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

**philliesfan136** · 07-06-2020, 12:11 PM

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

Lot of Eagles in those top recruits 😎

DeSean to Dallas though 🤢 Talib was a nice fallback though I guess

**Careless Whisper** · 07-06-2020, 12:39 PM

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

by Jeff Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Carnegie Mellon adds two walk-ons

The Tartans have announced the addition of two walk-on players to their 2009 roster in WPIAL products Justin Williams (Brentwood, Pa.) and cornerback Frank Herron (Whitehall, Pa.).

Williams, a six-foot, 228-pound linebacker from Brentwood High School, had interest from a couple of NCAA Division II schools, including Slippery Rock and Gannon, but enrolled at Carnegie Mellon as a student this summer.

Herron, a six-foot-three, 197-pound cornerback from Bethel Park High School, was considering Duquesne and Division II East Stroudsburg before starting classes at CMU this summer.

Manning, Johnson named team captains

Junior runningback Jim Manning and third-year linebacker Matt Johnson have been named team captains for the upcoming season.

Manning, hailing from Reisterstown, Md., rushed for 1,396 yards and 10 touchdowns on 245 carries as a sophomore. He was selected to the Sports Network FCS All-America Freshman Team in 2007, and has totaled 2,687 yards and 21 touchdowns (1 kick return) on 448 carries over his two-year career.

Johnson, a product from Circleville, Ohio, finished his sophomore year with 70 tackles, five interceptions, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown. In two seasons, he has totaled 150 tackles, 10 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and the aforementioned score.

Six Tartans garner Preseason All-MAC honors

Carnegie Mellon placed six players on Preseason All-MAC teams, as announced by the conference in a press release this afternoon.

Junior guard Matt Fitch, sophomore middle linebacker Mark Toth, and third-year cornerback Calvin Burton were picked to the First Team, while junior runningback Jim Manning, third-year linebacker Matt Johnson, and junior cornerback Hayden Temple were selected to the Second Team.

Toth, an Associated Press All-America Freshman Team pick in 2008 and the MAC Freshman of the Year, had 50 tackles, three sacks, and six interceptions last season. Burton tied the NCAA single-game record with five interceptions in a 45-35 win over Buffalo on Sept. 27, and paced the Tartans with seven overall.

Elliott redshirts four freshmen

Head coach John Elliott has announced that the Tartans will be redshirting four freshmen in quarterback Bryan Williams, runningback Austin Jones, wide receiver Eddie Williams, and defensive tackle Travis Silva.

Bryan Williams (no relation to Eddie) is the biggest surprise from the group looking from the outside, but coaches said he has struggled to grasp Jules Nottingham’s new spread offense in fall camp. Eddie Williams will sit this season as well, as Elliott hopes to be able to slot the Altoona, Pa. product into Kevin Cousins’ role in 2010.

Jones and Silva were both projected to serve as depth pieces this season, and will retain their four years of eligibility by redshirting.

CMU focusing on skill position talent in in-season recruiting period

Carnegie Mellon has targeted 15 three-star prospects in the in-season recruiting period, with a focus on skill position players to help add to new offensive coordinator Jules Nottingham’s spread attack.

The Tartans have offered scholarships to quarterback John Hughes (Athens, Ohio), runningback Kaleb Harris (Cheviot, Ohio), wide receivers Patrick Weaver (Booneville, Miss.), Clay Blanco (Holbrook, Ariz.), and Jake McMillan (Seven Oaks, S.C.), tight ends Jon Rice (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and David Jones (Louisville, Mass.), offensive linemen Kevin Stanley (Washington, D.C.), Hunter Williams (Cumberland, Md.), Orlando Johnson (Landen, Ohio), and Jim Mikulec (Plum, Pa.), defensive linemen Steven Ellis (Shelby, Ohio) and Chris Shaw (Celina, Ohio), and defensive backs Richard Bracey (North Madison, Ohio) and Jabari London (South Laurel, Md.).

Head coach John Elliott says that Nottingham’s offense will demand more from the wide receiver corps, which is set to lose former Penn State transfer Kevin Cousins to graduation after the 2009 season.

