Wittenberg Defeats Urbana to open 2001 regular season

It wasn't a thing of beauty, but for a football program that is searching for an identity after losing 13 starters from the 2000 North Coast Athletic Conference championship team, the Wittenberg University Tigers will certainly take it. Before an overflow crowd at Edwards-Maurer Field in Springfield, Wittenberg downed a feisty Urbana Blue Knights squad 44-13.

The win was Wittenberg's 32nd consecutive in regular season action, dating back to the ninth game of the 1997 season. It was also Wittenberg's 30th straight regular season home victory, dating back to the second game of the 1996 season.

Senior wide receiver Mike Aljancic (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) and junior quarterback Greg Cornett (Franklin, Ohio/Franklin) were the stars of the game for the Tigers, who haven't lost the opening game of a season since 1994. Aljancic, one of only four returning starters on offense, had five catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns, including a scoring reception on Wittenberg's first play from scrimmage. That was an 18-yard TD completion that was set up by a fumble recovery by junior linebacker Andy Pope (Hamilton, Ohio/Lakota East).

The Tigers scored the first 30 points of the game, following Aljancic's touchdown with a three-yard scoring burst by junior tailback Daniel Grove (Uhrichsville, Ohio/Claymont), a safety when Urbana snapped the ball through its own end zone, a one-yard plunge by senior fullback Eric Tomich (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) and a 48-yard scoring strike from Cornett to Aljancic.

Urbana got on the board late in the second quarter on a 97-yard touchdown pass from Bobby Corlew to Howard Glover. The Blue Knights also scored in the fourth period when Lamar Kendall reeled in a TD strike from Corlew.

Wittenberg countered with one touchdown apiece in the third and fourth quarters. Grove rambled nine yards for a score with 12 minutes remaining in the third stanza, while Tomich capped the night with his second one-yard plunge in the final period.
Grove, the heir to record-setting tailback Casey Donaldson, picked up 60 yards on 16 carries in the game, while junior Jason Stephan (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) chipped in with 42 yards on 11 carries and Tomich finished with 23 yards on six totes. Tomich also picked up 40 yards on two receptions, while junior wide receiver Adrian Crane (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) added two catches for 37 yards. Cornett finished his finishing starting assignment with 216 yards and two touchdowns on 13 completions in 20 attempts.

Defensively, Wittenberg was paced by senior outside linebacker Nic Black (Piqua, Ohio/Piqua), who had nine tackles in his first career start. Junior middle linebacker Ryan Gresham (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor) added eight tackles and senior defensive tackle Juan Howard (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) had three tackles for loss.

Wittenberg returns to action next Saturday with a community night tilt opposite Ohio Athletic Conference rival Heidelberg. The 'Berg will be making its first start of the 2001 season. A year ago in Tiffin, Wittenberg won handily 33-14.