CHICAGO -- Dan Whalen threw four touchdown passes, and five different Spartans had interceptions as Case Western Reserve University defeated the University of Chicago football team 35-3 in University Athletic Association play Saturday at Stagg Field.

Case (8-0 overall, 2-0 UAA) scored 35 unanswered points, 21 of which resulted from Chicago turnovers. With the victory, the Spartans clinched at least a share of the UAA championship.

Chicago (3-4, 0-3) scored on its opening possession when sophomore Ryan Verissimo's (Skokie, Ill./ Niles West) 32-yard field goal capped a 17-play, 66-yard drive covering 7:22.

The Spartans responded on their next drive as Whalen and Tim Cowdrick hooked up on a 15-yard touchdown pass play late in the opening period.

Early in the second quarter, Jeff Brown came up with Case's first of five interceptions to give the Spartans the ball at the Chicago 21-yard line. Two plays later, Whalen found Cowdrick in the end zone for a 23-yard completion to put Case on top 14-3.

Case increased its lead to 21-3 on Whalen's third scoring strike of the afternoon, an 8-yard toss to Shaun Nicely midway through the second stanza.

Chicago started its final drive of the first half deep inside its own territory. On the Maroons' third play, John Tiemeier intercepted a pass and returned it to the Chicago 27-yard line with 1:01 remaining in the half.

Whalen then engineered a six-play drive culminated by a 4-yard touchdown throw to Nicely.

Case scored the only points of the second half on a 13-yard Whalen scamper at the 8:09 mark of the fourth quarter. The Spartans began the drive following a Tom Brew interception at the Case 30-yard line.

Whalen completed 15 of 28 passes for 163 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. He also ran for 61 yards on nine carries. Cowdrick caught seven passes for 132 yards, while Nicely had five receptions for 39 yards.

Chicago junior quarterback John Kiernan (Joliet, Ill./ Catholic) was five of 18 for 54 yards with three interceptions in the first half. He gave way to freshman Marshall Oium (Temecula, Calif./ Great Oak), who went 7-for-17 for 69 yards and two picks in the second half.

Freshman running back Joe Steelman (Rolla, Mo./ Rolla) led the Maroons with 53 yards on 13 attempts.

Chicago suffered its third straight loss and fell to Case at Stagg Field for the first time in eight meetings since 1991.

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