Posted September 14 2001, 11:17 am
Posted by: Ryan Maurer
Setting the Scene
The Wittenberg University Tigers, ranked No. 3 in the nation by the American Football Coaches Association and riding a 33-game regular season winning streak, make the long road trip this weekend to take on the Alma College Scots. The Tigers are 2-0 on the still-young 2001 season after easily defeating Urbana University and Heidelberg College at Edwards-Maurer Field the last two weeks. The Scots, coming off a 6-4 campaign in 2000, is 0-1 after falling on the road to Ohio Athletic Conference power Wilmington last Saturday.
The Tigers have featured a balanced offensive attack despite the loss of seven starters on that side of the ball from last year’s 12-1 NCAA Division III regional finalist squad. They have outscored Urbana and Heidelberg 103-20 in the first two games this year, pouncing on both visitors in the second and third quarters after competitive opening stanzas. In the third quarter, Wittenberg has posted 28 points to its opponents’ 0.
Alma, on the other hand, got off on the wrong foot a week ago, falling behind early and never pulling back into the game. The Scots yielded 217 yards on the ground during the loss to Wilmington and 515 total yards. Offensively, junior quarterback Steve Slowke completed just 16 of 47 passes as Alma attempted to use its spread offense to get back into the game.
Last Week
It took a little less than one half of football for the Wittenberg University Tigers to get in gear. Once they did, the gear that the four-time defending North Coast Athletic Conference champions found was fifth as they raced past visiting Heidelberg College 59-7 on Community Night in Springfield.
Heidelberg got on the board first in the game with a 61-yard touchdown run. But the Tigers answered immediately as sophomore wide receiver Skip Ivery (Columbus, Ohio/Groveport-Madison) caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Greg Cornett (Franklin, Ohio/Franklin) to cap an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive with 9:39 left in the second quarter.
From that point it was all Wittenberg. On the ensuing drive, Heidelberg went three plays and out before Wittenberg junior defensive back Dane Dudley (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) burst through to block a punt. Senior wide receiver Michael Aljancic (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) hauled in a 34-yard scoring strike from Cornett on the next play to give the Tigers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Dudley capped the first-half scoring by blocking a second punt a minute later and returning it 27 yards for a touchdown.
In the second half, junior running back Daniel Grove (Uhrichsville, Ohio/Claymont) scored two touchdowns, junior running back Jason Stephan (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) scored one TD, freshman kicker Jacob Thomas (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) booted his first career field goal, and then freshman running back Justin Blackley (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian) capped things with a pair of long scoring runs.
Week 1
It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but for a football program in search of an identity after losing 13 starters from its 2000 NCAC championship team, the Tigers will certainly take it. Before an overflow opening night crowd at Edwards-Maurer Field, Wittenberg downed Urbana 44-13.
Wide receiver Michael Aljancic and quarterback Greg Cornett starred on offense for the Tigers, who haven’t lost an opening game since 1994. Aljancic had five catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns, including a scoring reception on Wittenberg’s first play from scrimmage. That was an 18-yard TD completion that was set up by a fumble recovery by junior linebacker Andy Pope (Hamilton, Ohio/Lakota East).
The Tigers scored the first 30 points of the game, following Aljancic’s touchdown with a three-yard scoring burst by tailback Daniel Grove, a safety when Urbana snapped the ball through its own end zone, a one-yard plunge by senior fullback Eric Tomich (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) and a 48-yard scoring strike from Cornett to Aljancic.
Wittenberg finished its offensive rampage with scores in each of the final two periods. Grove rambled nine yards for a score with 12 minutes remaining in the third stanza and Tomich capped the night with his second one-yard plunge in the final period.
Replacing a Legend — by Committee
The heirs to record-setting tailback Casey Donaldson’s spot have done the job in the first two weeks. After no running back gained more than 59 yards in the win over Urbana — but four players had more than 20 — the Tigers’ ground attack broke out in the Heidelberg victory.
Daniel Grove rambled for 169 yards on 16 carries against the Berg, while Justin Blackley picked up 106 yards on just eight carries (all in the fourth quarter) and Jason Stephan accounted for 46 yards on 10 carries. As a team, the Tigers picked up 380 yards rushing.
Six different running backs have toted the pigskin thus far as the Tiger coaching staff attempts to replace its career leader in rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns. After none of them averaged more than 3.8 yards per carry in the Urbana game, as opposed to Donaldson’s career average of better than 5.5 yards per tote, Grove averaged 10.6 yards per carry against Heidelberg and capped his night with a 55-yard touchdown run. Blackley scored on a 59-yard TD scamper on his first touch and finished the night with an average of more than 11 yards per carry.
Quite a Debut
Greg Cornett has put together a pair of solid games, not the kind that make too many highlight reels or lead to too many national statistical rankings, but the kind that coaches love the best. He has been efficient and effective, committing no turnovers, completing a high percentage of passes and making good decisions the majority of the time.
Against Heidelberg, Cornett had one of the finest days for a Wittenberg quarterback, finishing 11-for-13 for 167 yards and two touchdowns. He misfired on his first and last passes of the day, completing 11 in a row in between. His completion percentage was the third-best in Wittenberg history.
