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

[moose141]

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

This season is just a minor setback for a major comeback. Just need to keep beefing up the recruiting class, get as much 3-star talent as you can to bring this roster up to scratch, and chalk this season up as a learning experience. That 5 win season I think gave some false hope with a couple of FCS wins that artificially gave the impression that this team was bowl ready already! Next year should be the step forward that we thought this year would be, I think.

[Deuce2223]

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

Man props to you. I feel like if I had someone playing as bad as Keyes has been I would just write up a story where the kid quit to go become a rodeo clown or maybe a video game streamer or something cause he is just bad.

I would love to see a game where you pass the ball less then 10 times. When I was in High school my team ran basically a spread style offense but after I graduated they hired a new coach who runs bascially a Flexbone/Veer Offense and no joke throws the ball less then 10 times a game. They have like 5 Championships in the last 8 years and every year they have won, they end up with typically 2 kids close to 1000 yd rushers and another with like 400-600. The QB was actaully one of my youth kids and he threw less then 20 pass's all year. He quite after 2 seasons and just focused on Basketball and went on to play college hoops and is now a high school coach, so he probably made a better choice.

[Careless Whisper]

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

This season is just a minor setback for a major comeback. Just need to keep beefing up the recruiting class, get as much 3-star talent as you can to bring this roster up to scratch, and chalk this season up as a learning experience. That 5 win season I think gave some false hope with a couple of FCS wins that artificially gave the impression that this team was bowl ready already! Next year should be the step forward that we thought this year would be, I think.

Yeah I think after last year's five-win run and how well I played down the stretch, expectations were probably a little too high heading into this season. If I can land a solid class here and get some good results from off-season training, then I have no doubt we'll be in the hunt for a bowl bid next season. The foundation is there, just need to add the right pieces!

Man props to you. I feel like if I had someone playing as bad as Keyes has been I would just write up a story where the kid quit to go become a rodeo clown or maybe a video game streamer or something cause he is just bad.

I would love to see a game where you pass the ball less then 10 times. When I was in High school my team ran basically a spread style offense but after I graduated they hired a new coach who runs bascially a Flexbone/Veer Offense and no joke throws the ball less then 10 times a game. They have like 5 Championships in the last 8 years and every year they have won, they end up with typically 2 kids close to 1000 yd rushers and another with like 400-600. The QB was actaully one of my youth kids and he threw less then 20 pass's all year. He quite after 2 seasons and just focused on Basketball and went on to play college hoops and is now a high school coach, so he probably made a better choice.

His performance against Miami was mostly human error as well. I just got frustrated with how their defense was holding me down, because it didn't look like it would be too difficult to deal with when looking at the ratings, so I forced a ton of passes that weren't there. The momentum meter is a little too unforgiving in these older titles, and it makes it so once you're behind the eightball, you're really in an uphill climb trying to get back into the game.

While I want to maintain being somewhat of a balanced offense, I might have to adopt that philosophy of throwing fewer than 10 times if Keyes continues to struggle like this. I've wanted to have a game where I get both my tailbacks 20+ carries and Keyes around 10 or so, but - besides this game - I've gotten off to slow starts and can't really get away from throwing it every now and then. If I had a capable backup, I would have absolutely benched Keyes by now but the stink of nerfing my roster at the start has forced him to stay in and take his lumps.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Around the NCAA – Week 7 Edition
Pat White was named NCAA Player of the Week for his effort in #14 West Virginia's 49-28 win at #17 Louisville

USA Today Top 25 Coaches’ Poll
1 | USC [32 first-place votes] (6-0)
2 | Michigan [21] (7-0)
3 | Iowa [6] (6-0)
4 | UCLA [1] (5-0)
5 | Penn State (5-1)
6 | Florida State (6-1)
7 | Oklahoma [1] (6-0)
8 | Texas (6-1)
9 | LSU (6-1)
10 | Nebraska (6-1)
11 | Ohio State (5-1)
12 | Florida (7-0)
13 | Arkansas (5-1)
14 | West Virginia (6-1)
15 | Texas A&M (5-1)
16 | Missouri (6-1)
17 | Virginia Tech (5-2)
18 | Texas Tech (5-2)
19 | Louisville (6-1)
20 | Miami (Fla.) (5-2)
21 | Michigan State (4-1)
22 | Clemson (6-1)
23 | Georgia (5-2)
24 | Arizona State (4-1)
25 | South Carolina (5-1)

