WESTMINSTER TITANS (4-2, 5-3)

vs.

CASE WESTERN RESERVE SPARTANS (5-1, 6-2)

Saturday, Nov. 5, 1 p.m.

Harold Burry Stadium/Memorial Field, New Wilmington, Pa.

QUICK FACTS

Name of School … Westminster College

City/Zip … New Wilmington, Pa. 16172

Founded … 1852

Enrollment .. 1,400

Nickname … Titans

School Colors … Blue and WHite

Affiliation … NCAA Division III

Conference … Presidents' Athletic (PAC)

President … Dr. Kathy B. Richardson

Athletic Director … Jason Lener

Athletics Department Phone … 724-946-7307

Stadium … Harold Burry Stadium/Memorial Field

Capacity/Surface … 4,500/FieldTurf

HISTORY

First Year of Football … 1891 

All-time Bowl/Playoff Record … 35-13 (.729) 

Years in postseason play … 23

Last NCAA/NAIA appearance ........... 1996 (NAIA Quarterfinals,, Lost to Findlay (Ohio), 28-9

Last postseason appearance … 2021 (ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl, Lost to Hobart, 21-3)

PAC Championships … 2 (2020, 2021)

Last PAC Championship …  Won, 27-20, over Washington & Jefferson

National Championships … 1994, 1989, 1988, 1977, 1976, 1970

Head Coach … Scott Benzel (9th, 61-27, 69.3%)

Alma Mater … Mercyhurst, 1997

Office Phone … 724-946-7310

Email … benzelsr@westminster.edu

TEAM INFORMATION

Basic Offense … Multiple

Basic Defense … Multiple

Starters Returning/Lost … 16/6

Offense … 7/4

Defense … 8/1

Specialty … 1/1

2021 Overall Record … 8-3

Home/Away/Neutral … 4-2/4-1

2021 PAC Record … 8-1

Home/Away … 4-0/4-1

2021 PAC Finish … 1st (tie)

2022 SCHEDULE

9/3 … at Delaware Valley … L, 8-22

9/10 … BETHANY … W, 42-3

9/17 … ALLEGHENY* … W, 42-14

BYE

10/1 … at Carnegie Mellon* … L, 10-0

10/8 … WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON* … L, 17-14

10/15 … THIEL* (Homecoming) … W, 41-6

10/22 … at Grove City* … W, 24-17

10/29 … at Waynesburg* … W, 30-10

11/5 … CASE WESTERN RESERVE* … 1 p.m.

11/12 … at Geneva* … 1 p.m.

2021 RESULTS

9/4 … No. 1 MOUNT UNION, L, 7-48

9/18 … at Case Western Reserve* W, 34-12

9/25 … GROVE CITY* W, 33-32

10/2 … at Thiel* W, 49-14

10/9 … at Carnegie Mellon L, 10-34

10/16 … WAYNESBURG* W, 66-14

10/23 … at Washington & Jefferson W, 23-18

10/30 … at Bethany* W 42-6

11/6 … SAINT VINCENT* W, 41-6

11/13 … GENEVA* W, 31-6

11/20 … HOBART 

(ECAC Asa S.Bushnell Bowl) L, 3-21

*PAC Game; Home games in CAPS

COACHING STAFF

Head Coach … Scott Benzel (9th)

Record … 61-27 (69.3%)

Alma Mater … Mercyhurst, 1997

Office Phone … 724-946-731

Email … benzelsr@westminster.edu

Twitter Handle … @coachbenzel

Assistant Coaches: David Blake (Asso. HC, co-OC, QBs), Colyn Haugh (co-OC/run game coordinator, OL), Jared Heck (Special Teams, DBs), Michael Bongivengo (pass game coordinator), David Jamieson (DL), Rashad Wheeler (DL), Pat Mineok (LBs, Special Teams), Josh Wrightson (offensive asst.), Nick Marmo (TEs), Corey Oaks (DBs), Garvey Biggers (Specialist coach, Recruiting coordinator), Jim Mohr (chaplain).

GAME NOTES

THE SERIES

Westminster won a year ago (34-12) in University Heights, Ohio – the initial Titans' triumph in this abbreviated series. Case Western Reserve recorded wins in 2019 (21-13), 2018 (35-14), 2017 (41-10), and 2016 (26-22).

Last season the Titans trailed 6-0 before erupting for 21 second-period points, then scoring 13 fourth-frame insurance points. Highlights included Brice Butler's 100-yard Pick-Six, Chevy Dawson and Cole Konieczka collaborating on a 47-yard TD toss, Jalen Washington's game-high 102 receiving yards, and Frank Antuono's 3- and 5-yard TD runs.

Spartans' signal-caller Drew Saxton passed for a game-high 317 yards, including an 11-yard TD.

THIS SEASON

CWRU has been outscoring (32.8 to 18.9) and out-gaining (417.9 to 306) opponents. The Spartans post 152 yards rushing and 265.9 yards passing/game, while permitting just 94.1 and 211.9, respectively.

In last week's win against Allegheny College (54-7) Saxton earned PAC Offensive Player of the Week laurels for his 19-for-25, 246-yard, 4-TD passing performance. It was his second consecutive 4-TD outing and 12th of his collegiate career, according to the PAC web site. Also, Marco Toth took Special Teams Player of the Week honors as he blocked a pair of punts that led to scores. Defensively, he added 4 tackles (3 solos) intercepted a pass and added a safety.

A senior, Saxton sits atop the circuit this season, having completed 144 of 209 pass attempts (68.9%) for 1,721 yards and 13 TDs (3 interceptions) – an efficiency rating of 155.7.

