SPRINGFIELD — The Wittenberg University football team improved its record to 3-0 on the 2000 campaign with a 39-14 pasting of the visiting Alma College Fighting Scots Saturday in front of a crowd of 3,150 at Edwards-Maurer Field. The Tigers, who also defeated Alma a year ago by a 42-19 count in the first round of the Division III playoffs, have now outscored their three non-conference opponents by a combined total of 114-45.
Unlike the first two wins over Urbana University and Heidelberg College, Wittenberg got off to a relatively slow start. Senior placekicker Ryan Walker (Newark, Ohio/Newark) opened the scoring with a career-high 43-yard field goal in the first quarter, but Alma responded early in the second with a touchdown pass from Brandon Wrobel to Jeremy Haynie that covered 12 yards and put Wittenberg behind for the first time this year.
From that point it was all Wittenberg. The Tigers responded with three drives that culminated with touchdown runs by senior tailback Casey Donaldson (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern). His second-quarter scoring scampers of 1, 4 and 1 yard extended the Wittenberg advantage to 23-7 by halftime, and they moved him to the top of the North Coast Athletic Conference record books. Donaldson now has 54 career rushing touchdowns, tying the conference mark held by Stanley Drayton, who played for Allegheny College from 1989-92.
Donaldson finished the game with team-highs of 34 carries for 138 yards, his third straight 100-yard rushing game. He now has 4,090 in his career, extending his school record and moving him into second place on the NCAC career list.
In the second half, the Tigers did their scoring through the air. Junior wide receiver Michael Aljancic (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville), who caught seven passes for a season-best 123 yards, hauled in the first scoring strike, a 21-yard reception from senior quarterback Anthony Crane (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) with 6:20 left in the third quarter. Junior wide receiver Steve DeGraffinreed (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) completed the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter from senior quarterback Chris Damico (Delaware, Ohio/Rutherford B. Hayes).
Sandwiched in between was Walker's second field goal of the day, a 32-yarder with 11:30 left in the fourth quarter. With that kick, Walker broke the school record of 187 points by kicking previously held by Greg Brame (1990-93).
Alma got the last score of the night, a six-yard TD run by Dan McGregor with 38 seconds left in the game. Defensively, the Tigers held Alma to 175 net yards (to 394 for Wittenberg) and recorded 15 tackles for loss in the game.