Heisman Watch
Graham Harrell, R-Sr., QB, Texas Tech | 178.0 QB rtg., 207-289, 2,601 yards, 32 TD (2 rush), 5 INT
Kestahn Moore, Sr., HB, Florida | 88 carries, 622 yards, 9 TD; 16 catches, 380 yards, 7 TD
Ryan Perrilloux, R-Jr., QB, LSU | 172.2 QB rtg., 130-198, 1,781 yards, 21 TD, 4 INT; 62 carries, 282 yards, 3 TD
Mark Sanchez, R-Jr., QB, USC | 196.4 QB rtg., 109-170, 1,941 yards, 24 TD (1 rush), 7 INT
Jameel Sewell, R-Jr., QB, Virginia | 161.4 QB rtg., 146-226, 1,954 yards, 22 TD, 9 INT; 58 carries, 400 yards, 6 TD

NCAA Players of the Week
Offensive: Pat White, R-Sr., QB, West Virginia | 22-29, 285 yards, 4 TD; 12 carries, 102 yards, 2 TD in 49-28 win at Louisville
Defensive: Brandon Cunningham, Fr., OLB, Columbia | 11 tackles (8 TFL), 2 sacks, 2 FF, 1 FR in 21-17 win against Penn

Injury Report
Allan Evridge, R-Sr., QB, Wisconsin | Bruised shoulder (3 weeks)
Willie Tuitama, Sr., QB, Arizona | Broken ankle (11 weeks)
Zac Robinson, R-Jr., QB, Oklahoma State | Forearm fracture (11 weeks)
Kenneth Harris, R-Sr., WR, Georgia | Torn tricep (10 weeks)
Ryan Keeling, R-Sr., TE, Oregon | Partially torn PCL (5 weeks)

Week 7 Notable Top 25 Scores
#13 Arkansas 52, Auburn 21
#15 Texas A&M 31, Oklahoma State 14
#8 Texas 35, #16 Missouri 17
#7 Oklahoma 44, Kansas State 14
#12 Florida 28, #9 LSU 21
#14 West Virginia 49, #19 Louisville 28
#5 Penn State 38, Minnesota 14
#22 Clemson 56, North Carolina State 17
#2 Michigan 58, Purdue 17
#1 USC 40, Washington 14
#11 Ohio State 24, Wisconsin 17
#23 Georgia 33, Tennessee 23
#4 UCLA 63, Arizona 7
#3 Iowa 27, #21 Michigan State 10
#6 Florida State 37, #20 Miami (Fla.) 21

Week 8 National Broadcasts
Indiana (4-1) at #2 Michigan (7-0) | 10/25, 12:30 PM
#24 Arizona State (4-1) at #1 USC (6-0) | 10/25, 3:30 PM (Game of the Week)
Oklahoma State (4-2) at #16 Missouri (6-1) | 10/25, 3:30 PM
Maryland (5-2) at #17 Virginia Tech (5-2) | 10/25, 3:30 PM
#12 Florida (7-0) at #13 Arkansas (5-1) | 10/25, 6:00 PM
#8 Texas (6-1) at #18 Texas Tech (5-2) | 10/25, 6:00 PM
#9 LSU (6-1) at #25 South Carolina (5-1) | 10/25, 8:00 PM
#4 UCLA (5-0) at Oregon (4-2) | 10/25, 8:00 PM

[Careless Whisper]

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

by Joe Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Burnsides commits to Carnegie Mellon

Carnegie Mellon has received a verbal commitment from three-star defensive tackle Matt Burnsides (Hyattsville, Md.), its first pledge from the Class of 2009.

“(Carnegie Mellon) was always in the running from the moment they contacted me,” said Burnsides in a phone interview. “I always had a great vibe with their coaching staff and the team treated me really well during my official visit (this past weekend). To be able to say that I’ll have a degree from Carnegie Mellon is a big plus too. Combine the academic excellence with just my overall feeling talking to the coaches and players – it made the decision very easy for me.”

Burnsides, who has 33 tackles and six sacks for Northwestern High School this year, chose the Tartans ahead of other finalists West Virginia and Louisville. He should be an immediate starter next season at defensive tackle with the graduation of team captain Devon Elliott.

Cousins to miss a month with shoulder injury

Redshirt junior wide receiver Kevin Cousins is set to miss a month with a torn shoulder muscle after suffering the injury in the second quarter of CMU’s 27-3 loss to Miami (Ohio) over the weekend.

Cousins has had a disappointing first season in Pittsburgh, accumulating just 19 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown as the entire passing game has struggled. He is set to return on Nov. 22 at Western Michigan for the final two games of the season. Freshman Stephen Carter (10 catches, 85 yards) will move into the starting lineup in his place.

