Senior quarterback Dan Whalen threw for 284 yards and four touchdowns as ninth-ranked Case Western Reserve defeated the Denison football team 38-13 on Saturday night under the lights at Deeds Field-Piper Stadium.

The Spartans got on the board early thanks to the arm of Whalen.  A Gagliardi Trophy finalist in 2008, the 6-1 senior signal caller connected on four-of-five passes on the opening drive to set Case up for a 37-yard field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.  After capitalizing on a Big Red turnover to go up 10-0, the Denison offense showed they weren't going to go down without a fight.

On the ensuing DU drive, senior running back Nick Krempasky (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) and freshman quarterback Nick Stephens (Los Angeles, Calif./Dorsey) helped the Big Red march down the field for their first score of the night.  After first-year Yandy Plasencia (Miami, Fla./Ferguson) opened the drive with a 5-yard scamper, Krempasky ripped off runs of 9 and 5 yards, respectively.  Stephens then took center stage and connected with junior tight end Shawn Eagle (Harmony, Pa./Seneca Valley) for a 12-yard completion to get the Denison offense into Spartan territory.

After four consecutive rushing plays which included a 2-yard Krempasky carry on fourth-and-one, Stephens went back to the air and found Eagle for a 9-yard completion.  Following a Krempasky 3-yard run that gave DU a fresh set of downs, the freshman quarterback rolled out to his left and found a wide open Lucas Graham (Zanesville, Ohio/Zanesville) for the 11-yard strike to cut the Case lead to 10-7 with 47 seconds left in the opening quarter.  The scoring drive covered 77 yards in 11 plays and spanned 5:55.

The tide turned in favor of the Spartans early in the second quarter when Mike Pelyak picked off a pass that halted a Denison drive.  Case Western once again converted the turnover into seven points.  The Spartans went on to put up 21 points in the second frame to build up a 31-7 lead.  On all three scoring drives, Whalen found junior wide out Shaun Nicely.  Nicely caught a 13-yard TD pass that was sandwiched by two seven-yard scores.  After surrendering big chunks of yards to the DU rushing attack, the Case defensive made key adjustments and shutdown the Big Red ground game in the second quarter.

In his first-career start, Stephens completed 14-of-28 for 179 yards and one touchdown.  Krempasky finished the night with 28 carries for 99 yards, which included a 5-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.  The Spartans had out gained Denison 157-91 on the ground, but factored into the Big Red's rushing attack was a bad snap on a punt that cost the squad 33 yards of offense on the ground.

The Big Red defense was paced by senior defensive back Drew Homyk (Chicago, Ill./St. Ignatius Prep) who notched a game-high 15 tackles, which included his 200th career stop.  The senior was just one tackle shy of tying his career-high set in 2007 against Case.  Bill Aukerman (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) added 10 tackles, an interception, and two pass break-ups, while Taylor Dlouhy (Chevy Chase, Md./Bethesda Chevy Chase) recorded eight stops.

With the loss, Denison falls to 1-3 overall while Case Western Reserve improves to 4-0.  The Big Red returns on action next Saturday night (Oct. 10) when they host North Coast Athletic Conference opponent, Hiram College at 7 p.m.