The Rise of the Carnegie Mellon Tartans (NCAA Football 07)

[Careless Whisper]

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Carnegie Mellon Tartans (0-2) at Pittsburgh Panthers (1-1)
Saturday, September 17, 2011 | 6:00 PM (ET)
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Heinz Field | FSN Pittsburgh

Top Storyline: Will Carnegie Mellon be able to move the ball?

Who would have thought a Jules Nottingham-designed offense would struggle this much? That’s precisely what has happened through two games of his head-coaching tenure, though one of those coming at No. 15 Nebraska without Eddie Williams can be given a mulligan. Pitt’s defense isn’t the most daunting the Tartans will see this season, but CMU must get better production from both its passing and rushing attacks. Junior quarterback Kevin Wilson (47.9 QB rtg., 13-43, 170 yards, 1 TD, 5 INT) gets a shot at building some confidence without Gerald Culver taking snaps due to the sophomore’s knee injury, and one of senior Nate Satele (12 carries, 33 yards) and second-year Lawrence McIntire (23 carries, 48 yards) will look to break through and help keep drives alive.

Top Matchup: Carnegie Mellon DT Matt Burnsides vs. Pittsburgh RG Jon Fieger

A battle between two potential future NFL players will happen in the trenches between CMU’s Matt Burnsides and Pitt’s Jon Fieger. Fieger was graded with 14 pancake blocks last season, earning All-Big East First Team recognition and a 95.0 mark from Pro Football Focus. Burnsides has made back-to-back Associated Press All-America teams after earning Second Team recognition last year, and has compiled 20 sacks over his career. The Tartans junior has gotten off to a slow start in 2011 with two tackles, but a matchup against a talent like Fieger could spark him into a breakout performance.

Top Mismatch: Carnegie Mellon Defense vs. Pittsburgh QB Eugene Halterman

While the Tartans offense has been poor, the same can’t be same about the team’s defense. The CMU unit has forced eight turnovers through two games and have returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Next up on their hit list is Pitt redshirt junior Eugene Halterman (151.8 QB rtg., 30-51, 361 yards, 7 TD, 3 INT), who is in his first year taking over for the graduated Pat Bostick. Halterman possesses decent wheels, but despite the strong start is only graded at 76.0 by Pro Football Focus. He’ll be without starting runningback Greg Williams (16 carries, 76 yards) to a sprained elbow, and will rely on a pair of true freshmen with redshirt senior Maurice Williams as his top receivers.

Prediction: Pitt 24, Carnegie Mellon 17

If you asked me this prior to the season starting, I would have said that this was the year CMU finally knocked off its Steel City rivals. However, with the Tartans offense struggling the way it is, the Panthers are the pick here once again. Despite losing pretty much everyone from last season’s Orange Bowl team, Pitt should extend its winning streak in the Steel City Showdown to 11 games. (Dating back to 1939, of course.)

Pittsburgh PFF Top Ten
Jon Fieger, R-Sr., G (95)
Ricky Gary, R-Sr., SS (92)
Aaron Fields, Sr., FB (88)
Maurice Williams, R-Sr., WR (87)
Myles Caragein, R-Sr., DE (85)
Jordan Gibbs, R-Sr., OT (84)
Issac Wilson, R-Jr., FS (84)
Henry Hynoski, R-Sr., HB (82)
Chance Watkins, So., TE (82)
Brandon Lindsey, R-Sr., OLB (80)

Schedule & Results
09/03 | at Cornell | W, 42-7
09/10 | MIAMI (FLA.) | L, 21-41

Injury Report
Carnegie Mellon: Gerald Culver, So., QB (PCL sprain – 3 weeks)
Pittsburgh: Greg Williams, R-Sr., HB (sprained elbow – 2 weeks)

Suspensions
Carnegie Mellon: Graham Taylor, R-Fr., SS (team rules – 1 game)
Pittsburgh: None

[Careless Whisper]

The Drought Continues: Tartans Fall Once More to Rival Pitt
Carnegie Mellon dropped its 11th straight to Pitt, thanks in part to going 1-for-4 in the red zone



CMU wide receiver Eddie Williams lays out one of his 11 catches on the afternoon. (Andre Bowman / Getty Images)

by Jayson Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- For the second consecutive season, Carnegie Mellon drew first blood in the Steel City Showdown against rival Pitt. However, the first-quarter touchdown would be the Tartans’ only points for the afternoon, as the Panthers claimed their 11th straight win in the series and fifth since CMU moved up to Division I competition with a 26-7 decision at Heinz Field.