Carnegie Mellon In-Season Recruiting Targets
Patrick Weaver, WR, *** (6’2”, 190 lbs.; Booneville, Miss. / Booneville)
Richard Bracey, CB, *** (5’11”, 175 lbs.; North Madison, Ohio / Madison)
Kevin Stanley, OT, *** (6’2”, 290 lbs.; Washington, D.C. / St. John’s)
Clay Blanco, WR, *** (6’4”, 190 lbs.; Holbrook, Ariz. / Holbrook)
Steven Ellis, DE, *** (6’6”, 225 lbs.; Shelby, Ohio / Shelby)
Jake McMillan, WR, *** (6’2”, 195 lbs.; Seven Oaks, S.C. / Irmo)
Jabari London, FS, *** (6’0”, 191 lbs.; South Laurel, Md. / Laurel)
Hunter Williams, G, *** (6’2”, 286 lbs.; Cumberland, Md. / Fort Hill)
Orlando Johnson, OT, *** (6’2”, 273 lbs.; Landen, Ohio / Landen)
John Hughes, QB, *** (6’4”, 232 lbs.; Athens, Ohio / Athens)
Chris Shaw, DT, *** (6’5”, 316 lbs.; Celina, Ohio / Celina)
Kaleb Harris, HB, *** (5’11”, 200 lbs.; Cheviot, Ohio / Colerain)
Jim Mikulec, OT, *** (6’2”, 290 lbs.; Plum, Pa. / Plum)
Jon Rice, TE, *** (6’4”, 231 lbs.; Santa Barbara, Calif. / Ventura)
David Jones, TE, *** (6’4”, 252 lbs.; Louisville, Miss. / Louisville)

**joshuahuskers** · 07-06-2020, 02:43 PM

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

Love the detailed off-season information you give out! Are you importing old recruiting classes? Kind of fun to see some old-school well known names wind up at different schools.

I like that you took two QBs in this class - hopefully one of them will take the program to the next level. Is it part of your recruiting restrictions to only sign a certain number, or did you just happen to only wind up with 14 guys?

**Careless Whisper** · 07-07-2020, 06:46 AM

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

Originally posted by joshuahuskers

Love the detailed off-season information you give out! Are you importing old recruiting classes? Kind of fun to see some old-school well known names wind up at different schools.

I like that you took two QBs in this class - hopefully one of them will take the program to the next level. Is it part of your recruiting restrictions to only sign a certain number, or did you just happen to only wind up with 14 guys?

Thanks man! I want to make sure I'm not leaving anything out, and give the reader the most expansive view of the "world" I'm creating beyond just the Carnegie Mellon scope.

As for the recruiting classes, I've made lists of 70 or so players who would enter college football in that particular season. From there, I'll tab 7-10 players who are surefire, can't miss guys and go out and actually create them with ratings between 84-91 so they won't bust. The remainder of my list is edited by looking through the final incoming freshmen ratings and matching up the best "real recruit" with their CPU-generated counterpart. This does remove some flexibility from the equation since I can't change those recruits' hometowns, leading someone like Eddie Lacy - previously named Derek Pearman - to go to Michigan because Pearman was from Detroit, Mich. and not Lacy's home state of Louisiana.

I only ended up with 14 guys, though I think I could only target 20 overall this time around since CMU caught a two-year scholarship reduction (25 to 20) during the year I simmed. I didn't bring it up in the storyline because I wasn't close to being sanctioned in NCAA 07. But in these older titles, I believe the team's prestige level plays a big factor in how many recruiting points you have to spend, and by combining that with my restrictions of only targeting players with A+/A/A- awareness ratings, that led to classes of 10, 16, and 14 to start this dynasty off.

**Careless Whisper** · 07-07-2020, 09:47 AM

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

Tartans Look for Consistency in Second FBS Season
Carnegie Mellon finished its first FBS campaign with a 3-9 overall record and 2-6 mark in MAC play

by Jayson Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- It’s the beginning of year four of the Carnegie Mellon to Division I experiment, and right now results would say incomplete.

The Tartans have gone 9-27 since making the transition, with more mistakes than moments to build upon. Inconsistency plagued the team last season, which saw it pick up three wins against Buffalo (45-35), Ohio (37-35), and Duke (41-37), but also saw head-scratching blowout defeats to Tulane (7-34), Bowling Green (21-49), Miami (Ohio) (3-27), and Western Michigan (10-42).

Despite a projection of sixth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division and 12th overall in the conference, however, fourth-year head coach John Elliott feels that the next step can be taken in 2009.

“I really think we can make a bowl this year,” said Elliott. “We knew and have said over and over again that this was going to be a long build, and that we weren’t going to be a winning program overnight. But I truly believe with this roster and the recruiting classes we’ve brought in, we could get to that six-win mark because we finally have – and I’m not discounting the efforts our holdovers and since graduated players have made in the transition – but we have a roster filled with Division I talent. And after our fall camp, I’m sure we’ll meet the goals we’ve set for this season.”

