Case Western Reserve University senior Brendan Lynch matched a school single-game record with 222 receiving yards, and the Spartans' defense allowed just 136 total yards in a shutout effort, as CWRU picked up a dominating 55-0 win at Grove City College under the lights on Saturday night.
Lynch finished the game with nine receptions for 222 yards and three touchdowns, matching the single game record set by former Spartan Dave Wooley against the University of Chicago during the 1997 season. It was the first career 100+ yard receiving game for Lynch, while the nine receptions matched a career high, and the three touchdowns set a new career-best mark. Through two games this season, Lynch has 16 receptions for 298 yards and five touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Rob Cuda completed 24-of-42 passes for four touchdowns and 337 yards, his third career 300-yard passing game and two yards shy of his career-best mark, while also rushing for a fifth score during the game. Junior fullback Jacob Burke added a team-best 71 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Spartans' defense extended its scoreless quarter streak to six, as the team recorded its first shutout since the opening game of the 2014 season, a 30-0 win over Carnegie Mellon. The 55-point margin of victory was the largest by a Spartan team since a 70-12 win over Oberlin in 1998.
The Spartans took the lead on their second drive of the game, as Cuda capped off a 37-yard scoring drive with a four-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Justin Phan with 9:39 left in the first quarter. Later in the quarter, senior defensive lineman Tyler Doty intercepted a pass to give the Spartans possession back with an interception off a deflected pass. Following the turnover, the game was delayed 35 minutes for severe weather in the area, but when play resumed, Cuda completed a 32 yard touchdown pass to Lynch on the first play to extend the Spartans' lead to 14-0.
With time running down in the first quarter, senior cornerback Nick Kwon blocked a Grove City punt and returned it to the Wolverines' one-yard line, and Cuda would sneak the ball over the goal line on the next play to give CWRU a 21-0 advantage heading into the second quarter.
The score would remain 21-0 heading into halftime, as the Spartans' defense limited the Wolverines to just three first downs and 47 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes of the game.
The start of the second half would be delayed by severe weather, but the Spartans' defense picked up right where it left off once play resumed, as junior linebacker Chanan Demery tallied the first interception of his career on Grove City's first possession of the frame, setting up Lynch's second touchdown reception of the day, this one coming on a 15 yard catch with 12:01 remaining in the third. The Spartans added third quarter scores on a one-yard touchdown run by Burke and Lynch's third TD of the game on a 41-yard reception, and then fourth-quarter scores on runs by Burke and junior Jeffrie Brown Jr.
The Spartans gained 580 total yards in the game, including 198 rushing and 382 through the air.
Freshman safety Patrick Crossey led the team with six tackles, while junior linebacker Justin McMahon added five tackles. Senior linebacker Zach Lyon led the Squad with two sacks, and Demery, Doty and junior safety Daniel Fabiniak each notched an interception.
Case Western Reserve will be back on the road next weekend, when the team travels to Waynesburg University for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, September 24th against the Yellow Jackets.
Lynch Matches Receiving Record during CWRU’s 55-0 Win at Grove City
/seasons/2016/boxscores/20160917_431m.xml
2016
Case Western Reserve
55
Grove City
0
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case Western Reserve (2-0) | 21 | 0 | 20 | 14 | 55 |
| Grove City (0-3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sep 17, 2016