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

[young22]

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

Hope Manning gets to 2000 yards, would be great to see. Nice pickup with London in recruiting, and I have to echo the others on the promises making recruiting feel more lifelike. Was never a fan of the phone call system, thought it was tedious, but the promises were a nice wrinkle.

[moose141]

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

I love that he's wearing #29, but it helps that he's a stud too. I'm all for the odd numbers - I think Marvin Austin of North Carolina back in the day wore #9 as a DT, and Louis Nix wore #1.

Totally agree with you there, I love college not having a forced number scheme and players wearing all sorts of numbers no matter the position! Just for the comedy, take a look at Tyrique Jarrett for Pitt, as a 340 pound DT wearing a single digit number, haha, from 2016. Such an incredible picture.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Hope Manning gets to 2000 yards, would be great to see. Nice pickup with London in recruiting, and I have to echo the others on the promises making recruiting feel more lifelike. Was never a fan of the phone call system, thought it was tedious, but the promises were a nice wrinkle.

I love the promise system because it adds stakes to recruiting, especially if you guarantee a guy that he'll be a Freshman All-American from the get-go. The phone call system was a definite downgrade from the PS2/Xbox version of recruiting, although I wish there were the extra elements to pitch in this game such as Championship Contender, Facilities, etc.

As for Manning hitting 2K, it's a realistic possibility! Toledo had his number last time around but he's on a hot streak, which hopefully will carry into whoever we face in a bowl game!

Totally agree with you there, I love college not having a forced number scheme and players wearing all sorts of numbers no matter the position! Just for the comedy, take a look at Tyrique Jarrett for Pitt, as a 340 pound DT wearing a single digit number, haha, from 2016. Such an incredible picture.

I think you meant to say such a nice picture.

But I agree completely, I love that the players can wear whatever they want. Seeing single-digits for runningbacks, receivers, cornerbacks just looks better, and when they're on defensive linemen, it's amusing. I also like the rarity of a quarterback wearing something in the 20s, like Jared Lorenzen at Kentucky or this thread's very own Alex Smith.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Young Tartans Ahead of Schedule
Carnegie Mellon is set to play in the MAC Championship Game in just its second FBS season

by Bryan Smith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist

PITTSBURGH -- I’ll start this column with some a quick trivia question – try not to cheat. Among all the Pittsburgh-area collegiate football programs, which is the only one that has a chance to win a conference championship in 2009?

If you guessed Pitt, Duquesne, or Robert Morris, you’d be incorrect. The Panthers have struggled as they fall further away from their 2006 Big East title and Orange Bowl bid, and both the Dukes and Colonials finished in the middle of the pack of the Northeast Conference (NEC).

Anyone in Division II? Negative. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Division is usually run by California, Indiana, or Slippery Rock, but Mercyhurst emerged as its champion with a 10-1 record.

How about Division III? Thomas More out of Kentucky ruled the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) with a 10-1 mark, and Bethany out of West Virginia finished second ahead of schools such as Washington & Jefferson, Saint Vincent, and Waynesburg.

The only Steel City school to have an opportunity to bring home a conference championship is also the most unlikely: Carnegie Mellon, in just its fourth season of Division I competition and second at the FBS level.

After totaling just nine wins in a three-year span since making the ambitious two-division leap to Division I competition, the Tartans have exploded for seven wins and a Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division crown in 2009. CMU has leaned on its inaugural three recruiting classes to build a winner, something that fourth-year head coach John Elliott should get major credit for, considering the program’s rigorous academic standards and newness as a Division I program.

Elliott built the team, but it may be first-year offensive coordinator Jules Nottingham who put the wheels in motion. A switch to the spread offense is exactly what the doctor – and there are plenty of them on this roster – ordered, with the rushing attack being the headlining attraction. Nottingham inherited a dynamic junior tailback that had shown flashes of greatness in his first two seasons, an ever-improving offensive line that filled its biggest hole in the most recent recruiting class, a wide receiver corps with a potential go-to target but lacking in overall explosiveness, and a quarterback carousel that saw its incumbent starter fight like hell to keep his job.