Keyes to remain starter

Despite a rough sophomore campaign thus far, Justin Keyes is set to remain the starter at quarterback for the remainder of the season.

Keyes, who has started all of the Tartans’ 19 games since he arrived on campus, has a 59.5 quarterback rating and 1:14 touchdown-to-interception ratio this year. He has thrown multiple interceptions in six of seven games in 2008, and has contributed 295 yards and four scores on the ground.

The other quarterbacks on the CMU roster are junior Alex Smith (90.6 QB rtg., 11-22, 130 yards, 1 INT) and senior Warren Culberson (no statistics). The Tartans currently have two quarterbacks on their in-season recruiting board and want to sign two next February.

Harper suspended for Akron game

Redshirt sophomore fullback Korey Harper has been suspended for this weekend’s game at Akron after violating a team rule.

Harper, who usually serves as a leading blocker for Jim Manning, has eight carries for 44 yards this season. Freshman walk-on Brandon Brewer will start in his place.

Carnegie Mellon In-Season Recruiting Targets
Matt Burnsides, DT, *** (6’3”, 280 lbs.; Hyattsville, Md. / Northwestern) – Verbal Commit
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
Bryan Williams, QB, *** (6’4”, 210 lbs.; Charlottesville, Va. / Charlottesville) – Top 5
Malcom Crenshaw, DE, *** (6’5”, 255 lbs.; Rolla, Mo. / Rolla) – Top 5
Joey Muhammad, C, *** (6’0”, 290 lbs.; Winnipeg, Manitoba / Grant Park) – Top 5

[Careless Whisper]

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

at
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (1-6, 1-3 MAC) at Akron Zips (4-3, 2-1 MAC)
Saturday, October 25, 2008 | 12:30 PM (ET)
Akron, Ohio – Rubber Bowl | No television

Team Overview (B- overall, B- offense, C defense)
Akron is riding a three-game winning streak with victories over Western Michigan (28-19), Buffalo (35-17), and Army (41-35, OT) after suffering its only conference loss at Eastern Michigan in a 41-38 barnburner. The Zips most recently needed a comeback to defeat the Black Knights, as they came back from a 35-14 deficit with 21 fourth-quarter points to force overtime.

Carnegie Mellon catches a break as usual Akron starting quarterback Carlton Jackson (123.6 QB rtg., 93-173, 1,149 yards, 11 TD, 6 INT; 46 carries, 241 yards, 2 TD) will miss the contest with a knee bruise suffered against Army. Redshirt sophomore Chris Jacquemain (156.5 QB rtg., 24-40, 326 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT) will start in his place. At tailback, fifth-year senior Dennis Kennedy (96 carries, 594 yards, 10 TD) has been one of the best backs in the MAC this season, with Wisconsin transfer Lance Smith likely stepping into the starting role next season. Junior wide receiver Jeremy Bruce (34 catches, 503 yards, 5 TD) possesses serious speed on the outside, with redshirt junior Brandon Williams (24 catches, 201 yards, 2 TD) and redshirt sophomore Nadir Brown (18 catches, 256 yards, 3 TD) finding holes underneath.

Third-year sophomore Almondo Sewell (28 tackles, 2 sacks) is one of the conference’s most talented defensive players, causing headaches for opposing offensive tackles with his speed off the edge. The linebacker corps is solid with redshirt seniors Doug Williams (34 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR) and Kevin Grant (49 tackles) leading the charge, and true freshman Jonathan Brewster (36 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF) making an immediate impact. Senior cornerback Amin Kabir (28 tackles, 3 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR) has had a great final season for the Zips, but beyond him the secondary is a weak spot as it misses senior safety Bryan Williams, who partially tore his ACL three games into the campaign.

Redshirt sophomore Igor Iveljic (4-6 FG, 27-27 XP) has had a good first season as the primary kicker, while fifth-year senior Andy Hildreth (30 punts, 1,383 yards, 46.1 avg.) is one of the better punters in the conference. Bruce (27 kick returns, 573 yards; 12 punt returns, 65 yards) is the top returner for Akron.

