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

[Careless Whisper]

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

Ouch QB play was rough. Poor Manning is going to have to start logging 30 carries a game. How long is Keyes out and curious how tall Smith is he looks like he is a shorty in the pic, using his whole body just to get up over the line

I'd love to be more balanced but these quarterbacks just haven't connected with me yet. There's been a little bit of an adjustment with the game switch, as I think defensive backs are quicker to react in 08 compared to 07. I've also been messing with sliders, which hasn't helped the passing game at all.

Keyes will be back for Pitt next week, it was just a sprained finger for him. The game says Smith is 6', although he's probably someone who say they're 6' but are 5'10" in reality.

[moose141]

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

The look of the unis is solid for sure, nice to at least have a crest that is close enough to make it passable! Tough game there, I really thought you would make a better showing against Tulane, so hopefully that isn't indicative of the rest of the season to come! Definitely the one dimensional offense is a killer, shame that Keyes seems to keep falling apart as he seemed at least passable anyways. I remember I think you brought in a QB to maybe compete with him, is QB top of your wishlist at this point?

[Hellisan]

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

I'm through the first 10 pages and should be caught up soon. I really like what you have set up here, and can't wait to see how this team does in the coming years and games. Love the style of the reporting and pumped to see you get your first win of the dynasty against the Shippensburg Red Raiders. That's what I like, to learn that teams like this actually exist.

What did Pete Carlson's 99 yard kickoff return look like? I'm picturing a 78 speed guy repeatedly breaking tackles in slow motion up the sideline while being chased by 68-83 speed guys.

I apologize, I'm the world's worst reader because I'm either working nearly around the clock on updates, or too busy to even think about the hobby in general. I need to keep coming around here even if I don't have time to update my own stuff, because reading reports is a lot more fun than trying to keep track of whatever new angle Dr. Anthony Fauci has on health care.

[Careless Whisper]

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

The look of the unis is solid for sure, nice to at least have a crest that is close enough to make it passable! Tough game there, I really thought you would make a better showing against Tulane, so hopefully that isn't indicative of the rest of the season to come! Definitely the one dimensional offense is a killer, shame that Keyes seems to keep falling apart as he seemed at least passable anyways. I remember I think you brought in a QB to maybe compete with him, is QB top of your wishlist at this point?

Thanks for the love on the unis! The old-gen NCAA games don't give you a ton of flexibility in that department, but I'm okay with that since I don't like most of the current uniform trends.

As for Tulane, I was expecting a better performance as well but my quarterbacks have had a rough go of it with the change of game. I think part of it is Keyes getting knocked out of both games, so I don't have a ton of reps with him on NCAA 08, but some of it is user error too. His accuracy leaves a lot to be desired right now as well, and Alex Smith isn't really a capable option either, so quarterback is definitely high on the wishlist in recruiting - to at least get someone that could compete with Keyes next season.

I'm through the first 10 pages and should be caught up soon. I really like what you have set up here, and can't wait to see how this team does in the coming years and games. Love the style of the reporting and pumped to see you get your first win of the dynasty against the Shippensburg Red Raiders. That's what I like, to learn that teams like this actually exist.

What did Pete Carlson's 99 yard kickoff return look like? I'm picturing a 78 speed guy repeatedly breaking tackles in slow motion up the sideline while being chased by 68-83 speed guys.

I apologize, I'm the world's worst reader because I'm either working nearly around the clock on updates, or too busy to even think about the hobby in general. I need to keep coming around here even if I don't have time to update my own stuff, because reading reports is a lot more fun than trying to keep track of whatever new angle Dr. Anthony Fauci has on health care.

No worries, thanks for checking in! I've been pleased with how this is gone so far (save the NCAA 07 save file deletion), both with how the build has been and the reporting style. I hope to add other mediums as we get deeper into the dynasty, to couple with the emergence of Twitter, Instagram, etc. at that point of time.

I don't know much about Shippensburg, but knew at the start of this dynasty that I wanted one somewhat winnable game in the first season and that it had to be one of the 1-AA East/West/etc teams. Figured it would be realistic to play a D2 team when you're in the middle of an unprecedented transition, and the uniform/color combo actually somewhat matched up.

Carlson's kick return was really just the result of good blocking. His speed is in the low 80s and he was able to race down the left sideline untouched. Kick returns are a little tougher in these older games because they started with the first-person camera in 07, so you really can't see what's going on around you.