It's easy to suggest that Jim Manning has been both the biggest beneficiary and the driving force behind the team’s success in 2009. The city of Pittsburgh has a pair of stud tailbacks in him and Panthers junior LeSean McCoy, but Manning’s output dwarfs his neighboring rival. The Reisterstown, Md. native leads the nation with 1,802 rushing yards, ranks second in carries (289) and rushing touchdowns (22), and has emerged as the second option in the passing game (32 catches, 384 yards, 4 TD). Although projections list him as a mid-to-late round selection in the NFL Draft, I have no doubt that Manning should make that jump after the season – even though he’s not playing BCS competition weekly, he’s more than ready.

Of course, his success isn’t just his or Nottingham’s doing – the offensive line has done an excellent job at paving holes for number 27. The third-year duo of Matt Fitch and Eric Fraser at guard has flourished, with Fraser netting some all-conference buzz and Fitch highly rated by Pro Football Focus’ draft personnel. The sophomore pair of Anthony Tremblay and Jason Baker at the tackles have allowed a combined five sacks, and true freshman Joey Muhammad has been rock solid in the middle.

The biggest leap, however, has been made by junior signal-caller Justin Keyes, who struggled mightily more often than not over his first two seasons. While his interception number is still way too high, Keyes has been much more consistent (130.1 QB rtg., 152-245, 1,903 yards, 13 TD, 18 INT; 113 carries, 455 yards, 7 TD) in year three and put together some really promising performances. Some of his ascent can be attributed to a now healthy Kevin Cousins (63 catches, 970 yards, 6 TD), who has been a true number one target in his redshirt senior season, but also the change in offensive philosophy, which allows Keyes to take advantage of his athleticism rather than gearing his skillset to a more pro-style attack.

On the other side of the ball, the defense has been a big play magnet in both making them itself while also giving them up. It’s a much-improved unit however, with a solid mixture of upper and underclassmen doing their part.

The biggest star on defense is junior cornerback Calvin ‘Big Play’ Burton (42 tackles, 1 sack, 6 INT, 1 FF, 2 FR, 2 TD), who has emerged as one of the nation’s best mid-major defensive backs. Burton has taken a more active role at shadowing the opponent’s top receiver this season, and has been trusted more to get his hands dirty in the backfield on blitzes. And with two touchdowns this year and five for his career, he’s a threat to run back an interception to paydirt every time.

In the same class is outside linebacker Matt Johnson (66 tackles, 1 sack, 6 INT, 4 FF), who should be playing on Sundays in a couple of years. Johnson is a turnover machine, using his athleticism to disrupt the passing game and snag errant passes over the middle, while also packing a punch with his tackles. Beside him in the linebacker corps is sophomore Mark Toth (61 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 INT, 5 FF, 1 FR), who was an Associated Press Freshman All-American and MAC Freshman of the Year last season, and is tied for the national lead in forced fumbles.

The Tartans could repeat top rookie honors within the conference with the debut of first-year defensive tackle Matt Burnsides. Signed as their top recruit in February, Burnsides (47 tackles, 8 sacks, 2 FF) has more than made up the production lost with the graduation of three-year starter Devon Elliott, sharing the conference lead in sacks while ranking third on the team in tackles.

Also emerging as a potential star this season is sophomore free safety Todd Andriano (40 tackles, 7 INT, 1 FF), who has been a ballhawk in centerfield for CMU. Andriano is another player that Pro Football Focus likes a lot, and is graded as a mid-round selection in the too-early 2011 NFL Draft projections.

While all of this – plus the newfound consistency from sophomore kicker Jon Foster (10-15 FG, 46-46 XP) – is promising and gives the program a solid base to continue its climb for the next couple seasons, there’s a reason why the Tartans are 19.5-point underdogs on Saturday.

Standing in front of them and a chance to make history is No. 16 Toledo and its perfect 12-0 record. The Rockets thrashed CMU earlier in the year at home, 52-34, and won seven of their eight MAC contests by double-digits. And behind senior quarterback and Heisman candidate Aaron Opelt (165.4 QB rtg., 264-409, 3,632 yards, 44 TD (3 rush), 14 INT), Toledo ranks second nationally in offensive yards per game (478.1), fourth in points per game (43.5) and red zone touchdowns (44), fifth in passing yards per game (314.0), and sixth in passing touchdowns (42).