Season Results
09/06 | YALE | W, 42-23
09/13 | at Ohio State | L, 10-42
09/20 | INDIANA | L, 21-41
09/27 | at Eastern Michigan * | L, 38-41
10/04 | WESTERN MICHIGAN * | W, 28-19
10/11 | BUFFALO * | W, 35-17
10/18 | at Army | W, 41-35 (OT)

PFF Top Five
Jeremy Bruce, Jr., WR (89)
Matt Harmon, R-Sr., FB (88)
Almondo Sewell, R-So., DE (86)
Dennis Kennedy, R-Sr., HB (86)
Amin Kabir, Sr., CB (85)

Injury Report
Carnegie Mellon: Kevin Cousins, R-Jr., WR (torn shoulder muscle – 5 weeks)
Akron: Bryan Williams, Sr., FS (partially torn ACL – medically redshirted); Carlton Jackson, R-Jr., QB (knee bruise – 1 week); Zack Anderson, R-Jr., G (upper arm fracture – season); Keith Huebner, R-Jr., OT (torn pectoral – 3 weeks)

Suspensions
Carnegie Mellon: Scott Sanders, R-So., WR (team rules – 2 games); Korey Harper, R-So., FB (team rules – 1 game)
Akron: Travis Wilson, Fr., DE (academics – 2 games)

[Careless Whisper]

Season 3, Game 8: Carnegie Mellon at Akron

Carnegie Mellon Comeback Bid Falls Short at Akron
Justin Keyes threw two touchdowns, but was intercepted with 1:32 remaining to end a comeback attempt



Sophomore quarterback Justin Keyes posted his first performance of multiple touchdown passes. (John Paulson / Getty Images)

by Alicia Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter

AKRON, Ohio -- A late comeback attempt by Carnegie Mellon was thwarted by an interception as the Tartans dropped their fourth consecutive game with a 21-14 loss at Akron this afternoon in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play.

Carnegie Mellon (1-7, 1-4 MAC) put together an impressive seven-play, 54-yard drive at the end of the game, only to see it falter when Stephen Carter couldn’t quite corral a Justin Keyes pass, falling into the arms of Amin Kabir for a back-breaking interception. Akron (5-3, 4-1 MAC) had previously forced two fumbles and stopped the Tartans on fourth down once before Kabir’s game-sealing pick.

“A definite heartbreaker,” said third-year head coach John Elliott after the game. “Our guys fought so hard and never wavered despite falling behind, and they should be proud of it. We competed and were right there against a good Akron team today, and if just a few plays go our way then we’re probably coming out of here with a victory. It’s not what the team wants to hear, they definitely aren’t satisfied with moral victories. But based on how the last month has gone, this is a step in the right direction.”

Three days after Elliott again expressed full trust in Keyes as his starting quarterback, the sophomore rewarded the CMU head coach with his first performance of multiple touchdown passes. After the Zips scored on their opening drive to go ahead 7-0, the Tartans responded with their rushing attack, methodically moving the ball downfield before Keyes found Pete Carlson on a slant for a three-yard score. Akron answered with two field goals, one coming with 17 seconds remaining in the half, to take a 13-7 advantage into the break.

The lead grew to 21-7 late in the third quarter after Brandon Williams split the Tartans safeties and hauled in a 54-yard bomb from Zips backup quarterback Chris Jacquemain. Jacquemain added a two-point conversion by rolling out and hitting Jeremy Bruce to make it a two-score game, but shortly after Keyes connected with Carter for a 14-yard touchdown.

CMU’s defense then stepped up as an Aaron Crosby sack forced a long third down, and Hayden Temple snagged an errant Jacquemain pass. The Tartans used Nate Satele and some quick hitters in the passing game to reach the red zone with 1:32 remaining, but Carter let a Keyes target slip through his fingertips and into Kabir’s hands.

Satele led the Tartans with 79 yards rushing on 13 carries, while Jim Manning added 68 yards on 13 totes. Manning left the game briefly on two occasions after suffering injuries on kick returns.

Carnegie Mellon has its bye next week, then stays in the Buckeye State to take on Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Carnegie Mellon Tartans at Akron Zips
Oct 25, 2008	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (1-7, 1-4 MAC)	7	0	0	7	14
Akron Zips (5-3, 4-1 MAC)	7	6	8	0	21

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		CMU	AKR
10:19	(AKR) Chris Jacquemain 10-yard pass to Jeremy Bruce (Igor Iveljic kick)	0	7
3:09	(CMU) Justin Keyes 3-yard pass to Pete Carlson (Jon Foster kick)	7	7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CMU	AKR
7:33	(AKR) Igor Iveljic 48-yard field goal	7	10
0:17	(AKR) Igor Iveljic 36-yard field goal	7	13
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CMU	AKR
1:05	(AKR) Chris Jacquemain 54-yard pass to Brandon Williams (Chris Jacquemain to Jeremy Bruce)	7	21
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CMU	AKR
12:45	(CMU) Justin Keyes 14-yard pass to Stephen Carter (Jon Foster kick)	14	21