The biggest question leading into fall practices was which quarterback would pick up new offensive coordinator Jules Nottingham’s spread offense the quickest and win the starting job. In the end, the three-horse race was won by the veteran Justin Keyes, who will take the Tartans’ first snap for the third consecutive year on Sept. 5 at No. 25 Rutgers.

“Justin (Keyes) was the quickest to pick up the offense and he really is the best fit right now,” said Nottingham. “His ability to run the ball gives us different looks with read options and jet sweeps, and he’s taken a step forward throwing the ball in camp. There is more velocity there compared to the spring and his connection with the receivers, particularly Kevin Cousins, will make it so opponents can’t just key on our running game.”

Keyes will be backed up by true freshman Kevin Wilson, who also impressed the coaching staff during camp, with senior Alex Smith serving as the third quarterback. Three-star signal-caller Bryan Williams of Charlottesville, Va. will redshirt after struggling picking up Nottingham’s offense.

Of course, the offensive attack will predictably revolve around junior runningback Jim Manning. In two seasons, the Reisterstown, Md. native has rushed for 2,687 yards and 20 touchdowns on 448 carries. He was named to the Sports Network FCS All-America Freshman Team in 2007, then followed that up with 1,396 yards and 10 scores in his sophomore campaign. Spelling him will be sophomore Nate Satele, who impressed in a reserve role with 422 yards and three scores on 87 totes.

On the outside, redshirt senior Kevin Cousins accumulated 25 catches for 301 yards and a touchdown in an injury-shortened season, but has the talent to become one of the MAC’s top wide receivers. Opposite of him will be sophomore Stephen Carter, who finished second on the team in catches (28) last season, with senior Kurt Thompson and freshman Issac Schroeder occupying roles in the slot. Second-year David Young will return as the starting tight end after catching 16 passes for 295 yards and two scores in 2008.

Freshman center Joey Muhammad is the only new starter on the offensive line, which should be one of the team’s biggest strengths with sophomore tackles Anthony Tremblay and Jason Baker, and junior guards Matt Fitch and Eric Fraser bookending the Winnipeg product. On the other side of the line, however, there is a lot of youth, with three freshmen (Zac Hood, Matt Burnsides, P.J. Ryan) slated to start with sophomore defensive end David Brown.

Despite the uncertainties of the defensive line, that 11-man unit should be formidable thanks to its linebacker and defensive back groups. Junior captain Matt Johnson paced the Tartans in tackles (70) and sacks (5) last season, while sophomore Mark Toth was named MAC Freshman of the Year and Associated Press Freshman All-America following a 50-tackle, three-sack, six-interception rookie season. Third-year Aaron Crosby is a solid third piece of the linebacker puzzle, tallying 46 tackles and a pair of sacks last year, as well as a touchdown at #18 Wisconsin.

In the defensive backfield, junior cornerback Calvin Burton has made 11 interceptions in 24 games, returning three of them for touchdowns. Fellow third-year Hayden Temple picked off five passes in 2008, while sophomore duo Elvis Washington and Todd Andriano combined for 64 tackles and four interceptions in their freshman seasons.

“Our defense has the potential to be really good,” said Elliott. “Matt (Johnson) and Mark (Toth) are always around the ball and should keep most plays in front of them. And I really like our secondary, especially with Calvin (Burton) emerging as a shutdown guy on one side, and our young safeties (Todd Andriano, Elvis Washington) taking big strides through their freshman seasons.”

CMU opens up the 2009 slate at No. 25 Rutgers, followed by a home contest against fellow FBS newbie Yale. After the Steel City Showdown with Pitt, the Tartans get their two projected toughest MAC contests out of the way in a three-week span at Ball State on Sept. 26 and Toledo on Oct. 10, and finish the year with four of their last five at home.

2009 Schedule
(Home games in ALL CAPS; * denotes MAC contest)
09/05 | at #25 Rutgers (1:00 PM)
09/12 | YALE (12:30 PM)
09/19 | at Pittsburgh (3:30 PM) – Steel City Showdown
09/26 | at Ball State * (12:30 PM)
10/03 | BOWLING GREEN * (12:30 PM) – Homecoming
10/10 | at Toledo * (6:00 PM)
10/17 | at Western Michigan * (8:00 PM)
10/31 | EASTERN MICHIGAN * (12:30 PM)
11/07 | at Miami (Ohio) * (3:30 PM)
11/14 | MARYLAND (8:00 PM) – Alumni Night
11/21 | KENT STATE * (12:30 PM)
11/28 | BUFFALO * (12:30 PM) – Senior Day