Sounds like a daunting task, right? Well I didn’t even mention their defense, which is fourth nationally in interceptions (29), sixth in rushing yards per game (87.6) and takeaways (36), and seventh in turnover difference (+14). The Rockets held Manning to 59 yards on 22 carries in their earlier meeting and picked Keyes off five times, running one back for a touchdown.

Regardless of Saturday’s result, Carnegie Mellon has nothing to be ashamed of and has made believers out of its biggest skeptics – me included.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Around the NCAA – Championship Game Weekend Edition
With the BCS Championship Game set already, championship game weekend will merely decide bowl positioning

ACC: #14 Clemson (10-2, 6-2) vs. #3 Miami (Fla.) (11-1, 7-1) | 12/12, 1:00 PM
Big 12: Missouri (9-3, 6-2) vs. #5 Oklahoma (10-2, 7-1) | 12/12, 8:00 PM
C-USA: Houston (6-6, 5-3) at Southern Miss (8-4, 8-0) | 12/12, 5:00 PM
MAC: Carnegie Mellon (7-5, 6-2) vs. #16 Toledo (12-0, 8-0) | 12/12, 8:00 PM
SEC: #11 LSU (10-2, 6-2) vs. #6 Tennessee (11-1, 7-1) | 12/12, 8:00 PM

BCS Rankings
1 | Penn State (0.985, 12-0)
2 | West Virginia (0.920, 12-0)
3 | Miami (Fla.) (0.876, 11-1)
4 | Texas A&M (0.818, 11-1)
5 | Oklahoma (0.774, 10-2)
6 | Tennessee (0.761, 11-1)
7 | Florida (0.704, 10-2)
8 | Texas (0.697, 10-2)
9 | Texas Tech (0.645, 10-2)
10 | Notre Dame (0.590, 11-1)
11 | LSU (0.550, 10-2)
12 | Clemson (0.484, 10-2)
13 | Georgia (0.474, 10-2)
14 | Iowa (0.453, 9-3)
15 | UCLA (0.438, 10-2)

Heisman Watch
Jerrod Johnson, Sr., QB, Texas A&M | 190.3 QB rtg., 212-338, 3,567 yards, 49 TD, 15 INT; 101 carries, 580 yards, 8 TD
Andrew Luck, So., QB, Texas Tech | 172.4 QB rtg., 275-429, 3,990 yards, 54 TD (2 rush), 21 INT
Aaron Opelt, Sr., QB, Toledo | 165.4 QB rtg., 264-409, 3,632 yards, 44 TD (3 rush), 14 INT
Jarrett Brown, R-Sr., QB, West Virginia | 142.0 QB rtg., 119-209, 1,489 yards, 19 TD, 5 INT; 170 carries, 1,172 yards, 15 TD
Dominique Douglas, Sr., WR, Iowa | 85 catches, 1,245 yards, 14 TD

Week 14 Notable Scores
Navy 28, Army 11
#22 Wyoming 38, San Jose State 9
#19 California 45, Stanford 10
Arizona State 38, Arizona 28
#24 Louisville 55, Louisiana Tech 14
#21 Syracuse 59, UNLV 7
Oregon 45, Oregon State 17
Washington 45, Idaho 24
#13 UCLA 31, #17 USC 24

[Deuce2223]

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

I believe in miracles. If BSU can blow a lead to Oklahoma only to come back and force OT and win the game with the Statue of Liberty then I believe the Mellon's can pull off the upset win over the Rockets and the win the hearts kids across the nation dreaming some day they to can play college football.

[Careless Whisper]

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

I believe in miracles. If BSU can blow a lead to Oklahoma only to come back and force OT and win the game with the Statue of Liberty then I believe the Mellon's can pull off the upset win over the Rockets and the win the hearts kids across the nation dreaming some day they to can play college football.