Carnegie Mellon Tartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Justin Keyes 16/23 112 2 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Nate Satele 13 79 6.1 0 Jim Manning 13 68 5.2 0 Justin Keyes 3 13 4.3 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Stephen Carter 7 36 5.1 1 Pete Carlson 3 9 3.0 1 David Young 2 57 28.5 0 Jeremy Miller 2 6 3.0 0 Kurt Thompson 2 4 2.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Matt Johnson 8 1 0 0 Chris Hill 7 0 0 0 Mark Toth 6 0 0 0 Aaron Crosby 6 1 0 0 Andrew Miller 3 1 0 0 Hayden Temple 3 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Jon Foster 0/1 2/2 2 -- PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Brad Jones 5 239 47.8 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Jim Manning 2 42 21.0 0 Pete Carlson 1 15 15.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Pete Carlson 3 14 4.7 0 Jim Manning 1 9 9.0 0

Akron Zips PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Chris Jacquemain 22/40 277 2 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Dennis Kennedy 17 69 4.1 0 Matt Harmon 2 14 7.0 0 Chris Jacquemain 7 5 0.7 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Brandon Williams 5 91 18.2 1 Nadir Brown 4 42 10.5 0 Merce Poindexter 4 25 6.2 0 Alex Allen 3 52 17.3 0 Jeremy Bruce 3 48 16.0 1 Dennis Kennedy 2 19 9.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Doug Williams 9 0 0 0 Kevin Grant 8 0 0 0 Al-Teric Balaam 6 0 0 0 Jonathan Brewster 4 0 0 0 Amin Kabir 2 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Igor Iveljic 2/3 1/1 7 48 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Andy Hildreth 5 187 37.4 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Jeremy Bruce 2 24 12.0 0 Dennis Kennedy 1 26 26.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Jeremy Bruce 2 11 5.5 0

[Deuce2223]

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

Good to see Keyes finally have a decent game even if you did come up short on the "W". Hopefully this is a sign of good things ahead. Still not to late to get a couple of wins, finish strong and have something to build on for next year.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Good to see Keyes finally have a decent game even if you did come up short on the "W". Hopefully this is a sign of good things ahead. Still not to late to get a couple of wins, finish strong and have something to build on for next year.

He was definitely better in this one, helped that I didn't try to take too many shots down the field and kept everything underneath. I think the only passes I threw that were longer than 10 yards were the two passes to my TE David Young on posts, and the interception that went through Carter's hands.

Definitely think I can snag a win or two before the season ends, hopefully in the next couple weeks when I'll likely have more guys making official visits. I've got Ohio, Duke, Western Michigan, and Northern Illinois left, and I know the Bobcats and NIU are down, and Duke is still winless. Fingers crossed that CMU doesn't finish with just one win!

[moose141]

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

Break out the Herb Brooks quote from Miracle... "Better... Not good, but better."

Nice to see you pass for over 100 yards for once, haha. If you can finally get the offense consistently passing for 100+ and rushing for 200+ like a Navy or similar, I think you'll be winning a lot more football games. Good progress is being made at least keeping the TD:INT ratio in the positive for once!

Also, why the decrease in the usage of Manning? No more 30 carry games for him?

[Careless Whisper]

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

Break out the Herb Brooks quote from Miracle... "Better... Not good, but better."

Nice to see you pass for over 100 yards for once, haha. If you can finally get the offense consistently passing for 100+ and rushing for 200+ like a Navy or similar, I think you'll be winning a lot more football games. Good progress is being made at least keeping the TD:INT ratio in the positive for once!

Also, why the decrease in the usage of Manning? No more 30 carry games for him?

Haha I didn't even think of that when I wrote it, but it fits perfectly! It's accurate too, we weren't good against Akron but definitely did a lot better than how we've been playing the last month or so.

That split of 100+ pass yards and 200+ rush yards is pretty much my goal for the remainder of the season. Might be more difficult since I'm still playing in a pro-style offense, but Keyes has the skills to be a consistent threat running the ball, Manning is Manning, and Satele has been solid when called upon. Do that plus keep the TD/INT ratio in the positives, and I should be in good shape snagging a few wins here down the stretch!