Carnegie Mellon (0-3) has now lost its first three games of a season for the first time since 2008. The Tartans’ struggling offense improved slightly with 333 yards from scrimmage, but failed to come away with points three times in the red zone as Pitt (2-1) kept its spot as the city’s top football program.

“We just didn’t execute well enough today,” said CMU head coach Jules Nottingham. “I thought the guys started well with the opening drive touchdown, but when you’re playing someone as tough as Pitt as been for us, you have to convert red zone opportunities. I think there was progress made today, but it’s hard to accept just that when the result isn’t the one you want. We’ll shrug this off and move into (Mid-American Conference) play with a fresh perspective on things.”

The Tartans needed 3:38 to get on the board, as Eddie Williams reeled in a six-yard pass from Kevin Wilson to make it 7-0 in favor of the visitors. CMU again had a scoring opportunity on its next possession, only for Nate Satele to fumble the ball away to the Panthers inside the 10.

Pitt could only manage a field goal in the first quarter, connecting on a 40-yard boot by Dee Jones to trim the gap to 7-3. The Tartans seemed to have an answer on the ensuing possession by reaching the red zone again, only for Jon Foster’s field goal attempt to be blocked by Ike Wilson coming off the edge.

The Panthers took the lead with 1:58 remaining in the half, when Eugene Halterman escaped the grasp of David Brown and fired a 27-yard strike to Maurice Williams. Wilson then gave Pitt another possession before the horn by tossing an interception to Bobby Brothers, and the hosts capitalized with a Jones 25-yard field goal, making it 13-7 at halftime.

Pitt stymied the CMU offense from there, allowing a single red zone trip near the end of the game which became a turnover on downs. The Tartans defense had no answer for Halterman’s legs in the second half, as the redshirt junior scored twice from seven and 23 yards out to give the Panthers another convincing win in the rivalry.

Williams rebounded from his elbow injury by leading CMU with 11 catches, 123 yards, and the first-quarter score. Wilson finished with 257 yards on 22-of-41 passing while taking every snap with Gerald Culver unavailable due to injury.

Pitt outgained the Tartans on the ground, 221-76, thanks in part to Halterman and Henry Hynoski. The signal-caller finished with 98 yards on eight carries, and added 244 yards on 21-of-34 passing with two interceptions. Hynoski replaced the injured Greg Williams quite nicely, finishing with 121 yards on 21 attempts.

CMU begins Mid-American Conference (MAC) play next Saturday, September 24 when it travels to Buffalo.

Carnegie Mellon Tartans at Pittsburgh Panthers
Sep 17, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (0-3)	7	0	0	0	7
Pittsburgh Panthers (1-1)	3	10	6	7	26

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		CMU	PITT
11:22	(CMU) Kevin Wilson 6-yard pass to Eddie Williams (Jon Foster kick)	7	0
1:19	(PITT) Dee Jones 40-yard field goal	7	3
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CMU	PITT
1:58	(PITT) Eugene Halterman 27-yard pass to Maurice Williams (Dee Jones kick)	7	10
0:09	(PITT) Dee Jones 25-yard field goal	7	13
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CMU	PITT
9:12	(PITT) Eugene Halterman 7-yard run (pass failed)	7	19
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CMU	PITT
14:50	(PITT) Eugene Halterman 23-yard run (Dee Jones kick)	7	26

Carnegie Mellon Tartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Kevin Wilson 22/41 257 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Lawrence McIntire 11 58 5.3 0 Nate Satele 3 11 3.3 0 Brandon Brewer 3 7 2.3 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Eddie Williams 11 123 11.2 1 Travis Sledge 4 44 11.0 0 Stephen Carter 2 39 19.5 0 David Young 1 9 9.0 0 Kelvin Butler 1 7 7.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Mark Toth 8 0 1 0 Jabari London 5 0 0 0 Charlie Cohen 5 0 0 0 Matt Burnsides 5 0 0 0 David Brown 3 0 0 0 Rob Jones 1 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Jon Foster 0/1 1/1 1 -- PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Andy Fitzhugh 6 263 43.8 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Kelvin Butler 4 96 24.0 0 Kyle Holland 2 45 22.5 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Kelvin Butler 3 23 7.7 0