And no need to apologize. We all have different schedules so I know there are some users who can check in and update their own report most days, and others who can only check in once or twice a week. I also rather be catching up with these reports than doing actual work.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Around the NCAA – Week 2 Edition
#2 LSU defeats #6 Virginia Tech at the buzzer, 35-31; #1 USC heads to #6 Nebraska this week

USA Today Top 25 Coaches’ Poll
1 | USC [35 first-place votes] (1-0)
2 | LSU [21] (2-0)
3 | Texas [3] (2-0)
4 | Ohio State [1] (2-0)
5 | Penn State [1] (2-0)
6 | Nebraska (2-0)
7 | Michigan (2-0)
8 | Texas A&M (2-0)
9 | Iowa (2-0)
10 | UCLA (2-0)
11 | Virginia Tech (1-1)
12 | Texas Tech (2-0)
13 | Arkansas (2-0)
14 | Missouri (2-0)
15 | Florida State (1-1)
16 | West Virginia (1-1)
17 | Oklahoma (2-0)
18 | Wisconsin (2-0)
19 | Georgia (2-0)
20 | Louisville (2-0)
21 | Florida (2-0)
22 | Oklahoma State (2-0)
23 | Arizona State (2-0)
24 | Maryland (2-0)
25 | Tennessee (2-0)

Heisman Watch
Tim Tebow, So., QB, Florida | 138.3 QB rtg., 29-54, 371 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT; 21 carries, 126 yards
Pat White, R-Sr., QB, West Virginia | 167.5 QB rtg., 31-45, 364 yards, 6 TD, 3 INT; 26 carries, 152 yards, 1 TD
Ryan Grice-Mullen, R-Sr., WR, Hawaii | No stats
Cameron Newton, So., QB, Miami (Fla.) | 163.5 QB rtg., 36-53, 454 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT
Greg Mathews, Jr., WR, Michigan | 12 catches, 237 yards, 4 TD; 11 punt returns, 175 yards, 1 TD

NCAA Players of the Week
Offensive: Tyler Jones, R-Sr., QB, Eastern Michigan | 15-23, 253 yards, 5 TD; 14 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD in 66-10 win at Dartmouth
Defensive: Patrick Trahan, R-Jr., OLB, Auburn | 5 tackles, 2 INT, 1 TD in 38-21 win against South Florida

Injury Report
John Parker Wilson, Sr., QB, Alabama | Pulled hamstring (2 weeks)
Antone Smith, Sr., HB, Florida State | Broken thumb (3 weeks)
LaGarrette Blount, Jr., HB, Navy | Mild concussion (3 weeks)
Marcus Sims, Jr., HB, Florida State | Broken thumb (3 weeks)
Sergio Kindle, Jr., OLB, Texas | Torn tricep (3 weeks)
Donta Herrod, R-Sr., SS, Syracuse | Broken collarbone (10 weeks)

Week 2 Notable Top 25 Scores
#24 Maryland 32, #16 West Virginia 17
#21 Florida 73, Penn 0
#5 Penn State 28, Notre Dame 21
#12 Texas Tech 70, UTEP 17
#3 Texas 34, Rice 27
#2 LSU 35, #11 Virginia Tech 31
#6 Nebraska 28, Wake Forest 22
#18 Wisconsin 44, UNLV 3
#17 Oklahoma 31, Miami (Fla.) 28
#4 Ohio State 42, Akron 10
#8 Texas A&M 22, #15 Florida State 14
#9 Iowa 33, Syracuse 13
#13 Arkansas 28, Ball State 7
#10 UCLA 56, BYU 7
#25 Tennessee 42, Southern Miss 0
#14 Missouri 31, Ole Miss 17
#19 Georgia 49, Princeton 10

Week 3 National Broadcasts
#13 Arkansas (2-0) at #5 Penn State (2-0) | 9/20, 12:30 PM
#9 Iowa (2-0) at Boise State (1-0) | 9/20, 1:00 PM
#3 Texas (2-0) at #18 Wisconsin (2-0) | 9/20, 1:00 PM
#7 Michigan (2-0) at Notre Dame (1-1) | 9/20, 3:30 PM
#4 Ohio State (2-0) at Washington (1-1) | 9/20, 3:30 PM
#1 USC (1-0) at #6 Nebraska (2-0) | 9/20, 3:30 PM – Game of the Week
Boston College (2-0) at #15 Florida State (1-1) | 9/20, 3:30 PM
#8 Texas A&M (2-0) at Miami (Fla.) (1-1) | 9/20, 6:00 PM

[Careless Whisper]

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

by Joe Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Keyes again healthy enough for Pitt

After leaving his second straight game early due to injury last Saturday against Tulane, sophomore quarterback Justin Keyes will start this weekend at Pitt.