As for Manning's decreased workload, this game he went out twice with injuries on kick returns, which - beyond being something I've never seen before - forced Satele into more work. Teams have been really stacking the box lately as well, and jumping the snap successful quite a bit despite plenty of hard counts. He's still been really good, but hasn't quite broken off many big runs over the last few games, and when you're down by multiple scores early, you kind of start trying new things (and failing at them) in hopes of getting back into it.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Around the NCAA – Week 8 Edition
The first set of BCS Rankings are released with USC and Michigan topping the group

BCS Rankings
1 | USC (7-0, 0.966)
2 | Michigan (8-0, 0.951)
3 | Iowa (7-0, 0.879)
4 | UCLA (6-0, 0.872)
5 | Oklahoma (7-0, 0.742)
6 | Penn State (5-1, 0.732)
7 | LSU (7-1, 0.685)
8 | Texas (7-1, 0.677)
9 | Florida State (6-1, 0.664)
10 | Florida (8-0, 0.640)
11 | Ohio State (6-1, 0.577)
12 | Nebraska (7-1, 0.562)
13 | West Virginia (7-1, 0.496)
14 | Texas A&M (6-1, 0.421)
15 | Louisville (7-1, 0.368)

Heisman Watch
Graham Harrell, R-Sr., QB, Texas Tech | 176.8 QB rtg., 235-327, 2,916 yards, 36 TD (2 rush), 7 INT
Tim Tebow, Jr., QB, Florida | 158.0 QB rtg., 137-223, 1,773 yards, 25 TD, 8 INT; 84 carries, 524 yards, 5 TD
Mark Sanchez, R-Jr., QB, USC | 194.0 QB rtg., 135-209, 2,311 yards, 29 TD (1 rush), 8 INT
Jameel Sewell, R-Jr., QB, Virginia | 152.6 QB rtg., 166-267, 2,177 yards, 25 TD, 12 INT; 67 carries, 447 yards, 7 TD
Ryan Mallett, R-Fr., QB, Michigan | 165.5 QB rtg., 151-235, 2,158 yards, 23 TD (1 rush), 8 INT

NCAA Players of the Week
Offensive: Ray Rice, Sr., HB, Rutgers | 23 carries, 181 yards, 6 TD; 3 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD in 49-28 win against Connecticut
Defensive: Klint Kubiak, Sr., FS, Colorado State | 3 tackles, 3 INT, 1 FF, 1 TD in 42-14 win at Wyoming

Injury Report
Drew Willy, Sr., QB, Buffalo | Broken jaw (10 weeks)
Noel Devine, So., HB, West Virginia | Hip pointer (2 weeks)
Dominique Douglas, Jr., WR, Iowa | Mild concussion (2 weeks)
Josh Briscoe, Sr., WR, Tennessee | Strained back (5 weeks)

Week 8 Notable Top 25 Scores
#25 Virginia 35, North Carolina 14
#10 Nebraska 28, Kansas State 14
#2 Michigan 30, Indiana 14
#23 Wisconsin 38, Michigan State 0
#1 USC 35, Arizona State 23
#15 Louisville 24, Cincinnati 17
#21 Oklahoma State 28, #20 Missouri 21
#3 Iowa 43, Illinois 18
#11 Florida 49, #17 Arkansas 14
#8 Texas 49, #22 Texas Tech 35
#7 Oklahoma 27, Kansas 17
#18 Clemson 57, Buffalo 17
#9 LSU 24, South Carolina 10
#4 UCLA 38, Oregon 17
#14 Texas A&M 37, Colorado 34
#12 Ohio State 38, Minnesota

Week 9 National Broadcasts
#6 Florida State (6-1) at Maryland (6-2) | 10/30, 6:00 PM
#20 Missouri (6-2) at #10 Nebraska (7-1) | 11/1, 12:30 PM
#12 Ohio State (6-1) at #3 Iowa (7-0) | 11/1, 3:30 PM (Game of the Week)
#7 Oklahoma (7-0) at #21 Oklahoma State (5-2) | 11/1, 3:30 PM
Michigan State (4-2) at #2 Michigan (8-0) | 11/1, 3:30 PM
Alabama (5-2) at #24 Tennessee (5-2) | 11/1, 6:00 PM
Virginia Tech (5-3) at Boston College (4-3) | 11/1, 6:00 PM
#9 LSU (7-1) at Auburn (3-4) | 11/1, 8:00 PM

[Careless Whisper]

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

by Joe Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Trio of three-stars to make official visits on Nov. 15

Carnegie Mellon will have three recruiting targets at Gesling Stadium for their official visits when the Tartans take on Duke on Nov. 15.

Three-star center Joey Muhammad (Winnipeg, Manitoba) has Carnegie Mellon as his favorite, followed by Ohio State and Boise State. He would be an immediate starter on the offensive line and would give the Tartans two Canadians in the trenches (Jason Baker).