Two-Deep Depth Chart
QB: #3 Justin Keyes (Jr.), #12 Kevin Wilson (Fr.)
HB: #27 Jim Manning (Jr.), #20 Nate Satele (So.)
FB: #47 Brandon Brewer (So.), #29 Korey Harper (R-Jr.)
WR: #8 Kevin Cousins (R-Sr.), #85 Issac Schroeder (Fr.)
WR: #81 Stephen Carter (So.), #89 Jeremy Miller (Sr.)
WR: #83 Kurt Thompson (Sr.), #48 David Young (So.)
TE: #48 David Young (So.), #80 Parker Jacobs (R-Sr.)
LT: #71 Anthony Tremblay (So.), #63 Cory Minor (R-Sr.)
LG: #75 Matt Fitch (Jr.), #74 Craig Clark (Fr.)
C: #65 Joey Muhammad (Fr.), #61 Jared Yates (R-Jr.)
RG: #78 Eric Fraser (Jr.), #70 Ricky Fields (Fr.)
RT: #72 Jason Baker (So.), #76 Phil Patrick (Jr.)
LE: #99 David Brown (So.), #95 Nathan Ford (So.)
RE: #98 Zac Hood (Fr.), #94 Andrew Miller (Jr.)
DT: #29 Matt Burnsides (Fr.), #67 Terrance Knox (R-Sr.)
DT: #97 P.J. Ryan (Fr.), #91 Walter Hunter (Sr.)
LOLB: #57 Aaron Crosby (Jr.), #55 Charlie Cohen (So.)
MLB: #46 Mark Toth (So.), #41 Chris Hill (So.)
ROLB: #31 Matt Johnson (Jr.), #24 Luke Harvey (R-Fr.)
CB: #4 Calvin Burton (Jr.), #2 Erik Sellers (So.)
CB: #1 Hayden Temple (Jr.), #32 Jon Crowell (R-Fr.)
FS: #16 Todd Adriano (So.), #23 Jason Ervin (Fr.)
SS: #28 Elvis Washington (So.), #9 Bobby Magnum (R-Fr.)
K: #38 Jon Foster (So.)
P: #49 Andy Fitzhugh (Fr.)
KR: #32 Jon Crowell (R-Fr.), #81 Stephen Carter (So.)
PR: #32 Jon Crowell (R-Fr.), #81 Stephen Carter (So.)

--------------------

Author's Note: After running through a couple of days of practice mode with the new team, I decided to run with Keyes again as the starting quarterback. He was easily the best fit for the spread offense with his ability to run the ball, and he gained some progression points in the offseason that made it easier to throw it with him. The freshmen also surprised me, because despite being a two-star, Kevin Wilson came in with the same overall rating as three-star Bryan Williams. I think Wilson can come in and be a good game manager this season should Keyes go down or need to be benched, whereas Williams was really disappointing and an easy candidate to be redshirted. Maybe he ticks up in progression after the redshirt year and challenges Wilson in the future, but it was a no-brainer on which freshman to put behind Keyes.

**joshuahuskers** · 07-07-2020, 10:31 AM

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

A bowl game certainly is a lofty goal for year four, but it sounds like the talent is really starting to come together. It does all start up front, and four returning starters on the offensive line will lead an offense that sounds like it'll be pretty formidable (at least for the MAC). Good luck this season!

**moose141** · 07-07-2020, 01:44 PM

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

Ben to the Bears????? What kind of nonsense world is this. I am putting this whole file under protest. Also, your boy from Whitehall should have gone to Baldwin, not Bethel Park! I say this as someone who went to Baldwin, haha.

Excited to see Keyes get another chance to helm the offense, I think this new scheme should hopefully really play up to his strengths! Bowl or bust this year, for sure.

**Careless Whisper** · 07-08-2020, 06:46 AM

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

Originally posted by joshuahuskers

A bowl game certainly is a lofty goal for year four, but it sounds like the talent is really starting to come together. It does all start up front, and four returning starters on the offensive line will lead an offense that sounds like it'll be pretty formidable (at least for the MAC). Good luck this season!

I'm somewhat confident in getting to a bowl this season because of the schedule. Non-conference is pretty stacked with Rutgers/Pitt/Maryland, but Yale shouldn't be a challenging game and I only get two MAC powers in Ball State and Toledo this year. I think I can eek out six wins with this slate, especially if I can get this new offense rolling in real games.

Originally posted by moose141

Ben to the Bears????? What kind of nonsense world is this. I am putting this whole file under protest. Also, your boy from Whitehall should have gone to Baldwin, not Bethel Park! I say this as someone who went to Baldwin, haha.

Excited to see Keyes get another chance to helm the offense, I think this new scheme should hopefully really play up to his strengths! Bowl or bust this year, for sure.