Pittsburgh Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Eugene Halterman 21/34 244 1 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Henry Hynoski 21 121 5.8 0 Eugene Halterman 8 98 12.2 2 Aaron Fields 1 6 6.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Maurice Williams 11 114 10.4 1 Beau Williams 3 49 16.3 0 Shawn Harris 3 13 4.3 0 Henry Hynoski 2 37 18.5 0 Chris Henderson 2 31 15.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Brandon Lindsey 8 0 0 0 Jonathan Perry 7 0 0 0 Ricky Gary 6 0 0 0 Ike Wilson 6 0 0 0 Matt Thomas 5 0 0 0 Bobby Brothers 1 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Dee Jones 2/2 2/2 8 40 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Shane Berry 4 187 46.7 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Henry Hynoski 1 15 15.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Maurice Williams 2 12 6.0 0

[RolePlayer]

Tough loss again, I'm sure Coach Nottingham is frustrated. I doubt he expected his offense to regress this much when he took over. Statistically, I think this was the best game Kevin Wilson has had this season, which is promising, I think coach made a good call in making him the starter.

I still think this team has a lot of potential and hopefully you guys can pick up a win before entering MAC play.

[Careless Whisper]

Quote: Originally Posted by RolePlayer

Tough loss again, I'm sure Coach Nottingham is frustrated. I doubt he expected his offense to regress this much when he took over. Statistically, I think this was the best game Kevin Wilson has had this season, which is promising, I think coach made a good call in making him the starter. I still think this team has a lot of potential and hopefully you guys can pick up a win before entering MAC play.

The lack of offense is definitely frustrating. Justin Keyes' improvement in his last two seasons really helped the unit flourish, and while I expected a drop-off with Wilson/Culver running the show, I didn't expect this much of a fall. This was definitely Wilson's best game thus far - though it honestly doesn't say a whole lot - so maybe with Culver's injury, I can start getting into a rhythm with him heading into MAC play. I will say that McIntire looked pretty good in this game and I regret not giving him more touches - my interior line has not done him any favors running the ball, but he seems more explosive than when he was a freshman.

Wasn't the plan to enter the MAC slate at 0-3, but thankfully the conference seems down again so hopefully we can get back on track against Buffalo!

[Careless Whisper]

Around the NCAA – Week 3 Edition
There were upsets galore with #5 Wisconsin, #7 Notre Dame, #8 Virginia Tech, and #18 West Virginia all falling

ESPN The Magazine Cover Story
Fans Fuel the Gators – Florida celebrates its 42-3 home victory over rival Tennessee.

Enjoying the friendly confines of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, No. 2 Florida thrashed No. 17 Tennessee on Saturday night, 42-3. The Gators blanked the rival Volunteers through three quarters, owning a 42-0 lead before letting their backups play the final 15 minutes. Florida redshirt senior quarterback John Brantley threw for 218 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-27 passing, while classmate Chris Rainey accounted for five scores (3 rush, 2 receiving) on 121 scrimmage yards (66 rush, 55 receiving). Gators fifth-year linebacker Jerimy Finch earned NCAA Defensive Player of the Week honors after compiling 12 tackles (4 for loss), two sacks, one interception, and a forced fumble. Tennessee’s lone bright spot came in the form of junior tailback Carlos Hyde, who rushed for 154 yards on 28 carries.

Top Storylines
Georgia Tech upsets #8 Virginia Tech at home, 35-28

Thanks to a 53-yard pick six by sophomore linebacker Darryl Faulk with 7:47 remaining, Georgia Tech stunned No. 8 Virginia Tech, 35-28. The Yellow Jackets picked up the win despite turning the ball over four times to the Hokies’ two. Faulk finished with four tackles to pair with his game-changing return touchdown, as he and the Georgia Tech defense limited Virginia Tech redshirt junior quarterback Odell Pennington to 218 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on 22-of-34 attempts. Fifth-year signal-caller Josh Nesbitt finished with 264 yards, two scores, and a pair of interceptions on 20-of-33 passing for the hosts.