Three-star tailback Marcus Cooley (Hanover Park, Ill.) will visit CMU a week after his official visit to Tennessee. The Tartans trail Iowa and are ahead of the Volunteers in Cooley’s recruitment.

Three-star quarterback Bryan Williams (Charlottesville, Va.) currently lists West Virginia as a slight favorite over CMU and Virginia Tech. The Tartans have Williams as one of their two in-season signal-caller targets, along with Tyrone McMillian (West New York, N.J.). Williams is set to visit the Hokies against his hometown Virginia Cavaliers on Nov. 22.

Manning to stop returning kicks and punts

After leaving last week’s game at Akron twice due to injury on kick returns, sophomore Jim Manning will be removed from his kick and punt returning roles for the remainder of the 2008 season.

“Jim (Manning) has done a great job returning but at a point we need to give him breathers and keep him fresh for our offense,” said head coach John Elliott after Wednesday’s practice. “I think after the break here you’ll see a more productive and more consistent Jim Manning, and he’ll make our offense go for the rest of the season.”

Manning has 971 yards and seven touchdowns rushing this season, and has returned a total of 43 kick and punts. Senior wide receiver Pete Carlson (15 kick returns, 348 yards, 1 TD; 3 punt returns, 14 yards) will move into the primary returning slot, with sophomore Stephen Carter bumped up to second in line.

Carnegie Mellon In-Season Recruiting Targets
Matt Burnsides, DT, *** (6’3”, 280 lbs.; Hyattsville, Md. / Northwestern) – Verbal Commit
Marcus Cooley, HB, *** (6’2”, 175 lbs.; Hanover Park, Ill. / Hanover Park) – Top 3, 11/15 Official Visit
Bryan Williams, QB, *** (6’4”, 210 lbs.; Charlottesville, Va. / Charlottesville) – Top 3, 11/15 Official Visit
Joey Muhammad, C, *** (6’0”, 290 lbs.; Winnipeg, Manitoba / Grant Park) – Top 3, 11/15 Official Visit
Tyrone McMillan, QB, *** (6’4”, 185 lbs.; West New York, N.J. / Memorial) – Top 5
Malcom Crenshaw, DE, *** (6’5”, 255 lbs.; Rolla, Mo. / Rolla) – Top 5

[Careless Whisper]

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

Around the NCAA – Week 9 Edition
#12 Ohio State falls 41-21 to #3 Iowa, and loses star tailback Chris Wells for the rest of the regular-season

BCS Rankings
1 | USC (7-0, 0.958)
2 | Michigan (9-0, 0.950)
3 | Iowa (8-0, 0.896)
4 | UCLA (7-0, 0.866)
5 | Oklahoma (8-0, 0.760)
6 | Penn State (6-1, 0.719)
7 | Texas (8-1, 0.711)
8 | Florida State (7-1, 0.680)
9 | LSU (8-1, 0.670)
10 | Florida (8-0, 0.640)
11 | Nebraska (8-1, 0.566)
12 | West Virginia (8-1, 0.522)
13 | Louisville (7-1, 0.453)
14 | Texas A&M (7-1, 0.446)
15 | Miami (Fla.) (7-2, 0.416)

Heisman Watch
Graham Harrell, R-Sr., QB, Texas Tech | 174.8 QB rtg., 272-378, 3,406 yards, 41 TD (2 rush), 13 INT
Ryan Mallett, R-Fr., QB, Michigan | 167.5 QB rtg., 170-268, 2,488 yards, 27 TD (1 rush), 8 INT
Tim Tebow, Jr., QB, Florida | 158.0 QB rtg., 137-223, 1,773 yards, 25 TD, 8 INT; 84 carries, 524 yards, 5 TD
Pat White, R-Sr., QB, West Virginia | 180.7 QB rtg., 119-179, 1,525 yards, 28 TD, 8 INT; 88 carries, 578 yards, 5 TD
Mark Sanchez, R-Jr., QB, USC | 194.0 QB rtg., 135-209, 2,311 yards, 29 TD (1 rush), 8 INT

NCAA Players of the Week
Offensive: A.J. Harris, Sr., WR, New Mexico State | 18 catches, 237 yards, 4 TD in 43-22 win at Idaho
Defensive: Brian Raines, Sr., OLB, Rice | 11 tackles (3 TFL), 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 TD in 57-28 win at UTEP

