Game 9: Wittenberg (8-0, 5-0 NCAC) vs. Hiram (2-5, 2-3 NCAC)

Saturday, Oct. 28, 2000 Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. Edwards-Maurer Field (cap. 3,000)

Setting the Scene: The Wittenberg University Tigers continued their winning ways last weekend, jumping out to a 17-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and cruising to a 37-7 NCAC victory at Ohio Wesleyans Selby Field in Delaware, Ohio. The Tigers improved to 8-0 overall with their 29th straight regular season victory, and 5-0 in the North Coast Athletic Conference with their 20th straight league win.

The win moved the Tigers one step closer to a third straight outright NCAC championship, and a fourth consecutive league title overall. The Tigers remain the only unbeaten team in the league and have the inside track to become the first team to win three straight outright titles or four straight overall crowns since the conferences inception in 1984. All that remains on the schedule are a pair of home dates against this weeks opponent, NCAC newcomer Hiram College, and traditional rival Earlham College, which enters an off-week sporting a somewhat surprising 5-3 overall mark

Last Week: Wittenberg made it eight straight wins in the 2000 campaign and took another giant step toward earning another NCAC championship and NCAA Division III playoff berth by defeating host Ohio Wesleyan University 37-7.

The Tiger Tale on this day was balance. First, Wittenberg hit the Bishops with an accurate downfield passing game. Senior wide receiver Labon Storts (Columbus, Ohio/Westland) opened the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown reception from senior quarterback Anthony Crane (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis), and junior wide receiver Michael Aljancic (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) tacked on a 37-yard touchdown reception from Crane just six minutes later.

Then it was time to show off the vaunted Tiger ground game, led by senior tailback Casey Donaldson (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), but with some help this time. Donaldson struck paydirt for the 63rd and 64th times in his career and 17th and 18th times this season, tallying six points with 2:25 left in the second quarter on a five-yard run and another six on a nine-yard burst with 10:36 left in the third quarter. Donaldson, who went for 147 yards in the game on 27 carries, now has 1,100 yards on the season, the third time he has topped 1,000 yards in his four campaigns wearing the Red & White.

Lending welcome support was senior fullback Gary Henson (Columbus, Ohio/Marion-Franklin), who has been hampered by injuries in missing much of the 2000 season. Providing a perfect third option to the downfield passing attack and the record-setting running of Donaldson, Henson pounded the Bishops for 105 yards on 13 carries, mostly in the second half against a smaller and visibly tired OWU defense.

To round things off on the offensive side of the ball, senior placekicker Ryan Walker (Newark, Ohio/Newark) had perhaps his best of the 2000 season. Walker was three-for-three on field goal attempts his first three since Week 4 of the season and four-for-four on extra-point attempts.

Defensively, it was another day at the office for a young, rapidly improving unit. The Bishops managed just 68 yards rushing and 118 yards passing, as the Tigers defense was once again up to the test. Defensive backs Rob Harris (Cincinnati, Ohio/Withrow) and John Hauser (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) topped Wittenberg with eight tackles each.

Streaks: Wittenberg has taken care of business by an average margin of 26.9 points per game this year. The Tigers now have won 29 straight regular season games, dating back to a 21-19 loss at the hands of the College of Wooster Fighting Scots in the second-to-last game of the 1997 season.

But thats just the beginning of Wittenbergs various streaks. The Tigers havent lost a regular season game at home since 1996 and Head Coach Joe Finchams second game, a 26-14 defeat at the hands of Allegheny. Thats a span of 27 straight regular season home victories. Since losing three home games in 1991, the Tigers have a phenomenal home record of 45-2, with the only losses coming against Baldwin-Wallace in the 1992 opener and the aforementioned contest against Allegheny. That doesnt include last years loss to Ohio Northern in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

On the road, Wittenberg isnt too shabby either. Including this years 4-0 mark on the road, the Tigers carry a 35-5-1 mark when away from Edwards-Maurer Field during the regular season since 1992.

Finally, Wittenberg carries a 20-game North Coast Athletic Conference win streak, also dating back to that 1997 defeat against Wooster. Since 1991, a season in which the Tigers finished 5-3 in the conference, Wittenberg is 59-4 against NCAC competition, including four outright NCAC titles, all made possible by perfect league records. Wittenbergs run of 20 straight NCAC wins is second only to Alleghenys streak of 22 straight in the conference from 1992-95. The Tigers can equal that mark with wins against Hiram and Earlham to wrap up the 2000 regular season campaign.

The Series: In each of the last two weeks, the Wittenberg Tigers took on familiar opponents in the College of Wooster and Ohio Wesleyan University. This week, the Tigers take on a team they have not seen since 1920 in the Hiram Terriers, one of the NCACs two newest members.

In that 1920 meeting, the Tigers destroyed Hiram, 82-7, in front of the home folks. Wittenberg went on to record a perfect 8-0 season with College Football Hall of Fame coach Ernie Godfrey at the helm that year, outscoring its opponents 282-23 and posting five shutouts. The win over Hiram, which came on the heels of an 81-0 shutout of visiting Defiance, was part of a string of three straight undefeated seasons Wittenberg recorded from 1918-20. There were two ties in 1919.

Record-setters: Senior placekicker Ryan Walker (Newark, Ohio/Newark), already the school record-holder in points by kicking and No. 2 all-time in the category in NCAC annals, has moved into a tie for third place on the Wittenberg scoring list. Walker now has 228 points in his career following last Saturdays perfect three-for-three on field goals and four-for-four on extra points against OhioWesleyan. He joins Dave Merritt (1975-78) and Marcus Booker (1993-96) at No. 3 on the Wittenberg scoring list.