Arizona State stuns #5 Wisconsin at Camp Randall, 35-21

Arizona State redshirt senior quarterback Jimmy Clausen threw five touchdowns and the Sun Devils won the turnover battle, 3-0, to upset No. 5 Wisconsin in Madison, 35-21. The Badgers outgained ASU in total offense, 424-258, and owned a 186-43 difference in the ground, but three interceptions from backup quarterback James Stallons – who was starting in place for Jacory Harris after the senior broke his wrist in the season opener – proved to be costly. Clausen’s five touchdowns came on just 16-of-36 passing, as he connected with Aldarius Johnson twice, as well as T.J. Simpson, Antoine Shine, and Zach Ertz. Wisconsin redshirt junior Jermie Calhoun rushed for 180 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

#19 Michigan routs rival #7 Notre Dame in Ann Arbor, 45-13

Thanks to a 21-0 second-half blanking, No. 19 Michigan routed No. 7 Notre Dame at home, 45-13. The Wolverines torched the defending national champions by sacking sophomore Jimmy Garoppolo eight times, as the 2011 BCS Championship Game MVP finished the day with 179 passing yards and two interceptions on 14-of-37 passing. Michigan freshman Johnny Manziel totaled five touchdowns (4 pass, 1 rush) and 390 yards (330 pass, 60 rush), with his passing scores going to Barry Rossner (6 catches, 117 yards, 2 TD), Allen Robinson II (5 catches, 134 yards, 1 TD), and Zion Babb (9 catches, 56 yards, 1 TD). Junior tailback Eddie Lacy added 60 yards and a score on nine carries in the win.

Heisman Watch
Matt Barkley, Jr., QB, Hawaii | 211.5 QB rtg., 39-44, 471 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
John Brantley, R-Sr., QB, Florida | 206.8 QB rtg., 45-72, 750 yards, 13 TD, 1 INT
Tramain Swindall, R-Sr., WR, Texas Tech | 16 catches, 354 yards, 5 TD
Sam McGuffie, Sr., HB, Texas | 41 carries, 303 yards, 4 TD; 5 catches, 131 yards, 2 TD
Mark Thompson, Jr., WR, Nebraska | 19 catches, 274 yards, 4 TD; 34.5 kick return avg., 1 TD

NCAA Players of the Week
Offensive: Christine Michael, R-So., HB, Ohio State | 35 carries, 228 yards, 2 TD; 4 catches, 47 yards, 2 TD in 40-21 win against Bowling Green
Defensive: Jerimy Finch, R-Sr., OLB, Florida | 12 tackles (4 TFL), 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF in 42-3 win against Tennessee

Injury Report
Lamar Miller, Jr., HB, LSU | Torn pectoral (2 weeks)
Eddie Harwell, Sr., WR, Columbia | Torn rotator cuff (season – medical redshirt)
Wesley Bednarik, So., DT, Pittsburgh | Forearm fracture (season – medical redshirt)
Drew Hopkins, Fr., OLB, Memphis | Foot fracture (season – medical redshirt)
Keith Miller, So., MLB, Bowling Green | Broken jaw (7 weeks – medical redshirt)

Week 3 Notable Top 25 Scores
#3 Penn State 41, Oregon 7
#8 Texas Tech 50, TCU 37
#23 Washington 35, #25 West Virginia 7
#1 Texas 35, Yale 16
#12 Nebraska 38, Southern Miss 35 (OT)
Georgia Tech 35, #16 Virginia Tech 28
#14 LSU 59, Houston 14
Arizona State 35, #17 Wisconsin 21
#10 Clemson 51, Navy 10
#24 Iowa 35, Iowa State 21
#19 Miami (Fla.) 28, Maryland 16
#15 Michigan 45, #13 Notre Dame 13
#2 Florida 42, #21 Tennessee 3

Week 4 National Broadcasts
#4 Texas A&M (3-0) at #22 Boise State (2-0) | 9/22, 1:00 PM (Game of the Week)
Kansas State (2-1) at #23 Washington (2-0) | 9/24, 12:30 PM
#2 Florida (3-0) at Auburn (3-0) | 9/24, 12:30 PM
Maryland (2-1) at Wake Forest (3-0) | 9/24, 12:30 PM
Boston College (3-0) at #10 Clemson (2-1) | 9/24, 12:30 PM
Michigan State (1-1) at #13 Notre Dame (2-1) | 9/24, 2:00 PM (Battle for the Megaphone)
Yale (2-1) at Syracuse (3-0) | 9/24, 6:00 PM
#7 Georgia (3-0) at #21 Tennessee (2-1) | 9/24, 6:00 PM

