Many times in sports, the actual score does not represent how the game was played. But this past Saturday, WU’s game versus the University of Rochester Yellowjackets was very indicative of how the game went, as the Bears won the most lopsided game possible. The final score was 46-0, with WU dominating Rochester in every possible facet of the game.
Offensively, the Bears sparkled. Senior quarterback Brian Tatom completed eight passes for 102 yards and one touchdown. He also barreled his way for two rushing TD’s and was never intercepted. Tatom was never sacked by a putrid Yellowjacket defensive front. Along with leading the Bears offense, Tatom doubled as a force to be reckoned with in the field position game, averaging 39.0 yards per punt.
Yet punting would not be too necessary for the Bears on Saturday. Running back Bobby Collins also contributed heavily to the Bears attack, weaving his way for 133 yards on just 25 carries.
With WU jumping out to such a large lead, the Bears were able to play some of their younger players, as back Evan Noetzel led the way with six rushes for an amazing 9.8 yards per carry. The Bears’ second quarterback, Elliott Appel, also saw a lot of action, passing for 51 yards and one TD. The receiver core was led by Jeff Buening, hauling in five balls for 67 yards.
The Bears’ defense was also flat-out spectacular. The Yellowjackets quarterback Pat Fitzsimmons was sacked seven times and hit several other times, leaving him dazed and barely able to stand. Brandon Roberts led the defense that forced five turnovers with 12 tackles. Fitzsimmons was only able to complete ten passes for 75 yards. The D allowed a measly 110 yards of offense the whole game, paling in comparison to the Bears’ offensive total of 356.
“The Rochester defense was unable to beat our offensive line, they gave me good protection,” said Tatom.
“Our special teams was great, it seemed like we had the ball inside their 40 to start every time and we only had to 40 yards to score,” he said. “We also created turnovers in their zone to allow us to score.”
Cornerback Chris Hargraves of the Yellowjackets also had words about his team’s play. “We lost our quarterback earlier in the season, but we felt good about how Pat (Fitzsimmons) played,” he said. “He got hit a lot but hung in their and gave a good effort. Our offensive line needs some work to give Pat a bit more time to throw.”
Overall, it was great win for the Bears in front of a large Homecoming crowd, mainly consisting of parents being shown the grace with which the Bears play football. The University of Rochester Yellowjackets are a University Athletic Association conference rival, and Saturday’s win moved the Bears to 6-2 on the season and 3-0 in the conference, clinching a share of the UAA title.
The team has just two games remaining, a big conference game versus University of Chicago Saturday at Francis Field and a road game at Colorado College the following weekend.

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