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

[Careless Whisper]

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

by Jeff Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Starting right tackle to miss Furman game

Sophomore offensive tackle David Jenkins suffered broken ribs in last Saturday’s 20-0 loss against Harvard and will be out this week at Furman.

Jenkins, a starter on the right side in each of the Tartans’ seven games this season, will be replaced by classmate Greg Cunningham. He is expected to be back the following week on Saturday, November 4 against Shippensburg.

Top corner suspended until late November

Head coach John Elliott announced a three-game suspension for sophomore cornerback Raymond Cooper after practice this afternoon, keeping him out of games against Furman, Shippensburg, and Princeton.

“Coop is going to be out for three games,” said Elliott. “He understands the magnitude of his mistake and will learn from this. We look forward to having him back against Stephen F. Austin.”

Tartan Tidbits understands that the suspension was caused by Cooper recently forging a signature. The sophomore has started all seven games for CMU this year, compiling 19 tackles, three interceptions, and a forced fumble as the team’s top cornerback.

Junior Brent Matthews, who has four tackles and an interception, will start opposite of senior Spencer Mason at the cornerback spot.

Tartans lead for Manning

Three-star runningback Jim Manning (Reisterstown, Md.) currently has Carnegie Mellon on the top of his recruiting board, Tartan Tidbits has learned.

Rivals.com has Carnegie Mellon ahead of Virginia Tech, Ohio State, and Penn State in its rankings, and it looks like the tailback will make an official visit in the coming weeks. Manning has rushed for 1,188 yards and 17 touchdowns this season at Franklin High School.

Other targets Matt Fitch (Sylvania, Ohio), Matt Johnson (Circleville, Ohio), and Michael Johnson (Dayton, Ohio) are reportedly high on CMU and will consider official visits with the school.

[RoundingThird]

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

Wow, Harvard and Carnegie Mellon played exactly the kind of game you'd expect from two mighty academic institutions. I'd like to think that if Duke and Vanderbilt played more often, the games would go something like that

[Careless Whisper]

Season 1, Game 8: Carnegie Mellon at Furman

Paladins Paddle Tartans as Offensive Struggles Continue
Carnegie Mellon could only muster a field goal in the second quarter as it fell to 0-8 on the season

by Alicia Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Carnegie Mellon couldn’t muster much of an offensive attack once again this afternoon, only netting a field goal in a 17-3 defeat to Furman.

Robert Riley ran for over 100 yards for the first time since September 23, finishing with 105 on 28 carries. He added one catch for 31 yards, as he and Pete Carlson (91 yards) combined for 122 of Alex Smith’s 141 passing yards.

“I think our defense has done really well,” said head coach John Elliott. “They’re holding teams within check for the most part, despite being on the field for longer periods of time. Today we had some promising drives, but we missed a couple of field goals and couldn’t convert in the Furman half once getting there.”

Carnegie Mellon (0-8) managed to sack Ingle Martin four times, two of which came from sophomore Jared Davis. Spencer Mason made an interception in the third quarter.

Furman (6-2) received a pair of touchdowns from Jerome Felton, one rushing and one receiving. Martin threw for 296 yards on 17-of-24 passing.

Carnegie Mellon is back at home next Saturday when it hosts NCAA Division II foe Shippensburg.

Carnegie Mellon Tartans at Furman Paladins
Oct 28, 2006	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (0-8)	0	3	0	0	3
Furman Paladins (6-2)	0	14	3	0	17

Scoring Summary
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CMU	FUR
9:27	(FUR) Jerome Felton 4-yard run (Scott Beckler kick)	0	7
6:10	(FUR) Ingle Martin 21-yard pass to Jerome Felton (Scott Beckler kick)	0	14
1:25	(CMU) Justin Thompson 25-yard field goal	3	14
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CMU	FUR
12:52	(FUR) Scott Beckler 45-yard field goal	3	17

Carnegie Mellon Tartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Alex Smith 13/35 141 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Robert Riley 28 105 3.8 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Pete Carlson 7 91 13.0 0 Robert Riley 1 31 31.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Jared Davis 5 2 0 0 Devon Elliott 3 1 0 0 Spencer Mason 2 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Justin Thompson 1/3 0/0 3 25

Furman Paladins

[Deuce2223]

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

Wow 0-8. The question has to be brought up. Are you at least having fun?

[Careless Whisper]

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

Wow 0-8. The question has to be brought up. Are you at least having fun?

Haha my patience is being tested, but a struggle like this is what I wanted! It'll all be worth it when CMU is competitive in a few years.

[Deuce2223]

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

Haha my patience is being tested, but a struggle like this is what I wanted! It'll all be worth it when CMU is competitive in a few years.