[Careless Whisper]

Around the MAC – Week 3 Edition
Kent State improves to 3-0 with a 34-27 win at BYU on Saturday night

MAC East Standings
Kent State | 3-0, 0-0 MAC
Buffalo | 2-1, 0-0 MAC
Bowling Green | 1-1, 0-0 MAC
Miami (Ohio) | 1-2, 0-0 MAC
Akron | 1-2, 0-0 MAC
Ohio | 0-3, 0-0 MAC
Carnegie Mellon | 0-3, 0-0 MAC

MAC West Standings
Ball State | 1-2, 0-0 MAC
Central Michigan | 1-2, 0-0 MAC
Toledo | 1-2, 0-0 MAC
Eastern Michigan | 1-2, 0-0 MAC
Northern Illinois | 1-2, 0-0 MAC
Western Michigan | 0-3, 0-0 MAC

MAC Players of the Week
Offensive: David Green, R-Jr., QB, Central Michigan | 21-33, 191 yards, 3 TD in 35-21 win against Idaho State
Defensive: Keith Miller, So., MLB, Bowling Green | 7 tackles, 2 INT, 1 TD in 40-21 defeat at Ohio State

Week 3 Scores
Brown 37, Buffalo 24
Kansas State 45, Toledo 10
Columbia 32, Western Michigan 27
Central Michigan 35, Idaho State 21
#20 Ohio State 40, Bowling Green 21
Syracuse 31, Akron 17
Northern Illinois 17, Tulsa 3
Indiana 31, Ohio 14
Baylor 38, Ball State 21
#6 Virginia 65, Eastern Michigan 7
Pittsburgh 26, Carnegie Mellon 7
Cincinnati 45, Miami (Ohio) 25
Kent State 34, BYU 27

Week 4 Matchups
Carnegie Mellon (0-3, 0-0) at Buffalo (2-1, 0-0) | 9/24, 12:30 PM
Miami (Ohio) (1-2, 0-0) at Ball State (1-2, 0-0) | 9/24, 12:30 PM
Eastern Michigan (1-2, 0-0) at Akron (1-2, 0-0) | 9/24, 12:30 PM
Northern Illinois (1-2, 0-0) at Bowling Green (1-1, 0-0) | 9/24, 3:30 PM
Western Michigan (0-3, 0-0) at Toledo (1-2, 0-0) | 9/24, 3:30 PM
Central Michigan (1-2) at Louisville (2-1) | 9/24, 6:00 PM
Kent State (3-0, 0-0) at Ohio (0-3, 0-0) | 9/24, 6:00 PM

[Careless Whisper]

by Jeff Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Suspensions handed down for Baker, London

Carnegie Mellon was forced to hand out a pair of suspensions on Monday, and will be without two of its starters for this Saturday’s game at Buffalo.

Senior offensive tackle Jason Baker will actually miss the next four games because of an academic suspension, as it has been reported that he was trying to cheat on an exam. Baker has been a four-year starter for the Tartans, and it’ll be a true freshman in Philip McClover replacing him in the starting lineup.

Redshirt freshman Jabari London will only miss the Buffalo tilt after violating team rules. London has 14 tackles and a pair of pass deflections this season, and junior Jason Ervin (20 career tackles) will replace him at the free safety position.

Johnson impresses, Manning scores first TD in NFL Week 2

A pair of pro Tartans impressed in the second week of the NFL season this past weekend, as Carnegie Mellon enjoys its largest representation in the league since the 1920s.

Matt Johnson was a force for the Tennessee Titans in their 24-12 win at the rival Indianapolis Colts, collecting eight tackles and a sack. Johnson’s sack came at an opportune time, as he brought down Peyton Manning on a third-quarter third and goal that ultimately forced a field goal.

Jim Manning scored the first touchdown of his NFL career in a 28-23 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings, punching it in from one yard out in the first quarter. Manning won the starting runningback job in the preseason for the Chicago Bears, and totaled 96 yards (84 rushing, 12 receiving) on 28 touches (26 carries, 2 catches) against the Vikings.