Haha I knew you wouldn't be a fan of that! Free agency has definitely gotten wild in my Madden save file. And I'll note the Baldwin affiliation next time I get a kid from Whitehall!

I'm excited for Keyes to run this spread attack too, I think I was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole when using the previous pro-style offense the last two seasons. It worked for Manning, of course, but it wasn't the best fit for the talent that I had around him.

Thanks for the comments! I've got the two PFF top rating posts coming now as well as the preseason Around the NCAA, then I'll have the preview for Rutgers up later this afternoon!

**Careless Whisper** · 07-08-2020, 06:48 AM

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

26 NFL Players Pick Up 99 Ratings from Pro Football Focus
The two-time Super Bowl champion San Diego Chargers lead the way with six 99-rated players

**Careless Whisper** · 07-08-2020, 06:50 AM

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

Embattled Texas Starter Receives 99 Rating by Pro Football Focus
Returning for his redshirt senior season in Austin, quarterback Colt McCoy is one of 15 players to receive a 99 grade

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. (AP) -- Colt McCoy has had an eventful collegiate career at Texas.

2005: Redshirted behind Vince Young, seeing him lead the Longhorns to a national championship. 2006: Finished third in the Heisman while guiding Texas to a Sugar Bowl win. 2007: Lost the starting job to Jevan Snead due to injuries, watching him carry the Longhorns to an undefeated regular season. 2008: Returned to the starting role and took Texas to another Rose Bowl.

Now, without Snead looking over his shoulder with his transfer to Colorado State, McCoy has been dubbed the nation’s top quarterback by Pro Football Focus as he received a 99 grade in the publication’s preseason rankings. The redshirt senior is one of two signal-callers – joined by Miami (Fla.) junior Cameron Newton – and 15 players overall who received a 99 rating.

Newton and UCLA redshirt junior kicker Kai Forbath are the only two non-seniors to gain a 99 grade.

A full breakdown of PFF’s top five overall and by position can be found below.

Overall
Stafon Johnson, Sr., HB, USC | 99
Martellus Bennett, Sr., TE, Texas A&M | 99
Colt McCoy, R-Sr., QB, Texas | 99
Damion Fletcher, Sr., HB, Southern Miss | 99
Jim Cordle, R-Sr., C, Ohio State | 99

Quarterbacks
Colt McCoy, R-Sr., Texas | 99
Cameron Newton, Jr., Miami (Fla.) | 99
Matt Grothe, R-Sr., South Florida | 97
Jarrett Brown, R-Sr., West Virginia | 96
Matthew Stafford, Sr., Georgia | 96

Runningbacks
Stafon Johnson, Sr., USC | 99
Damion Fletcher, Sr., Southern Miss | 99
C.J. Spiller, Sr., Clemson | 98
P.J. Hill, R-Sr., Wisconsin | 97
Kenny Lewis Jr., Sr., Virginia Tech | 97

Wide Receivers
Dominique Douglas, Sr., Iowa | 96
Julio Jones, So., Mississippi State | 95
Trindon Holliday, Sr., LSU | 95
Damian Williams, R-Jr., USC | 94
Michael Crabtree, R-Jr., Texas Tech | 94

Tight Ends
Martellus Bennett, Sr., Texas A&M | 99
Jermichael Finley, R-Sr., Texas | 98
Konrad Reuland, Sr., Notre Dame | 97
Nate Byham, Sr., Pittsburgh | 95
Andrew Quarless, Sr., Penn State | 95

Offensive Linemen
Jim Cordle, R-Sr., Ohio State | 99
Sam Young, Sr., Notre Dame | 99
Andrew Gonnella, R-Sr., Maryland | 99
Andre Smith, Sr., Alabama | 99
Dallas Reynolds, R-Sr., BYU | 99

Defensive Linemen
Ricky Sapp, Sr., Clemson | 99
DeMarcus Granger, R-Sr., Oklahoma | 98
Garrett Brown, R-Sr., Minnesota | 98
Gerald McCoy, R-Jr., Oklahoma | 97
Everson Griffen, Jr., Texas | 96

Linebackers
Tray Blackmon, R-Sr., Auburn | 99
Derrick Odom, Sr., LSU | 97
Jeremiha Hunter, R-Jr., Iowa | 97
Freddie Fairchild, R-Sr., Arkansas | 97
Brandon Graham, Sr., Michigan | 96

Defensive Backs
Myron Rolle, Sr., Florida State | 99
Donald Washington, R-Sr., Ohio State | 98
Braxton Amy, R-Sr., UTEP | 98
Reshad Jones, R-Jr., Georgia | 97
A.J. Wallace, Sr., Penn State | 97

