Careless Whisper |
03-26-2020 04:55 PM |
Re: The Rise of the Carnegie Mellon Tartans (NCAA Football 07)
Season Preview: Tartans Enter Historic 2006 with Minimal Expectations (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Synopsis: Making the unprecedented leap from Division III to Division I FCS competition, Carnegie Mellon predictably struggled with an 1-11 record. CMU did show improvement throughout the year however, earning its lone win against Division II Shippensburg (FCS East), 27-24, followed by a pair of one-score losses at Princeton and Stephen F. Austin. One of the team's bright spots was the play of junior tailback Robert Riley, who topped the century mark in rushing yards. The Tartans also landed three foundational pieces in in-season recruiting with the signings of three-star guard Matt Fitch, outside linebacker Matt Johnson, and runningback Jim Manning.
Recaps: at Youngstown State | at Maine | at James Madison | WESTERN ILLINOIS | at Montana | at Pittsburgh
HARVARD | at Furman | SHIPPENSBURG | at Princeton | at Stephen F. Austin | RICHMOND Season Preview: Freshmen Look to Make Impact in Carnegie Mellon’s Second FCS Season (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Synopsis: Leaning on its first recruiting class, Carnegie Mellon improved to 5-7 in its second Division I FCS season and scored three consecutive wins in October. CMU nabbed its first triumph against an equal foe in a 22-21 thriller over Indiana State, but dropped its next four games to sit at 1-5 through six. With rumors of Coach Elliott's job in jeopardy, the Tartans topped McNeese State and Dartmouth on the road before leaning on freshman Jim Manning for a school-record 321 rushing yards in a 24-21 win over Villanova. Manning starred at tailback after taking over for incumbent starter Robert Riley, earning Sports Network FCS Freshman All-America honors after totaling 1,291 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns (10 rush, 1 kick return). A change in video game (NCAA 07 to NCAA 08) in the offseason helped CMU secure a stellar recruiting class with nine three-star prospects, and also put it in the Mid-America Conference (MAC) ahead of its first FBS season in 2009.
Recaps: at Penn | INDIANA STATE | at Pittsburgh | at Southern Illinois | RHODE ISLAND | SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE
at McNeese State | at Dartmouth | VILLANOVA | HOFSTRA | TOWSON | at Idaho State Season Preview: Tartans Ready for FBS, MAC debut in 2008 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Synopsis: Carnegie Mellon managed two MAC wins and three wins overall in its inaugural FBS season, but also suffered eight double-digit defeats and nine overall. Sophomore cornerback Calvin Burton tied an NCAA record against Buffalo with five interceptions, helping lift the Tartans to a 45-35 triumph in their MAC debut. Two other wins came with the calendar flipping to November, including a 41-37 nailbiter against winless Duke that saw CMU benefit from a late unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. While sophomore runningback Jim Manning posted a second consecutive 1,000-yard season on the ground, the Tartans' pro style offense struggled behind second-year quarterback Justin Keyes, who threw 19 interceptions against seven touchdowns and posted a 89.5 quarterback rating. On defense, freshman middle linebacker Mark Toth was bestowed with MAC Freshman of the Year honors after amassing six interceptions and three sacks.
Recaps: at Wisconsin | TULANE | at Pittsburgh | BUFFALO | at Central Michigan | BOWLING GREEN
MIAMI (OHIO) | at Akron | at Ohio | DUKE | at Western Michigan | NORTHERN ILLINOIS Season Preview: Tartans Look for Consistency in Second FBS Season (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Player Feature: Jim Manning, Jr., RB - Manning ‘Runs’ Towards School and National Glory (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) [Week 12]
Synopsis: A breakout second season in FBS play saw Carnegie Mellon finish 7-7, advancing to the MAC Championship Game and Champs Sports Bowl. The dramatic turnaround was keyed by first-year offensive coordinator Jules Nottingham's spread offense, which allowed junior runningback Jim Manning to rush for a NCAA-leading 1,936 yards and 23 touchdowns as well as bump up third-year signal-caller Justin Keyes' quarterback rating by 37 points. Keyes also benefited from the emergence of Penn State transfer Kevin Cousins at wide receiver, who tallied 1,124 yards and seven touchdowns on 79 catches after missing most of the 2009 season. The defense produced three All-MAC First Team picks (Matt Burnsides, Matt Johnson, Calvin Burton) and two Second Team selections (Mark Toth, Todd Andriano), while redshirt freshman Jon Crowell earned Freshman All-America accolades as a return specialist. CMU won its last five MAC games to punch its ticket to Detroit, where it held a 24-7 halftime lead against undefeated Toledo before ultimately falling 33-27. Following its 33-20 loss to No. 14 Iowa in the Champs Sports Bowl, Tartan juniors Calvin Burton, Matt Johnson, and Jim Manning declared for the NFL Draft, with Burton and Manning going in the sixth and seventh rounds, respectively.
