The Observer

Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: Football

Junior wide receiver Zach Homyk during the Spartans' 34-17 win over Carnegie Mellon on Saturday. Homyk caught two TDs. [Click to enlarge]

The Spartans took one more step towards their run at three consecutive undefeated seasons and UAA championships Saturday as they defeated the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans 34 -17.

The Spartans proved that even when they play a sloppy brand of football, they can find ways to win. Early in the game, the Spartans coughed up the ball twice on consecutive drives. The fumbles happened at a critical time in the game as the Spartans were clinging to a slim lead of 7 - 3 and the Tartans were having success offensively, especially on the ground.

Thankfully for the offense, the defense stepped up when they needed to most. One glance at the defensive statistics does not tell the entire story. The defense did give up a lot of yards, 420 total, but they kept the Tartan offense out of the end zone for the most part. They accomplished this by playing a bend-but-don't-break style of defense. On three separate drives, the Spartan defense gave up over 50 yards, including a 71-yard drive at the end of the game, but managed to keep Carnegie Mellon from scoring any points on these drives.

Offensively, junior receiver Zach Homyk stepped up and made huge plays for the team. Homyk put the Spartans' first points on the board early in the first quarter. Dan Whalen threw a screen pass to Homyk, and with the help of excellent blocking from the offensive line and receivers, Homyk was able to take the screen the distance for a 30-yard touchdown. Homyk was able to score one more touchdown in the game on the first possession in the second half. The score was a 14-yard connection between Homyk and Whalen and was a big moment as it put the Spartans up 21-3.

"Zach is a great player and he's been playing well all season long," said Whalen. "He led the team last year in receptions and this year he's up there in every category. I've got so much confidence in going to any of our receivers at any time, but Zach has really made so much improvement over the past two seasons that a performance like this past weekend doesn't surprise me". Homyk ended the game with 13 catches and 162 yards.

The Spartans are in the driver's seat for the UAA title and likely a playoff berth. While a win Saturday versus Washington University does not guarantee the Spartans a playoff spot, odds are they will earn an at-large bid. The game is also Senior Night and this is one group of athletes that deserves to be recognized. A win Saturday would give the Spartans 31 consecutive regular season wins and this group of seniors could leave Case as one of the most successful classes in school history, winning 35 of their 40 regular season games and making the playoffs three times, an impressive feat, given the history of Case football.

At the polls:

Head coach Greg Debeljak is in the running for the Coach of the Year award in Division III. Fan voting determines the coaches who move on to the next stage of the competition. The top 15 make the cut. Debeljak currently has tallied the fifth-most votes. Fans can vote once per day online at coachoftheyear.com.

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