Other offensive Spartans' standouts include running backs Antonio Orsini (125 carries, 618 yards, 4.9 per-carry, 7 TDs), Ian Kipp (36-183, 5.1, 1 TD), and Gage Duesler (43-178, 4.1, 6 TDs). Saxton's primary aerial targets include Ethan Dahlem (33 catches, 513 yards, 15.5 per-catch, 5 TDs), Noah Coyne (31-455, 14.7 6 TDs), Riley Knurek (34-417, 12.3, 1 TD) and Michael Wojkowski (15-194, 12.9).

Defensively, CWRU has been led by Gabe Troch (51 tackles, 30 solos), Toth (50/23, 5.5 sacks, 9 tackles-for-loss), Sean Torres (49 tackles, 1 sack), Kaden Tong (13.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks), R.J. Ayers (3.5 sacks), and Colin Schuster and Dominic Sais, who have split 8 pass break-ups.

Westminster averages 25.1 points and 340.8 yards/game (158 rushing; 182.8 passing). The Titans have yielded just 12.4 points and 223.6 yards per game (93.4 rushing; 130.3 passing).

Senior running back Ryan Gomes (Tampa, Fla./Walter L. Sickles High) paces the PAC in rushing (108.4 yards/game) following his 19-carry, 175-yard performance in last week's win at Waynesburg (30-10). Gomes has gained 867 yards on 179 carries (4.8) and tallied 5 TDs.

First-year quarterback Tyler McGowan (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon Area High) improved to 3-0 as the starting signal-caller. At Waynesburg McGowan completed 18 of 29 pass attempts for 181 yards and tossed TDs of 38, 23 and 7 yards, respectively, to first-year standout Jalen Royal-Eiland (Mineral Ridge, Ohio/Mineral Ridge High), Washington (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips High), and Dawson (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Centennial High). 

This season McGowan has completed 57 of 89 pass attempts (64%) for 623 yards and 7 TDs (3 interceptions) and rushed for 95 yards.

His top targets have been junior Tylon Eilam (Sharon, Pa./Sharon High), 24 catches, 371 yards (15.5), 3 TDs) and Washington, 21-291 13.9, 3 TDs.

TOWERING TITANS: TWIN THIMONSES

Brayden and Daniel Thimons have book-ended the Titans' tenacious defense. This season Brayden (Natrona Heights, Pa./Highlands High), a senior, and Daniel (Tarentum, Pa./Highlands High), a junior, have recorded 6 and 4.5 quarterback sacks, respectively. 

Brayden boasts 50 tackles (36 solos) and 12.5 tackles-for-loss, while Daniel has donated 7 TFL.

A week ago Brayden earned PAC Defensive Player of the Week laurels, and said, "I've gotta give that honor to my teammates, to be honest with you. They do a lot of things that enable me to make some plays." 

The Thimonses and other members of the front four, including senior Tyree Reeder (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline High) and sophomore Carter Chinn (Grove City, Pa./Grove City High) have been dubbed "Death Row," Thimons said with a smile.

The elder Thimons' roommates include senior quarterback Cole Konieczka (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon Area High) and senior offensive tackle Gabriel Cleveland (Cummings, Ga./South Forsyth). Regarding the relationship he enjoys with his younger brother as a Titans' teammate, Brayden said, "In high school I played quarterback and he played guard. Now, being able to play on both sides of the ball (from either flank), it's awesome! It's really cool!"

TOP TITAN TACKLERS

In addition to the Thimonses, senior linebackers Nicholas Treloar (New Castle, Pa./New Castle High) and Ian Barr (State College, Pa./State College High) have recorded 50 and 46 tackles, respectively (19 and 28 solos). Treloar has partaken in a sack, while Barr boasts 5.5 TFL, 3 pass break-ups and an interception. Reeder (9.5 TFL, including 4 sacks), senior linebacker Jarred Kohl (York, Pa./York Catholic High), 2 sacks; senior safety Luca Botti (Ellwood City, Pa./Ellwood City High), 6 pass break-ups, 2 interceptions, and sophomore safety Butler, a league-leading 5 picks, 2 TDs, have contributed to the season-long outstanding defensive performance.

COMMON OPPONENTS

While Westminster has wins over Bethany, Allegheny, Thiel, Grove City, and Waynesburg, the losses have occurred to powers Delaware Valley University (8-0), Carnegie Mellon University (9-0) and Washington & Jefferson College (6-2). In this week's American Football Coaches Assn. Division III poll Del-Val is 8th and CMU 17th.

Case Western Reserve has secured wins over Waynesburg (45-31), W&J (14-10), Geneva (34-7), Saint Vincent (45-21), Bethany (45-7) and Allegheny (54-7). The sole Spartans' setbacks occurred to Johns Hopkins University (54-14) and at Grove City (14-13). Case collides with Carnegie Mellon next weekend.

SENIOR RECOGNITION

The football team, band and cheerleaders will be honored prior to Saturday's kickoff.

Senior or super-senior football Titans include Dawson, Botti, Reeder, Konieczka, Barr, Gomes, Brayden Thimons, Brady Callahan (Grove City, Pa./Grove City High), Deondre McKeever (Youngstown, Ohio/Austintown-Fitch High), Bryce Thomas (Saint Marys, Ga./Camden County High), Saadiq Ferrell (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone High), Edan Harrison (Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford High), Treloar, Noah Yates (Beaver, Pa./Beaver Area High), Joshua Byers (Pittsburgh/Canon-McMillan High), Kohl, Cleveland, Devin Little (Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver Falls High), Ryan Felter (Pittsburgh/Avonworth High), Andrew Heider (Mechanicsville, Md./Chopticon High), Tanner Dudek (Leechburg, Pa./Leechburg Area High), Tyler Ness (York, Pa./Red Lion High), and Damon Maul (Portage, Pa./Cambria Heights High).