“It definitely hasn’t been the start I wanted to my sophomore season,” said Keyes after Wednesday’s practice. “But there’s still plenty of season left and I’m excited to turn it around. And with it being Pitt week, there was no way I was missing this game.”

Keyes (69.7 QB rtg., 9-22, 123 yards, 2 INT) previously was knocked out of the Wisconsin game with a sprained elbow, and then against the Green Wave with a sprained finger. Junior Alex Smith (90.6 QB rtg., 11-22, 130 yards, 1 INT) has replaced him in both games, and will again serve as the backup this weekend.

Fitch to miss three weeks

Sophomore guard Matt Fitch left in the second quarter of last week’s loss to Tulane, and will miss the next three weeks with a bruised shoulder.

Fitch, a starter in each of the Tartans’ 14 games since 2007, will miss bouts with Pitt, Buffalo, and Central Michigan. Senior Andy Clark will replace him at left guard.

Burnsides, Pruitt list Carnegie Mellon in top five

Carnegie Mellon continues to make strides in the in-season recruiting period, as it has made the top fives of three-star prospects Matt Burnsides (Hyattsville, Md.) and Joey Pruitt (Glenpool, Okla.).

Burnsides, a six-foot-three, 280-pound defensive tackle from Northwestern High School, has the Tartans as his favorite, followed by Louisville, West Virginia, Penn State, and Tennessee. With the graduation of senior captain Devon Elliott following this season, the three-star target would likely slide into an immediate starting role in 2009.

Pruitt, a six-foot, 208-pound wide receiver at Glenpool High School, has CMU second in his top five behind Texas, and ahead of LSU, Nebraska, and Texas A&M. He would likely receive immediate playing time in the wide receiver rotation, with senior captain Pete Carlson set to graduate after this year.

Carnegie Mellon In-Season Recruiting Targets
Tyrone McMillan, QB, *** (6’4”, 185 lbs.; West New York, N.J. / Memorial) – Top 5
Marcus Cooley, HB, *** (6’2”, 175 lbs.; Hanover Park, Ill. / Hanover Park) – Top 5
Matt Burnsides, DT, *** (6’3”, 280 lbs.; Hyattsville, Md. / Northwestern) – Top 5
Joey Pruitt, WR, *** (6’0”, 208 lbs.; Glenpool, Okla. / Glenpool) – Top 5
Terrance Hurst, DE, *** (6’4”, 252 lbs.; Lodi, N.J. / Lodi) – Top 12
Malcom Crenshaw, DE, *** (6’5”, 255 lbs.; Rolla, Mo. / Rolla) – Top 12
Joey Muhammad, C, *** (6’0”, 290 lbs.; Winnipeg, Manitoba / Grant Park) – Top 12
Randy Houston, QB, *** (6’1”, 185 lbs.; Rochester, N.Y. / Rochester East) – Top 12
Bryan Williams, QB, *** (6’4”, 210 lbs.; Charlottesville, Va. / Charlottesville) – Top 12
Kedrick Goodwin, QB, *** (6’2”, 215 lbs.; Allentown, Pa. / Parkland) – Top 12
Zach Nugent, DT, *** (6’3”, 270 lbs.; Westerville, Ohio / Westerville) – Top 12
Mike Horn, OT, *** (6’6”, 320 lbs.; Madeira, Ohio / Madeira) – Top 12
Leonard Williams, DT, *** (6’1”, 285 lbs.; Lombard, Ill. / Glenbard East) – Top 12
Ryan Thomas, MLB, ** (6’3”, 229 lbs.; Perth Amboy, N.J. / Perth Amboy) – Top 12

[mvpstax]

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

Really like the tidbits segment. McMillan looks like a nice potential commit.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Really like the tidbits segment. McMillan looks like a nice potential commit.

Thanks! I figured it's a nice piece to cover the weekly storylines on the field and in recruiting with CMU, without having to go too in-depth with them.

My hope is to land one of the four quarterbacks I'm pursuing, and have them compete with Keyes next year should he continue to struggle. All four are pocket passer types, with McMillan probably being the most athletic of the bunch. I'll really take a commitment from any of them, but he's the one I was highest on from the start.

Thanks for checking in!

[Careless Whisper]

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

at
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (0-2) at Pittsburgh Panthers (1-1)
Saturday, September 20, 2008 | 6:00 PM (ET)
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Heinz Field | FSN Pittsburgh

Team Overview (B overall, B+ offense, C+ defense)
Someone with Pitt really cozied up to the NCAA scheduling experts in 2008, as it opens the season with five straight home games. The Panthers have gone 1-1 in the early going, blowing a 35-21 fourth-quarter lead against Minnesota to lose the opener, 42-35, before knocking off Central Florida, 27-17, this past Saturday.