Pettit, Sharp put CMU in lead on top five trim

Carnegie Mellon is making some early waves on the recruiting front, as it currently leads for the signature of two three-star prospects – runningback Eric Pettit and cornerback Jason Sharp.

Pettit, a six-foot-two, 175-pound tailback from McKinley High School, lists CMU ahead of Penn State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and West Virginia. He has been clocked at 4.45 in the 40-yard dash and owns a 35.1-inch vertical, and would add some multi-purpose potential to the runningback room.

Sharp, a six-foot-one, 182-pound defensive back from Bartow High School, has the Tartans in front of Miami (Fla.), Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Florida. He runs a 4.47 40-yard dash and has reached 39.8 inches on his vertical. Scouts are impressed with his discipline, but admit that he doesn’t have a lot of room to grow.

Tartans see three targets fall over weekend

Three in-season recruiting targets removed Carnegie Mellon from consideration in runningback Jason Mack, wide receiver Mike Petty, and linebacker Steve Johnson.

Mack, a four-star tailback from Nether Providence, Pa., will move forward with Virginia, Penn State, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia as his top five. He admitted that CMU had a lot to offer, but not as much as his semifinalists – a tough break for the Tartans considering his talent.

Petty, a three-star receiver from Warren, Ohio, lists Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia as his top five. He said that CMU didn’t recruit him hard enough, but the Tartans staff that it would’ve been too difficult to pull him away from the Buckeyes – his dream school.

Johnson, a three-star outside linebacker from North Canton, Ohio, simply just said it was a tough decision removing CMU from consideration. He is looking at Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State, Penn State, and Virginia Tech.

Carnegie Mellon In-Season Recruiting Targets
Eric Frederick, QB, **** (6’2”, 190 lbs.; Brownsville, La. / West Monroe) – Top 5
- LSU, Texas, Texas Tech, Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M
Brian Adams, DT, *** (6’2”, 275 lbs.; Naperville, Ill. / Naperville Central) – Top 5
- Wisconsin, Georgia, Carnegie Mellon, Notre Dame, Clemson
Andrew Graham, OT, **** (6’6”, 337 lbs.; Forestville, Ohio / Winton Woods) – Top 5
- Ohio State, Carnegie Mellon, Notre Dame, Penn State, West Virginia
Jason Sharp, CB, *** (6’1”, 182 lbs.; Bartow, Fla. / Bartow) – Top 5
- Carnegie Mellon, Miami (Fla.), Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Florida
Eric Pettit, HB, *** (6’2”, 175 lbs.; Fort McKinley, Ohio / McKinley) – Top 5
- Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, West Virginia
Ron Williams, CB, **** (5’11”, 170 lbs., Wooster, Ohio / Wooster) – Top 8
Mario Williams, DT, **** (5’11”, 280 lbs.; Lombard, Ill./ Glenbard East) – Top 8
Chris Gaston, OLB, *** (6’0”, 248 lbs.; Hampton, Va. / Phoebus) – Top 8
Jason Mack, HB, **** (6’0”, 205 lbs.; Nether Providence, Pa. / Strath Haven) – Removed
Mike Petty, WR, *** (6’0”, 208 lbs.; Warren, Ohio / Harding) – Removed
Steve Johnson, OLB, *** (6’2”, 232 lbs.; North Canton, Ohio / Hoover) – Removed
Matt Hughes, OT, **** (6’5”, 331 lbs.; Salem, Ohio / Salem) – Removed
Andy Dockery, HB, *** (5’10”, 195 lbs.; Middletown, Ohio / Madison) – Removed
Bryant Elimimian, QB, *** (6’4”, 232 lbs.; Garfield Heights, Ohio / Garfield Heights) – Removed
Zach Carter, OLB, *** (6’3”, 213 lbs.; East Grand Rapids, Mich. / East Grand Rapids) – Removed

[RolePlayer]

Buffalo has had a solid start to the season and is likely looking to get some revenge after the Tartans blew them out to end last season. I think the Tartan's offense finds it's groove and wins by two touchdowns, however. You're 3-0 against Buffalo all time, you just seem to have their number.

Looking around the conference the West has not gotten off to a good start, I think this will be the year Toledo declines, and anyone can win the division.