Specialists
Kai Forbath, R-Jr., UCLA | 99
Matt Szymanski, Sr., Texas A&M | 99
Brett Swenson, Sr., Michigan State | 97
Matt Dilallo, R-Sr., Colorado | 92
Hunter Lawrence, Sr., Texas | 90

**Careless Whisper** · 07-08-2020, 06:54 AM

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

Around the NCAA – Preseason Edition
Ohio State is this year's national championship favorite after going 11-2 and finishing #5 in 2008

USA Today Preseason Top 25 Coaches’ Poll
1 | Ohio State [54 first-place votes]
2 | Texas
3 | Miami (Fla.)
4 | USC [6]
5 | Penn State [1]
6 | Oklahoma
7 | Georgia
8 | West Virginia
9 | Florida
10 | LSU
11 | Iowa
12 | Michigan
13 | Wisconsin
14 | Nebraska
15 | Clemson
16 | Texas Tech
17 | UCLA
18 | Missouri
19 | Texas A&M
20 | Tennessee
21 | Florida State
22 | Arkansas
23 | California
24 | Virginia
25 | Rutgers

Heisman Watch
Ryan Mallett, R-So., QB, Michigan | 166.6 QB rtg., 263-406, 3,736 yards, 39 TD (1 rush), 13 INT in 2008
Daryll Clark, R-Sr., QB, Penn State | 162.7 QB rtg., 216-339, 2,827 yards, 39 TD (2 rush), 12 INT in 2008
Colt McCoy, R-Sr., QB, Texas | 164.1 QB rtg., 215-340, 3,167 yards, 34 TD (1 rush), 16 INT in 2008
Trindon Holliday, Sr., WR, LSU | 79 catches, 1,162 yards, 12 TD (1 rush) in 2008
Michael Smith, R-Sr., HB, Arkansas | 247 carries, 1,535 yards, 16 TD; 18 catches, 306 yards, 3 TD in 2008

Conference Favorites
ACC: Miami (Fla.)
Big Ten: Ohio State
Big 12: Texas
Big East: West Virginia
C-USA: Southern Miss
Ivy League: Brown
MAC: Ball State
Mountain West: TCU
Pac-10: USC
SEC: Georgia
WAC: Boise State

Week 1 National Broadcasts
Boise State (0-0) at Oregon (0-0) | 9/5, 12:30 PM
Fresno State (0-0) at #1 Ohio State (0-0) | 9/5, 12:30 PM
Hawaii (0-0) at #11 Iowa (0-0) | 9/5, 3:30 PM
#5 Penn State (0-0) at Pittsburgh (0-0) | 9/5, 3:30 PM (Game of the Week)
South Florida (0-0) at Notre Dame (0-0) | 9/5, 3:30 PM
Akron (0-0) at #13 Wisconsin (0-0) | 9/5, 3:30 PM
Bowling Green (0-0) at Virginia Tech (0-0) | 9/5, 6:00 PM
Ball State (0-0) at #9 Florida (0-0) | 9/5, 8:00 PM

**Careless Whisper** · 07-08-2020, 12:03 PM

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

at

Carnegie Mellon Tartans (0-0) at #25 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-0)
Saturday, September 5, 2009 | 1:00 PM (ET)
Piscataway, N.J. – Rutgers Stadium | ESPNU

Team Overview (B+ overall, B+ offense, B- defense)
After years of being a national doormat, Rutgers had a breakthrough 2008 season, finishing 10-3 overall and No. 24 in the final USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Despite losing key pieces such as runningback Ray Rice and quarterback Mike Teel to graduation, the Scarlet Knights have high hopes entering 2009 as they were picked to finish second in the Big East and come in at No. 25 in the USA Today Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

The new starting quarterback is redshirt senior Jabu Lovelace, who compiled 602 yards, five touchdowns, and five interceptions on 44-of-72 passing as a reserve. He’s a talented dual-threat that has one of the nation’s most talented receivers to throw to in senior Kenny Britt, a large target that has tallied 111 catches, 1,350 yards, and 17 touchdowns over the last two seasons. The receiving corps also features senior Tim Brown (7 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD in injury-riddled 2008), redshirt junior Shamar Graves (44 catches, 672 yards, 5 TD in 2008), and redshirt senior Dennis Campbell (18 catches, 207 yards, 1 TD in 2008), and Tennessee transfer Jeff Cottam eligible this year at tight end. Fourth-year runningback Kordell Young (100 carries, 608 yards, 8 TD; 29 catches, 435 yards, 5 TD in 2008) will look to replace Rice after impressing in reserve duty last season.