Senior Bill Stull (150.0 QB rtg., 32-49, 376 yards, 3 TD) is in his second season as Pitt’s starting quarterback, and will likely give way to highly touted sophomore Pat Bostick next season. One of the three starters out for the Panthers this week is senior tailback LaRod Stephens-Howling, who strained his back after recording 119 yards and three touchdowns from scrimmage against the Golden Gophers. In his place is sophomore LeSean McCoy (30 carries, 172 yards, 3 TD), who headlines a strong playmaker unit with redshirt junior wide receiver Oderick Turner (5 catches, 81 yards), redshirt sophomore wide receiver T.J. Porter (12 catches, 75 yards, 1 TD), and junior tight end Nate Byham (2 catches, 70 yards).

The defense has taken a hit with the season-ending injury to redshirt senior safety Eric Thatcher and a three-game suspension to junior linebacker Dorin Dickerson. Redshirt sophomore Michael Toerper (7 tackles, 2 sacks) and fifth-year Scott McKillop (14 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FR) lead the linebacker corps, and sophomore defensive end Jabaal Sheard is off to a strong start with 16 tackles and a pair of sacks. True freshman Issac Wilson replaces Thatcher as the starting free safety.

Senior kicker Conor Lee is perfect so far this season, connecting on two field goals and eight extra points. Redshirt junior punter Lucas Stone has a 39.6 net average on seven punts. Turner is the new primary kick returner with the injury to Stephens-Howling in the opener.

Season Results
09/06 | MINNESOTA | L, 35-42
09/13 | CENTRAL FLORIDA | W, 27-17

PFF Top Five
Conredge Collins, Sr., FB (95)
Joe Thomas, Jr., G (89)
Nate Byham, Jr., TE (88)
Michael Toerper, R-So., OLB (87)
LeSean McCoy, So., HB (87)

Injury Report
Carnegie Mellon: Matt Fitch, So., G (bruised shoulder – 3 weeks)
Pittsburgh: Eric Thatcher, R-Sr., FS (broken ankle – season); LaRod Stephens-Howling, Sr., HB (strained back – 4 weeks)

Suspensions
Carnegie Mellon: None
Pittsburgh: Dorin Dickerson, Jr., OLB (team rules – 3 games); Devin Morris, Fr., WR (academics – 2 games)

[joshrmlb]

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

I sense an upset in this once [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[moose141]

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

Love seeing those old names, what a blast from the past. Every other week it's go Tartans, but it's H2P this week! Should be a fun game though, I wouldn't be surprised if you manage to keep things close in this emotional local battle.

[Careless Whisper]

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

I sense an upset in this once [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm hoping you're right!

Love seeing those old names, what a blast from the past. Every other week it's go Tartans, but it's H2P this week! Should be a fun game though, I wouldn't be surprised if you manage to keep things close in this emotional local battle.

I'll definitely need to control the ball to stand a chance in this one. Not expecting a lot from Keyes, so Manning and him should get a ton of carries and then I'll have to limit the big plays and hold Pitt to three in the red zone rather than touchdowns. It's not really fair that I have to deal with LeSean McCoy with LSH out though

Game should be up later tonight or sometime in the morning tomorrow!

[Careless Whisper]

Season 3, Game 3: Carnegie Mellon at Pittsburgh - Steel City Showdown

Tartans Start Slow, Tormented Again in Steel City Rivalry
Pitt got off to a 21-0 start after 15 minutes and picked up its eighth straight win in the series


Pitt runningback LeSean McCoy had plenty of room to maneuver against Carnegie Mellon. (Michael Welch / Getty Images)

by Jayson Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Needing a quick start to keep pace with its Steel City rivals, Carnegie Mellon did the opposite of that as it fell behind Pitt, 21-0, and ultimately fell by a 42-16 score this evening from Heinz Field.

Pittsburgh (2-1) needed just 1:38 to get on the board against Carnegie Mellon (0-3), and that set the tone for the remainder of the contest. The Panthers would find paydirt three times in the opening 15 minutes, then took advantage of a fumbled kick return to start the second half, scoring another touchdown to swing momentum fully in their favor.

“We can’t afford a slow start against (Pitt),” said third-year head coach John Elliott. “They’re too talented on both sides of the ball, and eventually they’ll get theirs. Even though we were able to move the ball on the ground pretty well with Jim (Manning) and Justin (Keyes), that early hole was too much to dig out of.”