Recaps: at Rutgers | YALE | at Pittsburgh | at Ball State | BOWLING GREEN | at Toledo | at Western Michigan
EASTERN MICHIGAN | at Miami (Ohio) | MARYLAND | KENT STATE | BUFFALO | vs. Toledo | vs. Iowa Season Preview: New Leaders Set to Emerge for Tartans in Potentially Special 2010 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Player Feature: Justin Keyes, Sr., QB - Message Boards Fuel Keyes’ Turnaround (The Tartan) [Week 9]
Synopsis: Carnegie Mellon continued its ascent to the MAC mountaintop in 2010, only to see a stunning 27-23 loss at Kent State in its penultimate regular-season contest keeping the Tartans from a return Detroit trip. CMU went 9-4 overall with all but one of its victories coming by 18+ points and had 10 players earn All-MAC honors. Senior captain Justin Keyes completed an impressive career turnaround, earning All-MAC Second Team accolades with 3,547 total yards and 39 touchdowns. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Eddie Williams was a revelation, emerging as one of the nation's best with 1,329 yards and 14 scores on 89 receptions. The defense saw junior defensive end David Brown lead the nation in sacks (15), with sophomore defensive tackle Matt Burnsides and junior cornerback Erik Sellers earning All-America Second Team nods. Freshman wide receiver Kelvin Butler won the Randy Moss Award convincingly, scoring six times on kick and punt returns. After a 50-10 drubbing of Penn in the Motor City Bowl, junior free safety Todd Andriano became the fourth player in two seasons to declare early in the NFL Draft, and was chosen in the fourth round by the Detroit Lions.
Recaps: at Duke | at Pittsburgh | at #1 Penn State | BALL STATE | at Bowling Green | TOLEDO
WESTERN MICHIGAN | ARMY | at Eastern Michigan | MIAMI (OHIO) | at Kent State | at Buffalo | vs. Penn Season Preview: Nottingham’s Tartans Named MAC Favorites (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Player Feature: Calvin Burton, CB & Matt Johnson, OLB - Burton, Johnson to Clash in Super Bowl XLVI (The Tartan) [NFL Postseason]
Synopsis: Carnegie Mellon kept its place amongst the upper tier of the MAC, bouncing back from an 0-3 start to go 8-2 over the final 10 games. However, a 7-1 league mark wasn't enough to return to Detroit as the Tartans' Week 7 loss to Miami (Ohio) kept them from the MAC Championship Game, with Kent State completing an undefeated season. Under first-year head coach Jules Nottingham, CMU finished with an 8-5 overall record and saw 11 players collect All-MAC accolades, with three earning Associated Press All-America recognition. Senior linebacker Mark Toth was one of two First Team picks, concluding his career with 90 tackles (16 for loss), six sacks, six interceptions, five forced fumbles, and two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Kelvin Butler repeated as the Randy Moss Award winner, scoring twice on kick returns and once on a punt return. Redshirt sophomore Eddie Williams finished as the runner-up to the Fred Biletnikoff Award, earning Second Team All-America plaudits following a 102-catch, 1,620-yard, 15-touchdown campaign. Williams led the nation in receiving yards, while senior defensive end David Brown again paced all players with 15 sacks. After losing Justin Keyes to graduation, the quarterback position had its ups and downs with both junior Kevin Wilson and sophomore Gerald Culver seeing significant time. The Tartans closed the season with a wild 49-39 victory over South Florida in the International Bowl, one that saw Wilson emerge as the front-runner for the 2012 starting position after throwing for a school-record 392 yards and a pair of scores.
Recaps: PENN | at Nebraska | at Pittsburgh | at Buffalo | CENTRAL MICHIGAN | at Bowling Green | at Miami (Ohio)
AKRON | MICHIGAN STATE | OHIO | WESTERN MICHIGAN | at Northern Illinois | vs. South Florida Season Preview: 2012 NCAA FBS Football Season Preview - Carnegie Mellon (Athlon Sports)
Player Feature: Eddie Williams, R-Jr., WR - The Most Interesting Man in <s>College</s> Sports (Sports Illustrated) [Week 9]
Synopsis: To come after season.
Recaps: at #25 West Virginia | IDAHO | at Pittsburgh | BUFFALO | at Central Michigan | BOWLING GREEN
MIAMI (OHIO) | at Akron | at Ohio | NAVY | at Western Michigan | NORTHERN ILLINOIS
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