Case Western Reserve posted its most complete performance of the season on Saturday, shutting out Hiram 38-0 at Henry Field for its fourth straight win. The Spartans improved to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in PAC play, while the Terriers fell to 4-3 overall and 1-3 in the conference. CWRU Athletics reported a scoreless first quarter before the Spartans took control.
Quarterback Pierce Olsen led the offense with a career day through the air. Olsen completed 22 of 33 passes for a career-high 299 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. His performance powered a passing attack that finished with a season-best 362 passing yards, part of a 490-yard day of total offense for the Spartans on the road.
Olsen’s top targets made the most of those throws. Garrett Pavlick caught five passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns, giving the Spartans a consistent scoring threat. Beau Wolf added seven catches for 95 yards and one touchdown, helping Case Western Reserve move the ball throughout the afternoon after the slow, scoreless opening quarter at Hiram.
The ground game found its answer in an unexpected place. First-year player Dom Manicioto was pressed into duty at running back and responded with 18 carries for 60 yards and one touchdown. His work gave the Spartans balance alongside Olsen’s passing, and his touchdown contributed to a 38-point output Hiram could not contain once Case Western Reserve found its rhythm.
As impressive as the offense was, the shutout may have been the bigger statement. Case Western Reserve held Hiram to 239 total yards, including just 39 rushing yards. That effort came against a Terriers team that entered averaging 26.2 points and 402.2 yards per game, making the zero on the scoreboard a notable achievement for the Spartans’ defense.
Dominic Ghilani was among the defensive standouts. Ghilani recorded a sack, three quarterback hurries and four tackles, applying steady pressure that helped keep Hiram from establishing the offense it had shown earlier this season. With the Terriers limited on the ground and pressured through the air, Hiram never mounted the drive needed to break the shutout.
The contrast between the two offenses told the story. Case Western Reserve finished with 490 total yards to Hiram’s 239, and the Spartans’ season-best passing total underscored how thoroughly Olsen and his receivers controlled the game after the first quarter. Hiram, at home at Henry Field, was held well below its season averages in scoring and yardage.
For Case Western Reserve, a fourth straight win at 6-1 keeps the Spartans firmly in the PAC picture at 3-1 in conference play. A career-high passing day from Olsen, contributions from a first-year running back pressed into service, and a shutout against an offense averaging more than 26 points a game give the Spartans momentum on both sides of the ball.
Photo: Rdikeman, CC BY-SA