I assume that your plan is to stay with CMU for the life of this thread. I don't remember in 2007 if there was a coaching carosel or not. I always ran with either EMU back in the day (they were the worst, or my buddy and I would create our own schools as well. With 1 stud athlete that could play both sides of the ball. I always made a WR/CB, he would always make a Power FB/ MLB.

[Careless Whisper]

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

I assume that your plan is to stay with CMU for the life of this thread. I don't remember in 2007 if there was a coaching carosel or not. I always ran with either EMU back in the day (they were the worst, or my buddy and I would create our own schools as well. With 1 stud athlete that could play both sides of the ball. I always made a WR/CB, he would always make a Power FB/ MLB.

Yeah, this is definitely a CMU dynasty - I mentioned in the first post if a coach gets fired, then I can create a new coach and take over the Tartans from there. Likewise if CMU goes on a surge and the coach gets some good offers, he'll be forced to take one of them and I'll go on with a new coach leading CMU.

I might have to start looking for some potential two-way players on the recruiting trail - that could certainly help with the talent gap!

[ThatBritishGuy]

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

Least Alex Smith survived.... I mean that's a win by itself.

I still believe in you Alex.....

[Careless Whisper]

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

Around the NCAA – Week 9 Edition
#4 Miami (Fla.) looks to remain unbeaten when it hosts #15 Virginia Tech in rivalry matchup

BCS Top Five
1 | Ohio State (9-0, 0.934)
2 | Michigan (9-0, 0.907)
3 | Oklahoma (8-0, 0.887)
4 | Miami (Fla.) (8-0, 0.844)
5 | Notre Dame (7-1, 0.743)

USA Today Top 25 Coaches’ Poll
1 | Ohio State [41 first-place votes] (9-0)
2 | Oklahoma [20] (8-0)
3 | Michigan (9-0)
4 | Miami (Fla.) (8-0)
5 | LSU (7-1)
6 | Notre Dame (7-1)
7 | USC (6-1)
8 | Texas (7-2)
9 | Clemson (9-0)
10 | Auburn (8-1)

Biggest Climb | Utah (9-0) – #17 to #14
Biggest Drop | Nebraska (7-2) – #14 to #19; Georgia (7-2) – #16 to #21
Newcomers | #25 Oklahoma State (7-1)
Drop Outs | #21 Texas Tech

Heisman Watch
Jarrett Hicks, R-Sr., WR, Texas Tech | 80 catches, 1,193 yards, 11 TD
Kenneth Darby, R-Sr., HB, Alabama | 207 carries, 1,344 yards, 13 TD; 19 catches, 262 yards, 5 TD
Albert Young, R-Jr., HB, Iowa | 122 carries, 917 yards, 13 TD; 18 catches, 403 yards, 4 TD
Tony Hunt, Sr., HB, Penn State | 216 carries, 1,481 yards, 15 TD; 9 catches, 234 yards, 3 TD
Kyle Wright, R-Jr., QB, Miami (Fla.) | 154.8 QB rtg., 147-246, 2,038 yards, 23 TD (1 rush), 5 INT

NCAA Players of the Week, presented by Coca-Cola
Offensive: Brandon Bornes, R-Jr., HB, San Diego State | 30 carries, 219 yards, 4 TD (1 rec) in 84-0 win vs. Cal Poly
Defensive: Rashawn King, So., CB, Navy | 3 tackles, 2 INT, 1 FF, 2 TD in 20-49 loss vs. Notre Dame

Injury Report
Bret Meyer, R-Jr., QB, Iowa State | Torn quadricep (7 weeks)
P.J. Hill, R-Fr., HB, Wisconsin | Knee bursitis (3 weeks)
Marlon Lucky, So., HB, Nebraska | Partially torn MCL (11 weeks)

Notable Top 25 Scores
#9 Clemson 24, #15 Virginia Tech 21
#16 Arizona State 45, Washington 13
#14 Utah 24, UNLV 17
#8 Texas 30, Texas Tech 13
#2 Oklahoma 28, Missouri 7
#6 Notre Dame 49, Navy 20
#13 Florida 28, #21 Georgia 9
#1 Ohio State 28, Minnesota 10
#4 Miami (Fla.) 27, Georgia Tech 10
#25 Oklahoma State 36, #19 Nebraska 22

Week 10 National Broadcasts
#12 West Virginia (6-1) at #11 Louisville (5-1)
#25 Oklahoma State (7-1) at #8 Texas (7-2)
#5 LSU (7-1) at Tennessee (4-4)
#1 Ohio State (9-0) at Illinois (5-4)
#2 Oklahoma (8-0) at #24 Texas A&M (8-1)
North Carolina (5-3) at #6 Notre Dame (7-1)
Maryland (5-3) at #9 Clemson (9-0)
#15 Virginia Tech (7-1) at #4 Miami (Fla.) (8-0) – Game of the Week

[Deuce2223]

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

Yeah, this is definitely a CMU dynasty - I mentioned in the first post if a coach gets fired, then I can create a new coach and take over the Tartans from there. Likewise if CMU goes on a surge and the coach gets some good offers, he'll be forced to take one of them and I'll go on with a new coach leading CMU.

