Quarterback Eli Grant leads CWRU's offense.

Three games into his freshman season in 2000, Grant got his first opportunity with the Spartan football squad. In his first play from scrimmage, in his first game with the first team, he threw an interception.

"That was embarrassing," Grant said. "It was the last pass they had me throw that year. I didn't get many chances after that. It was disappointing."

Grant, who is from the Midwood/Flatbush area of Brooklyn, got a second chance in a start the following year. He took advantage of it. As a sophomore, he finished 13th in the nation in passing with 122 completions out of 188 attempts for 1,626 yards (203.3 avg.) and 13 touchdowns (155.0 efficiency) in eight games (injured for two).

Then, when the coaching staff changed during the past off-season- and the offensive scheme of things changed along with them-Grant got his greatest chance. The Spartans went from an ordinary two-back, run the ball attack to a no-huddle, multiple offense, one Grant has flourished in.

"Our quarterback does more than hand the ball off," said Offensive Coordinator Greg Debelak. "He has to think and make decisions at the line, and that happens to be one of Eli's strengths."

CWRU, via Grant, led the nation (Division III) in total offense during the first four weeks of the season and going into week five and now six, they are second. In five games they have run 371 plays for 2,688 yards, averaging 537.6 yards per game.

"Eli is probably the most accurate passer I have been around," said Debelak, who has coached football at the collegiate level for the past 13 years. "He just doesn't let things affect him, and he keeps getting better each outing."

Grant is currently second in the nation in passing efficiency, completing 99 passes on 159 attempts for 1,546 yards (309.2 avg.), 16 touchdowns and only one interception (175.9 efficiency) in five games. He is also ninth in the country in total offense with 186 plays for 1,503 yards (300.6 avg.).

The quarterback registered his fourth game with 300-plus yards passing this past Saturday against Maryville College. He completed 18 of 28 passes for 310 yards and five touchdowns. In previous weeks, Grant passed 375 yards (30-45, five touchdowns) against Kalamazoo College, 365 yards (22 for 44 with a touchdown) against the College of Wooster and 350 yards (19 for 25, two touchdowns) against Denison University.

"I think you go through the game and don't really realize that you had however many yards and however many completions," Grant said. "Then a couple hours after the games, it sinks in that you had over 300 yards passing