Against Urbana, Cornett finished his first starting assignment 13-for-20 for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps an auspicious sign for Wittenberg fans — Cornett’s first college completion was the 18-yard touchdown strike to Mike Aljancic in the first quarter of the Urbana game. Prior to that, Cornett had never attempted a regular season pass, and he was 0-for-3 in mop-up duty at the end of the NCAA Division III Playoff loss to Mt. Union last December.
Case for the Defense:
Defense was expected to be a strength for the Tigers in 2001, just as it has been over the last decade as Wittenberg has led the NCAC in total defense eight of the last nine years. Despite the loss of four starters — three of whom were all-conference selections a year ago — the Tigers’ defense has lived up to that billing again this year.
Opposing teams are averaging just 10 points, 13.5 first downs, 85.5 rushing yards and 165 passing yards per game thus far in 2000. Urbana and Heidelberg combined to convert just eight of 28 third downs and were forced into eight fumbles — five of which were recovered by Wittenberg.
Wittenberg was paced defensively in the Urbana game by senior outside linebacker Nic Black (Piqua, Ohio/Piqua), who had nine tackles in his first career start. Junior middle linebacker Ryan Gresham (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor) added eight tackles in his first career start, and senior defensive tackle Juan Howard (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) added three tackles for loss.
Against Heidelberg, Gresham was all over the field again, leading the Tigers with 11 tackles, including one for a five-yard loss. Senior defensive end Tim Daoust (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) had four tackles, three of which were sacks.
Streaks
Last Saturday’s win was Wittenberg’s 33rd consecutive in regular season action, dating back to the ninth game of the 1997 season against the College of Wooster. It was also Wittenberg’s 31st straight regular season home victory, dating back to the second game of the 1996 season.
The Tigers have also reeled off 22 straight North Coast Athletic Conference victories, dating back to the Wooster loss in 1997. Since then, Wittenberg won the 1998 conference crown with a perfect 8-0 record, the 1999 NCAC title with a 6-0 mark, and the 2000 championship with seven straight wins. The 2001 conference campaign heats up again on September 22 with a crucial home showdown with Wabash.
Finally, Wittenberg has won 12 straight regular season road games, dating back to the loss at Wooster loss in 1997.
More About the Regular Season:
Wittenberg is one of just two NCAA Division III programs that have finished the last three regular seasons with perfect 10-0 records. The other? Mount Union, which has put together an astounding string of six straight perfect regular seasons.
In the Record Books
The latest edition of the NCAA Football Records Book has been published, and record-setting Wittenberg running back Casey Donaldson, whose playing eligibility expired a year ago, has his name scattered throughout.— In career points, Donaldson stands seventh in Division III history with 408.
— In career yards-per-game, Donaldson is 19th at 131.1.
— In career yards, Donaldson is ninth all-time with 5,112.
— In career points-per-game, Donaldson ranks 16th at 10.5.
Coach of the Year
Joe Fincham improved his career record to 54-5 with last Saturday’s victory. Perhaps even more impressive, Fincham is now 50-2 in regular season games.
Last year, he became the first Wittenberg coach to earn conference coach of the year honors three straight years. Dave Maurer won the award in the Ohio Athletic Conference three times in four years (1976, 1978, 1979) and Bill Edwards coached at a time when such awards were not given. Maurer and Edwards both also won national coach of the year on two occasions.
Last Meeting with Alma
The Tigers improved to 3-0 in 2000 with a 39-14 pasting of the visiting Scots on Sept. 16 at Edwards-Maurer Field in Springfield. The Tigers, who also defeated Alma in the 1999 NCAA Division III playoffs by a 42-19 count, completed their 2000 non-conference schedule by outscoring their opponents by a combined total of 114-45.
Placekicker Ryan Walker opened the scoring with a career-high 43-yard field goal in the first quarter, but Alma responded early in the second with a touchdown pass from Brandon Wrobel to Jeremy Haynie that covered 12 yards and put Wittenberg behind for the first time in 2000.
The Tigers responded with three drives that culminated with touchdown runs by tailback Casey Donaldson. His second-quarter scoring scampers of 1, 4 and 1 yard extended the Wittenberg advantage to 23-7 by halftime, and they moved him to the top of the NCAC record books as he tied the mark of 54 rushing touchdowns previously held by Stanley Drayton (Allegheny, 1989-92). Donaldson finished the game with team-highs of 34 carries for 138 yards, his third straight 100-yard rushing game.
In the second half, the Tigers did their scoring through the air. Wide receiver Michael Aljancic, who caught seven passes for a season-best 123 yards, hauled in the first scoring strike, a 21-yard reception from quarterback Anthony Crane with 6:20 left in the third quarter. Wide receiver Steve DeGraffinreed completed the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter from quarterback Chris Damico.
Sandwiched in between was Walker’s second field goal of the day, a 32-yarder with 11:30 left in the fourth quarter. With that kick, Walker broke the school record of 187 points by kicking previously held by Greg Brame (1990-93).
Alma got the last score of the night, a six-yard TD run by Dan McGregor with 38 seconds left in the game. Defensively, the Tigers held Alma to 175 net yards (to 394 for Wittenberg) and recorded 15 tackles for loss in the game.