Oct 12, 2019 4 min read

CLEVELAND – Drew Saxton had been waiting for this day for a year.

Saxton remembers the 44-36 loss to Washington & Jefferson as a freshman and the pain it brought. That’s why Saturday afternoon’s performance was so satisfying.

Saxton had one of his best games of his young college career, helping Case Western Reserve roll over Washington & Jefferson, 35-19, in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference game at DiSanto Field.

The victory keeps Case Western Reserve in first place in the conference with a 4-0 record. W&J (3-2, 4-2) most likely saw its postseason hopes dissolve in a flurry of poor offensive line play and defensive lapses.

Saxton, a graduate of South Fayette High School, torched the W&J secondary for 20 completions on his 29 attempts for 309 yards and four touchdowns. He was not intercepted.

“That loss last year didn’t feel good, so doing what we did here was a great feeling,” said Saxton. “I’m close with (their coaching staff). To get one over on them was great. They have some gritty guys and great athletes but we just executed better than them today.”

Saxton was on target most of the day and his receivers did a great job after making the catch. Chase Witte took a 15-yard reception and turned it into a 60-yard, back-breaking touchdown in the fourth quarter. When he found Mario Robaine from 29 yards out, Case Western Reserve had a 35-7 lead.

“Our line did an exceptional job,” Saxton said. “Then our receivers. Wow, it’s nice to throw the ball 10 yards and they take it 60. As a unit, they played unbelievable, the line and receivers.”

Saxton’s counterpart, Jacob Adams, had a tough time evading the pass rush. A young and porous offensive line kept him scrambling. He was sacked eight times. Still battling, he completed 22 of 33 passes for 253 yards and two late touchdowns.

Jordan West, a graduate of Washington High School, rushed for 64 yards on 17 carries and a first-quarter touchdown.

W&J’s defense gave up 520 yards, including a career-best 159 rushing to Zach Hall.

“Every program goes through situations like this,” said W&J head coach Mike Sirianni. “We just have to deal with it. We still have four games left and we’re going to try to win all four. We still have some issues on our line and we have to fix them.”

The quarters were polar opposites in the first half. Case Western Reserve emerged with a 14-7 lead but a turnover at W&J’s 6-yard line and a missed 31-yard field goal as time ran out kept the game close and the Presidents in the game. Case Western Reserve dominated the statistics, outgaining W&J, 261-151.

Case Western Reserve struck early in the game, needing just three rushes to take a 7-0 lead. Hall had a 64-yard run that set up a four-yard rush by Kyle Turcovsky just 1:27 into the game. Hall busted off tackle and into a deserted secondary.

But W&J responded with a 12-play drive that West capped with a two-yard touchdown run to tie the game, 7-7, midway through the quarter.

Case Western Reserve answered when Saxton hit a wide-open Michael Wojkowski with a 43-yard scoring pass with 1:18 left in the opening quarter.

On the previous offensive series, Saxton was hit by a blitzing Max Garda in the midsection and lay on the ground in pain after a third-down incompletion. He returned for the next series, apparently just having the wind knocked out of him.