Defensively, five starters return in senior linebacker Ryan D’Imperio (51 tackles, 4 sacks in 2008), junior linebacker Jamiel Farrington (56 tackles, 5 sacks in 2008), junior cornerback Richard McCann (31 tackles in 2008), redshirt senior cornerback Devin McCourty (26 tackles, 2 INT, 1 FR, 1 TD in 2008), and redshirt senior safety Al-Ghaffaar Lane (23 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT in 2008). The entire starting defensive line is new in fifth-year senior Pete Tverdov and third-year sophomore Sorie Bayoh at defensive end, and juniors Justin Francis and Matthew Hardison inside. Fourth-year linebacker Alan Ajamian (17 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 INT, 1 TD in 2008) starts alongside D’Imperio and Farrington after being highly productive as a backup.

Redshirt sophomore kicker San San Te (9-12 FG, 46 long, 68-68 XP in 2008) made the All-Big East Second Team last year, and redshirt senior Kyle Cinzio (44 punts, 1,845 yards, 32.8 avg., 13 inside 20) returns to assume punting duties. Britt and Brown will return kicks and punts for the Scarlet Knights after Rice did so in 2008.

PFF Top Five
Ryan D’Imperio, Sr., OLB (95)
Kenny Britt, Sr., WR (92)
Jamiel Farrington, Jr., OLB (92)
Kevin Haslam, R-Sr., OT (89)
Jabu Lovelace, R-Sr., QB (88)

Injury Report
Carnegie Mellon: None
Rutgers: None

Suspensions
Carnegie Mellon: None
Rutgers: None

**young22** · 07-08-2020, 01:41 PM

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

I keep saying it, but man it's so cool to see all these old names.

Tartans-wise, this should be a solid year. Team is progressing year to year, I'm looking forward to seeing the Rutgers game.

**Careless Whisper** · 07-08-2020, 04:51 PM

Season 4, Game 1: Carnegie Mellon at #25 Rutgers

Tartans Torched in Second Half at #25 Rutgers
Carnegie Mellon allowed 34 unanswered points after taking a 7-0 lead with 8:26 remaining in the first half

Tartans quarterback Justin Keyes had one of the best passing days of his career despite an early back injury. (Kevin Ryan / Getty Images)

by Jayson Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Looking to make a statement in a rare appearance on the ESPN family of networks, Carnegie Mellon couldn’t quite find its second gear and allowed a vulnerable Rutgers side to pull away, as the No. 25-ranked Scarlet Knights topped the Tartans, 34-7, this afternoon at Rutgers Stadium.

The new-look Carnegie Mellon (0-1) offense struggled on the ground, but produced 266 passing yards despite starting quarterback Justin Keyes dealing with back spasms throughout the contest. The Tartans defense kept the Rutgers (1-0) rushing attack at bay, but didn’t have an answer for Jabu Lovelace throwing the ball, and allowed a pair of punt-return touchdowns to Kenny Britt that made the scoreline look worse.

“We couldn’t quite reach that next level that we needed to hit to beat a team of this caliber,” said fourth-year head coach John Elliott. “I don’t think the 34-7 line explains how the game went at all. We weren’t perfect by any stretch, but our guys were much more competitive today than they’ve been before against bigger teams and that’s the progress I like to see. Of course, we rather have the actual win than a moral victory of any kind, but I definitely saw a turning point here.”

Both defenses were up to the task early, with sophomore Elvis Washington picking off a Lovelace pass on the Scarlet Knights’ opening drive. Near the end of the first quarter, it was Alan Ajamian who’d get the best of Keyes, snagging a misfire over the middle to put the ball back in Rutgers’ hands.

Defense continued to tell the story early in the second quarter, as Pete Tverdov brought Keyes down for the first of three sacks and the junior signal-caller was pulled from the game favoring his back. After Kevin Wilson’s first collegiate pass fell incomplete and then he collected six yards on a scramble, CMU was forced to punt. A hobbled Keyes returned after a Tartans defensive stop, and he led a drive that ended in a Jim Manning four-yard plunge to put the visitors in front, 7-0.

The touchdown seemed to wake up the Scarlet Knights, as the hosts churned out a long 11-play drive that ended in a Lovelace one-yard toss to Jeff Cottam. The score stayed at 7-6 after Matt Johnson forced an impromptu failed two-point conversion attempt on the extra point, but Rutgers got the ball back following a long Tartans drive that ended in a Nate Satele fumble. The ensuing play, Lovelace connected with Tim Brown on a deep post, and the senior raced 85 yards to give the Scarlet Knights a 13-7 halftime advantage.

