Carnegie Mellon University at 12 pm.