I might have to start looking for some potential two-way players on the recruiting trail - that could certainly help with the talent gap!

I like that plan. New coach could also allow you to switch up your playbook/play style as well and try new things.

2 way players are a huge help when building a program, and I still even use some at Power schools, I had a Athlete who was 6'5 who was a 80 QB, 79 RB and 81 WR, so I put him at QB as my #2, but he was also my #3 RB, and #3 WR.

He got the bulk of his PT as a WR because I typically run 4 WR sets. but I really like the idea of some guy's playing both ways at a small school just starting out.

I really enjoy Not and Expert's Death Valley State Dingo Dynasty on Youtube and he gets really creative using guy's in multiple positions and plays.

[Careless Whisper]

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

I like that plan. New coach could also allow you to switch up your playbook/play style as well and try new things.

2 way players are a huge help when building a program, and I still even use some at Power schools, I had a Athlete who was 6'5 who was a 80 QB, 79 RB and 81 WR, so I put him at QB as my #2, but he was also my #3 RB, and #3 WR.

He got the bulk of his PT as a WR because I typically run 4 WR sets. but I really like the idea of some guy's playing both ways at a small school just starting out.

I really enjoy Not and Expert's Death Valley State Dingo Dynasty on Youtube and he gets really creative using guy's in multiple positions and plays.

Exactly what I was thinking. It can get a little stale running the same playbooks and play styles year after year, so coaching changes are my realistic way of getting around that.

And I do target athletes quite a bit in the off-season period, hopefully I can land a few and play them both ways!

[Careless Whisper]

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

by Jeff Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Manning, Matt Johnson to make official visits this weekend

Head coach John Elliott will have two of his biggest recruiting targets in Oakland this weekend as runningback Jim Manning (Reisterstown, Md.) and outside linebacker Matt Johnson (Circleville, Ohio) are set to make their official visits for Saturday’s game against Shippensburg, Tartan Tidbits understands.

Manning and Johnson have been high on CMU throughout the process, as both want to play somewhere close to home and are looking for immediate playing time and strong academics. Johnson would likely be a day-one starter with the Tartans, while Manning would compete with current junior Robert Riley for carries.

The two three-star prospects are joined by fellow three-stars Michael Johnson (Dayton, Ohio) and Matt Fitch (Sylvania, Ohio) as remaining targets in this in-season recruiting cycle. The two Matts are likely to keep CMU in their top threes and will set up official visits in the coming weeks.

Jenkins returns for Shippensburg

After missing this past Saturday’s 17-3 loss at Furman, sophomore offensive tackle David Jenkins is back in the starting lineup for the Tartans this weekend against Shippensburg.

Jenkins was replaced by Greg Cunningham against the Paladins.

[moose141]

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

Well the scorelines are getting closer! So that's one positive to take from things, even if the offense is still horrificly unproductive.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Well the scorelines are getting closer! So that's one positive to take from things, even if the offense is still horrificly unproductive.

I'm definitely playing better with this group compared to the start of the year, but my offense has pretty much cost me every single game. If I can land some half-decent two or three-star recruits for the offense, then I'll probably win a couple games next year with another full FCS schedule. But with the roster template that I used, I'm not sure if I could have created a better initial offense - either I have a 56-overall quarterback and still miss on 75% of my throws, or have a 56-overall tailback, try to grind games out, and break a big run or two when his impact player icon is pulsating.

This next game though...

[Careless Whisper]

Season 1, Game 9: Shippensburg at Carnegie Mellon

“A Special Day”: Tartans Take Thriller with Late Field Goal
Justin Thompson’s 29-yard field goal with 23 seconds remaining gave Carnegie Mellon its first win of 2006

by Jayson Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- It was Carnegie Mellon’s most winnable game of the season. And it held a 17-7 halftime lead, scoring multiple touchdowns for the first time in 2006.

But when the Tartans found themselves trailing 15 minutes later, 24-17, to an opponent who played a level higher than them last season, one would have expected them to fold. After all, they hadn’t been in this position yet and were working with an offense that had entered the day with just 26 points to their name.