Britt scored his first of two punt-return touchdowns midway through the third quarter, pushing Rutgers’ lead to 20-7. Another extended CMU march ended without any points as Jon Foster missed a 36-yard field goal, and the hosts answered with another Lovelace-to-Brown hookup – this one of a modest 18 yards – that ultimately sealed the win.

Keyes completed 21-of-30 passes, connecting with Kevin Cousins eight times, Manning and Stephen Carter five times each, and freshman Issac Schroeder three times. Cousins accumulated 115 yards receiving, while Carter and Manning added 72 and 68, respectively. The junior runningback only gained 68 yards rushing on 21 carries.

Jon Crowell also grabbed an interception off of Lovelace, and freshman defensive tackle Matt Burnsides collected a sack in his debut.

Carnegie Mellon heads home to host Yale next Saturday, Sept. 12.

Carnegie Mellon Tartans at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Sep 5, 2009	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (0-1)	0	7	0	0	7
#25 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-0)	0	13	14	7	34

Scoring Summary
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CMU	RUTG
8:26	(CMU) Jim Manning 4-yard run (Jon Foster kick)	7	0
3:41	(RUTG) Jabu Lovelace 1-yard pass to Jeff Cottam (run failed)	7	6
0:49	(RUTG) Jabu Lovelace 85-yard pass to Tim Brown (San San Te kick)	7	13
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CMU	RUTG
7:15	(RUTG) Kenny Britt 50-yard punt return (San San Te kick)	7	20
1:42	(RUTG) Jabu Lovelace 18-yard pass to Tim Brown (San San Te kick)	7	27
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CMU	RUTG
1:51	(RUTG) Kenny Britt 57-yard punt return (San San Te kick)	7	34

Carnegie Mellon Tartans
PASSING	C/A	YDS	TD	INT
Justin Keyes	21/30	266	0	1
Kevin Wilson	0/1	0	0	0
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
Jim Manning	21	68	3.2	1
Kevin Wilson	1	6	6.0	0
Nate Satele	3	-3	-1.0	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
Kevin Cousins	8	115	14.3	0
Stephen Carter	5	72	14.3	0
Jim Manning	5	68	13.6	0
Issac Schroeder	3	11	3.6	0
DEFENSE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
Mark Toth	7	0	0	0
Aaron Crosby	5	0	0	0
Todd Andriano	5	0	0	0
Matt Johnson	4	0	0	0
Calvin Burton	4	0	0	0
Elvis Washington	3	0	1	0
Jon Crowell	2	0	1	0
Matt Burnsides	2	1	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LONG
Jon Foster	0/1	1/1	1	--
PUNTING	NO	YDS	AVG	IN20
Andy Fitzhugh	6	205	34.2	0
KICK RETURN	RET	YDS	AVG	TD
Jon Crowell	3	59	19.6	0
Stephen Carter	2	44	22.0	0
Calvin Burton	1	20	20.0	0
PUNT RETURN	RET	YDS	AVG	TD
Jon Crowell	2	3	1.5	0

Rutgers Scarlet Knights
PASSING	C/A	YDS	TD	INT
Jabu Lovelace	20/32	266	3	2
RUSHING	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
Jabu Lovelace	5	37	7.4	0
Kordell Young	9	34	3.7	0
Jack Corcoran	5	16	3.2	0
RECEIVING	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
Tim Brown	6	168	28.0	2
Jack Corcoran	4	6	1.5	0
Shamar Graves	3	27	9.0	0
Kenny Britt	2	46	23.0	0
Jeff Cottam	2	14	7.0	1
Dennis Campbell	1	10	10.0	0
DEFENSE	TACK	SACK	INT	TD
Pete Tverdov	9	3	0	0
Sorie Bayoh	6	0	0	0
Alan Ajamian	5	0	1	0
Richard McCann	5	0	0	0
Jamiel Farrington	5	0	0	0
Matthew Hardison	2	1	0	0
KICKING	FG	XP	PTS	LONG
San San Te	0/0	4/4	4	--
PUNTING	NO	YDS	AVG	IN20
Kyle Cinzio	4	167	41.8	1
KICK RETURN	RET	YDS	AVG	TD
Kenny Britt	2	30	15.0	0
PUNT RETURN	RET	YDS	AVG	TD
Kenny Britt	6	120	20.0	2

**young22** · 07-08-2020, 06:16 PM

Re: The Rise of the Carnegie Mellon Tartans (NCAA Football 08)

Yikes. I know those games where you're the underdog, you take the lead and then the CPU wakes up. Good showing through the air though, definitely a big positive.

Sent from my SM-A102W using Operation Sports mobile app

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

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