Two teams desperately looking to snap rare losing skids will meet in Cleveland, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 6, as The College of Wooster visits fellow northeast Ohio foe Case Western Reserve University (2-3) for the "Baird Brothers Trophy" game. The Spartans have lost three straight for the first time since 2006, while the Fighting Scots' 1-3 record is their lowest win total at this point in the season since 2007. Also of interest, this will be the last "Baird Brothers Trophy" match-up for awhile. With Case Western Reserve joining the Presidents' Athletic Conference as a football member only and the North Coast Athletic Conference, of which Wooster is a member, moving to a nine-game round-robin next fall, both schools' schedules are filled through the 2017 season. Saturday's kickoff at 2,400-seat Case Field is scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT.
On the Air: Wooster's football games can be heard live each week in the Wooster area on WKVX 960 AM or anywhere by following links on the radio station's website at http://wkvx.com/.
Baird Bros. Trophy: One of the most unique trophies, as noted by Sports Illustrated in 1995, in college football rivalry games is presented to the winner of the Case-Wooster game. It is a chain that holds carved brass fish, named the Baird Brothers Trophy after its creators. Bill and Bob Baird were long-time economics professors at Wooster and Case, respectively, and ardent fishermen. The winning team adds a fish, which symbolizes some aspect of how that year's game was played. The tradition began in 1984, and the trophy currently sports a flounder, a carp, a bluegill, a northern pike, a walleye, a rainbow trout, a catfish, a sturgeon, a sucker, a crappie, a musky, a sheepshead, a gar, a largemouth bass, and a smallmouth bass among others.
All-Time Series: Since 1984, the Scots are 13-11 against Case. The Spartans had won the Baird Brothers Trophy the first five times only to see Wooster prevail in 13 of the next 14, including a long streak of 10. Case gained the trophy in 2007 for the first time since 1994 with a 30-17 win and has kept it the last four seasons via 28-7, 53-32, 28-14, and 24-21 triumphs.
Prior to the modern era, the Scots were a frequent opponent from 1902-1945 of both Case Tech and Western Reserve. Case Tech compiled a 26-13-4 advantage over Wooster and the Scots were 9-8-2 versus Western Reserve before the two schools merged into one in 1967.
Last Game: Wooster stormed back from a 30-7 deficit midway through the fourth quarter and had a chance to send the game into overtime, but the rally fell short as Denison University retained the "Old Red Lantern" by a 30-22 score in the conference foes' trophy game at Granville, Ohio, on Sept. 29.
Trailing by 23 with 7:28 remaining, the Scots raced down the field with Richard Barnes (Painesville, Ohio / Harvey) completing 5-of-7 passes for 65 yards, including a nine-yard score to Jordan McIntyre (Steubenville, Ohio / Steubenville) to cap the nine-play, 76-yard drive. Wooster followed with a two-point conversion, a pass to Zack Weidrick (Akron, Ohio / Revere), which made it a two-possession game at 30-15 with 4:48 left.
Wooster got the ball back at its own 20 at the 2:18 mark. This time, Brett Frongillo (Haverhill, Mass. / Groton School) was at the controls of the offense and he helped them cover the 80 yards in just six plays, connecting on four passes with the last one being a 48-yarder to Adam Coppock (Columbiana, Ohio / Crestview). It marked the freshman slot receiver's first collegiate touchdown, and following the extra point, it was 30-22.
After another three-and-out from the defense, the Scots had one last possession, starting at their own 17 with just :49 remaining and no timeouts. Frongillo worked them up field to the Denison 48, however on a 1st-and-10 play from there, he was sacked and Wooster was unable to get another snap off.
The Scots had led 7-3 at halftime, their touchdown being a Barnes' three-yard rush to complete a six-play, 80-yard series.
The difference in the game was the Big Red's offense coming together to score touchdowns on four consecutive drives to start the second half, the first assisted by a long punt return, the second by a Wooster fumble, and the fourth by a blocked punt.
Statistically, Barnes finished the game 16-of-28 through the air for 185 yards and Frongillo was 5-of-11 for 106 yards during the final two drives. McIntyre served as the Scots' top rusher and receiver with 53 yards on the ground on two carries and 75 receiving yards on six catches.
Defensive highlights included two more sacks for Rob Holtz (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler Area), raising his season total to 7.0 in four games, and Lenard Rivers (Sarasota, Fla. / Sarasota) intercepted his second pass of the year.
Spreading the Wealth: Wooster has scored 10 touchdowns this season, all by different offensive players. The only one on the roster with more than six points is senior wide receiver Zack Weidrick (Akron, Ohio / Revere), who has eight on one touchdown and one two-point conversion.