Instead, sophomore wide receiver Pete Carlson flipped the script, ripping off a 99-yard kick return touchdown to begin the fourth quarter, and CMU finished out a long drive with a last-minute field goal to topple Shippensburg, 27-24, this afternoon at Gesling Stadium.

With the victory, Carnegie Mellon (1-8) avoids its first winless season since 1947 and nets its first triumph since moving up to NCAA Division I competition.

“What a special day,” said first-year head coach John Elliott. “The guys have always bought in to what we’re doing here, and deserved a reward like this. They never quit and put their heads down, even as (Shippensburg) went on that run in the third. That’s a good program we beat today too – they might be a little down this season, but they’re always pretty competitive in their conference.”

The Tartans passing game again struggled to move the ball, as Alex Smith and Andre Miller combined for 78 yards and four interceptions on 4-of-11 passing. However, the home team was boosted by another heroic performance from Robert Riley, who ran for a season-high 147 yards and two scores on 26 carries.

“Robert (Riley) was incredible today,” added Elliott. “His determination kept that final drive alive, and he made some huge plays in the first half to give us a lead. He’s a great kid.”

Justin Thompson provided the first points of the game on a 35-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first quarter. Shippensburg (4-5) responded with an extended drive, only to see it end in an interception by freshman cornerback Jay Edmonds. A long Tartan drive ended in a 13-yard trip to paydirt for Riley to make it 10-0, but the Red Raiders responded with a touchdown pass from Gabe Maiocco to Aaron Dukes with 2:10 left in the half.

CMU came back with another solid drive that looked to end in a field goal attempt, only for Smith to find Riley on an option pitch while trying to set Thompson up at the hash. The junior tailback made a man miss and found daylight, sneaking inside the pylon from 21 yards out with a second left on the clock.

“That was huge,” said Elliott of Riley’s second touchdown. “I was yelling for Alex (Smith) to slide so we could just burn our last timeout, but he saw something in the defense and let Robert go for it.”

Smith really started to struggle in the second half, tossing a pair of picks that led to Shippensburg touchdowns. Andre Miller was then subbed in and found the waiting arms of a Red Raider defender, setting up a Jamie Reder 35-yard field goal that made it 24-17 in favor of the visitors after three.

That’s when Carlson found a seam on the ensuing kickoff, racing down the left sideline for a 99-yard score to tie the game. The CMU defense took over from there, hoping the Red Raiders scoreless on a pair of drives to give its offensive unit one last gasp at winning in regulation.

Elliott decided to roll with Riley and Tramon McCollum, using his ground game to push the ball downfield. On a third and four, Riley broke off an 11-yard dash to keep the drive alive and move it within Thompson’s range, giving the junior kicker enough time to boot it between the uprights with 23 seconds remaining. Edmonds then intercepted a desperation pass from Maiocco to send the Tartan faithful into a frenzy.

Maiocco threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns for Shippensburg, but also tossed the aforementioned two interceptions to Edmonds.

Carnegie Mellon is back on the road next Saturday when it travels to Princeton.

Shippensburg Red Raiders at Carnegie Mellon Tartans
Nov 4, 2006	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Shippensburg Red Raiders (4-5)	0	7	17	0	24
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (1-8)	3	14	0	10	27

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		SHIP	CMU
0:24	(CMU) Justin Thompson 35-yard field goal	0	3
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		SHIP	CMU
4:12	(CMU) Robert Riley 13-yard run (Justin Thompson kick)	0	10
2:10	(SHIP) Gabe Maiocco 6-yard pass to Aaron Dukes (Jamie Reder kick)	7	10
0:01	(CMU) Robert Riley 21-yard run (Justin Thompson kick)	7	17
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		SHIP	CMU
3:05	(SHIP) Gabe Maiocco 18-yard pass to Pat Ferguson (Jamie Reder kick)	14	17
1:19	(SHIP) Gabe Maiocco 2-yard pass to Chris Infante (Jamie Reder kick)	21	17
0:00	(SHIP) Jamie Reder 35-yard field goal	24	17
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		SHIP	CMU
14:49	(CMU) Pete Carlson 99-yard kick return (Justin Thompson kick)	24	24
0:23	(CMU) Justin Thompson 29-yard field goal	24	27

Shippensburg Red Raiders

Carnegie Mellon Tartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Alex Smith 4/10 78 0 3 Andre Miller 0/1 0 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Robert Riley 26 147 5.7 2 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Pete Carlson 3 69 23.0 0 Robert Riley 1 9 9.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Jay Edmonds 4 0 2 0 Jared Davis 2 2 0 0 Curtis WIllis 2 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Justin Thompson 2/2 3/3 8 35 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Pete Carlson 4 203 50.8 1