The Tartans rushed for 227 yards as a team, led by sophomore Jim Manning’s 109-yard performance. Justin Keyes added 80 yards and a score on 13 carries, offsetting another inconsistent performance throwing the ball (12-23, 91 yards, 2 INT).

The Panthers didn’t miss usual starting runningback LaRod Stephens-Howling, as LeSean McCoy accumulated 154 yards of scrimmage and four touchdowns on 23 touches. Bill Stull threw for 258 yards and four scores on 15-of-25 passing, and T.J. Porter torched the CMU secondary with 100 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions.

“LeSean (McCoy) was unbelievable,” said Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt. “He really set the tone early and is one of the most talented backs in the nation. Having him and LaRod (Stephens-Howling) is a luxury, and while we’re missing LaRod and will love having him back next month, LeSean is showing here that he can make a huge difference on the ground and in the passing game.”

Freshmen David Brown and Chris Hill each netted a sack for the Tartans, while sophomore Hayden Temple picked off an errant Stull pass in the second quarter.

Carnegie Mellon enters Mid-American Conference (MAC) play next week when it hosts Buffalo on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Carnegie Mellon Tartans at Pittsburgh Panthers
Sep 20, 2008	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (0-3)	0	6	3	7	16
Pittsburgh Panthers (2-1)	21	0	14	7	42

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		CMU	PITT
13:22	(PITT) LeSean McCoy 2-yard run (Conor Lee kick)	0	7
6:43	(PITT) Bill Stull 70-yard pass to T.J. Porter (Conor Lee kick)	0	14
0:08	(PITT) Bill Stull 6-yard pass to LeSean McCoy (Conor Lee kick)	0	21
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CMU	PITT
5:48	(CMU) Justin Keyes 1-yard run (XP blocked)	6	21
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CMU	PITT
14:18	(PITT) Bill Stull 15-yard pass to LeSean McCoy (Conor Lee kick)	6	28
7:26	(CMU) Jon Foster 28-yard field goal	9	28
3:07	(PITT) LeSean McCoy 15-yard run (Conor Lee kick)	9	35
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CMU	PITT
10:42	(CMU) Jim Manning 2-yard run (Jon Foster kick)	16	35
5:43	(PITT) Bill Stull 19-yard pass to T.J. Porter (Conor Lee kick)	16	42

Carnegie Mellon Tartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Justin Keyes 12/23 91 0 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Jim Manning 19 109 5.7 1 Justin Keyes 13 80 6.2 1 Korey Harper 4 23 5.7 0 Nate Satele 4 14 3.5 0 Tramon McCollum 1 1 1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD David Young 4 38 9.5 0 Pete Carlson 4 32 8.0 0 Kevin Cousins 2 13 6.5 0 Stephen Carter 2 8 4.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Aaron Crosby 5 0 0 0 Mark Toth 5 0 0 0 David Brown 4 1 0 0 Chris Hill 4 1 0 0 Hayden Temple 0 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Jon Foster 1/1 1/2 4 28 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Brad Jones 5 220 44.0 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Jim Manning 4 93 23.2 0 Pete Carlson 2 39 19.5 0

Pittsburgh Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Bill Stull 15/25 258 4 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD LeSean McCoy 19 103 5.4 2 Kevin Collier 1 4 4.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD T.J. Porter 4 100 25.0 2 Oderick Turner 4 76 19.0 0 LeSean McCoy 4 51 12.7 2 Nate Byham 1 29 29.0 0 Aundre Wright 1 2 2.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Michael Toerper 9 0 1 0 Greg Romeus 6 1 0 0 Shane Murray 6 0 1 0 Justin Hargrove 5 0 0 0 Jabaal Sheard 4 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Conor Lee 0/0 6/6 6 -- PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Lucas Stone 3 158 52.7 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Oderick Turner 3 144 48.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Oderick Turner 5 49 9.8 0

[moose141]

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

SHADYYYYYYY!!! Even better for my boys that he'll have to stay at least one more year haha, unlike in real life. That should let next year (in your file)'s Panthers challenge what the real ones accomplished, which was to break my heart more than any Pitt football team ever. I still see that Cincinnati game in my nightmares, I can remember being there like it was yesterday.

Not a bad performance from you though, to be honest. Obviously tough day for the defense, but offensively it seems like you at least could mildly keep pace if you could just limit the turnovers then the two headed rushing monster seemed to be working well. If you get McMillan in at QB maybe Keyes becomes a running back if he never develops as a passer aha.

[Deuce2223]

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

Tough loss. I was really pulling for the upset. It's sad cause you got a great RB in Manning but the poor kid can't carry the team. Keyes does seem to be a decent runner, but when you are behind it sorta limits what you can do.