Injury Report
Chris Wells, Jr., HB, Ohio State | Broken wrist (8 weeks)
Malcolm Kelly, Sr., WR, Oklahoma | Dislocated elbow (7 weeks)
Nick Perry, Fr., DE, Nebraska | Knee bruise (3 weeks)
David Posluszny, Fr., MLB, Virginia Tech | Broken jaw (9 weeks)
Boubacar Cissoko, Fr., CB, Colorado State | Torn shoulder muscle (4 weeks)

Week 9 Notable Top 25 Scores
#7 Florida State 28, Maryland 23
#24 Arizona State 35, Stanford 22
#10 Nebraska 42, #23 Missouri 34
#3 Iowa 41, #17 Ohio State 21
#5 Penn State 34, Illinois 22
#4 UCLA 38, UAB 3
#16 Arkansas 38, Ole Miss 14
#6 Oklahoma 26, #25 Oklahoma State 14
#2 Michigan 35, Michigan State 7
#15 Miami (Fla.) 70, North Carolina 7
#9 LSU 55, Auburn 13
#12 West Virginia 55, Western Michigan 14
#8 Texas 42, Colorado 14
#18 Clemson 31, Georgia Tech 17

Week 10 National Broadcasts
#10 Nebraska (8-1) at Iowa State (6-3) | 11/8, 12:30 PM
#21 Wisconsin (6-3) at #3 Iowa (8-0) | 11/8, 12:30 PM
#6 Oklahoma (8-0) at #13 Texas A&M (7-1) | 11/8, 3:30 PM (Game of the Week)
#11 Florida (8-0) at #19 Georgia (7-2) | 11/8, 6:00 PM
#1 USC (7-0) at Oregon State (3-4) | 11/8, 6:00 PM
#25 Oklahoma State (5-3) at #8 Texas (8-1) | 11/8, 6:00 PM
#5 Penn State (6-1) at Indiana (5-2) | 11/8, 6:00 PM
Virginia Tech (5-4) at #15 Miami (Fla.) (7-2) | 11/8, 8:00 PM

[Careless Whisper]

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

by Joe Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Crenshaw, McMillan remove CMU from consideration

Carnegie Mellon lost two of its in-season recruiting targets over the bye week as three-star prospects Malcom Crenshaw (Rolla, Mo.) and Tyrone McMillan (West New York, N.J.) have announced top threes without the Tartans in them.

Crenshaw, a six-foot-five, 255-pound defensive end from Rolla High School, has Texas A&M, Arkansas, and LSU as his final three schools. He was the top defensive end on CMU’s board and ranked second among all defensive prospects, behind the committed Matt Burnsides (Hyattsville, Md.).

McMillan, a six-foot-four, 185-pound quarterback from Memorial High School, is deciding between Penn State, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia. He was one of two quarterbacks remaining on CMU’s board with Bryan Williams (Charlottesville, Va.), as the team looks to sign a pair of signal-callers next February.

Tartans sit tied for fifth in MAC East

In its inaugural NCAA Division I FBS season, Carnegie Mellon enters its bye week sitting in a tie for fifth in the MAC East division with a 1-4 mark. The Tartans are tied with Kent State (3-5, 1-4) and are ahead of Buffalo (2-6, 0-5), who are the lone team they have beaten this season – a 45-35 decision on Sept. 27.

Akron (6-3, 4-1) owns half-game leads on Bowling Green (6-3, 4-2) and Miami (Ohio) (5-3, 3-1) in the East Division, while Ball State (7-1, 5-0) is the lone league unbeaten in the West Division. Eastern Michigan (5-4, 4-1) and Central Michigan (5-3, 3-1) both have one conference blemish to their names, and are followed by Western Michigan (3-5, 2-3), Toledo (5-4, 2-3), and Northern Illinois (2-6, 1-3) in the West standings.

CMU’s opponent this week, Ohio, is coming off a 42-13 win over the Bulls and owns a 1-3 record in the MAC and 3-5 overall.

Carnegie Mellon In-Season Recruiting Targets
Matt Burnsides, DT, *** (6’3”, 280 lbs.; Hyattsville, Md. / Northwestern) – Verbal Commit
Marcus Cooley, HB, *** (6’2”, 175 lbs.; Hanover Park, Ill. / Hanover Park) – Top 3, 11/15 Official Visit
Bryan Williams, QB, *** (6’4”, 210 lbs.; Charlottesville, Va. / Charlottesville) – Top 3, 11/15 Official Visit
Joey Muhammad, C, *** (6’0”, 290 lbs.; Winnipeg, Manitoba / Grant Park) – Top 3, 11/15 Official Visit