The NCAC points by kicking record is 252 by Chris Merski of Allegheny (1991-94) and No. 2 on the Wittenberg scoring list is Aaron Powers (1993-96). With two regular season games remaining, it is unlikely but not out of the realm of possibility that Walker will reach either figure.

Junior wide receiver Michael Aljancic (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) had a game-high five catches in the victory over Ohio Wesleyan to move his season total to 34 and his career total to 88, seventh-best on the Wittenberg career list. Teammate Labon Storts (Columbus, Ohio/Westland) added two receptions to his career total to give him 25 on the season and 90 in his career, tying him for fourth on the Wittenberg career list.

Aljancics 34 receptions leaves him three short of his season best of 37 of a year ago. With his next catch, Aljancic will move into the top 10 in Wittenberg history for receptions in a season.

Senior quarterback Anthony Crane (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) is having a career year passing the ball. With 104 completions in 185 attempts, 1,536 yards and 16 touchdowns, Crane has already established new season bests for himself. Now he is climbing the Wittenberg season and career charts as well.

He now has 275 completions in his career, the third-best total in Wittenberg history. Crane also has 36 passing touchdowns (his 2000 total of 16 nearly doubles his career total of 20 prior to this season), tied for third-best in Wittenberg history with Gene Laughman (1964-67). And finally, Crane has 4,179 yards in his career, just 16 yards short of Rocky Alts total from 1967-70.

Homecoming: Wittenberg is celebrating its Homecoming Weekend 2000 with a variety of events. Longtime assistant football coach, golf coach, athletic director and 1958 graduate Bob Rosencrans; longtime football coach, baseball coach, record-setting football player and 1960 graduate Ron Murphy; 1989 grad and record-breaking swimmer Brenda Shaw DeWitt, and Jim Walsh, a 1950 graduate who doubled as the OACs best punter and a dependable starting pitcher are the four Athletics Hall of Honor inductees to be honored at halftime of this Saturdays game.

Next week:At halftime of the 2000 season finale, 1975 Wittenberg football national championship football team will be specially honored. The Tigers went 12-1 overall in 1975 and 4-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference Blue Division. Wittenberg started the season with nine straight wins before dropping a 9-0 decision to Red Division champion Muskingum in the OAC title game. The Tigers recovered with three straight NCAA Division III playoff victories over Indiana Central, 17-13, Millsaps, 55-22, and Ithaca, 28-0, in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

Hall of Fame Head Coach Dave Maurer earned College Division Coach of the Year honors as he led the Tigers to their second national title in three years. Assistant coaches were Bob Rosencrans, Dick Fahrney and Ron Murphy.

Captains of the 1975 squad were Brian Aschenbrenner (offense) and Karl Lee (defense). The teams MVP was Bob Foster, who also was one of three players to make the Little All-America team, joining Doug Peck and Dean Caven. All-OAC selections included Rick Dill, Doug Moore, Gary Sitler, Caven, Dave Biddlestone, Foster, Jim Wymer and George Keen.

Homecoming II: Wittenberg hasnt lost a Homecoming Game since 1991, when the Allegheny Gators visited Edwards-Maurer Field and came away with a 22-16 victory.

Spoilers: Wittenberg heads into its own Homecoming contest this weekend having spoiled the party on three other occasions. The Tigers defeated Wabash in the Little Giants inaugural NCAC game on Sept. 23; beat Allegheny on Homecoming Weekend in Meadville, Pa.; and crushed Ohio Wesleyan last week on Homecoming Weekend in Delaware.

The Coaches: Wittenberg University is led by Head Coach Joe Fincham, who has compiled a 48-4 overall record in nearly five complete seasons, has posted a regular season record of 46-2 and an NCAC mark of 32-2 in his career thus far. The former Ohio University standout, who was the NCAC Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999, has led the Tigers to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs in each of the last two seasons, and his teams have captured at least a share of the league title each of the last three seasons.

Hiram is led by Head Coach Bob Thomas, who is nearing the end of his ninth year at his alma mater. He has an overall record of 18-69, and his Terriers are coming off an 0-10 campaign in 1999.

On the Radio: The Wittenberg Tigers are privileged to have one of the most professional radio play-by-play announcers in the business in Marty Bannister, who can be heard on WBLY (AM 1600) in Springfield and worldwide via an Internet connection found on Wittenbergs web site (www5.wittenberg.edu/news/athletics) or WBLYs (www.wbly.com).

Martys usual broadcast partner, color analyst and former Wittenberg All-American Xan Smith, will be absent on Saturday due to other commitments. Pinch-hitting for him during the Hiram game will be none other than former Ohio State University standout and color analyst Jeff Logan.

On the sidelines, as always, will be investigative reporter Scott Leo.

The Casey Donaldson Watch:

His rushing total is up to 1,100 this year and 4,816 in his career. He is second in the NCAC in rushing in 2000, but first in career yards by a wide margin. Based on statistics compiled prior to the 2000 season, Donaldson ranks No. 11 all-time in NCAA Division III history in rushing yardage.

Donaldson holds the Wittenberg scoring and rushing touchdowns records by a wide margin after breaking the marks previously held by Aaron Powers (1993-96) and Dave Merritt (1975-78) respectively at the end of last season. Donaldson now has 18 touchdowns this year 17 rushing and one receiving and 64 touchdowns in his career. That puts him on top of the NCAC in both categories as well, surpassing the totals that Alleghenys Stanley Drayton posted in the early 1990s. Donaldson also has moved up to seventh all-time in Division III in points scored (again, based on statistics compiled prior to the 2000 season).

Donaldson is the all-time leader in rushing attempts at Wittenberg with 801 in his career. He stands No. 2 in that category in NCAC annals behind Brian Grandison of Wooster (1988-91).