I love it! I was already fired up to play this game tonight, but this put it over the top!

Preview coming here shortly, then I'll have the MAC Championship up tomorrow at some point!

[Careless Whisper]

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

vs.
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (7-5, 6-2 MAC) vs. #16 Toledo Rockets (12-0, 8-0 MAC)
Saturday, December 12, 2009 | 8:00 PM (ET)
2009 MAC Championship Game
Detroit, Mich. – Ford Field | ESPN2

Team Overview (B overall, B offense, B- defense)
While No. 16 Toledo’s non-conference slate will keep it out of a BCS bowl, the team is the clear class of the MAC and could easily complete a historic undefeated season. The Rockets’ average margin of victory is 24.0 points per game, thanks in part to the nation’s top mid-major offense and one of the MAC’s best defenses. However, if Toledo was ever vulnerable this season, it would be this Saturday as it suffered some key injuries in the regular-season finale at Bowling Green.

One of those injuries is the loss of redshirt senior wide receiver Stephen Williams (70 catches, 945 yards, 8 TD), who broke his wrist against the Falcons. Williams torched the Tartans earlier this year with two receiving touchdowns and a punt return score, so his absence is a big loss for the Rockets. Luckily for senior quarterback and Heisman finalist Aaron Opelt (165.4 QB rtg., 264-409, 3,632 yards, 44 TD [3 rush], 14 INT), the cupboard is still loaded with fifth-year seniors Trumaine Smith (72 catches, 791 yards, 12 TD) and John Allen (65 catches, 1,274 yards, 12 TD) to throw to, and redshirt senior runningback DaJuane Collins (204 carries, 1,336 yards, 16 TD; 20 catches, 295 yards, 5 TD) to hand it off to. Allen in particular has been a matchup nightmare at tight end and is a finalist for the John Mackey Award.

The defense also lost a pair of big pieces two weeks ago in redshirt seniors Archie Donald (56 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT), who suffered an abdominal strain, and Chris Faison (28 tackles, 2 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR), who tore his groin. Little-used Marcus Brooks (15 tackles) slides into Donald’s place, putting more pressure on linebackers Derrick Summers (54 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 INT, 1 FF, 2 TD), Josh Pitts (58 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF, 2 FR), and Beau Brudzinski (44 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 INT, 2 TD) to pick up the slack in the 3-4 look. Fifth-year senior Lester Richmond (19 tackles, 1 FF) will start in place of Faison, opposite of one the nation’s best mid-major free safety Barry Church (23 tackles, 1 sack, 6 INT, 2 FR). Between the aforementioned Summers and Brudzinski, as well as redshirt junior defensive end Skylaar Constant (39 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR, 1 TD) and senior cornerback Joe Shuler (38 tackles, 3 INT, 1 TD), Toledo has returned six turnovers for touchdowns this season.

Senior kicker Alex Steigerwald (11-15 FG, 64-65 XP) has been very reliable this season, while junior punter Cedric Hunt (26 punts, 1,116 yards, 42.9 avg., 8 inside 20) hasn’t gotten much work with the offense’s success. With the loss of Williams (31 kick returns, 705 yards; 35 punt returns, 322 yards, 1 TD), the returning duties will fall on the duo of Collins (8 kick returns, 197 yards; 5 punt returns, 32 yards) and Shuler (1 kick return, 22 yards).

Season Results
09/05 | at Idaho | W, 38-31
09/12 | FRESNO STATE | W, 55-21
09/19 | COLUMBIA | W, 35-28
09/26 | WESTERN MICHIGAN * | W, 46-21
10/03 | DELAWARE | W, 63-13
10/10 | CARNEGIE MELLON * | W, 54-32
10/17 | at Ball State * | W, 26-23
10/24 | BUFFALO * | W, 37-6
10/31 | at Central Michigan * | W, 59-29
11/06 | at Ohio * | W, 27-10
11/21 | NORTHERN ILLINOIS * | W, 49-14
11/24 | at Bowling Green * | W, 34-7

PFF Top Five
Aaron Opelt, Sr., QB (91)
John Allen, R-Sr., TE (90)
DaJuane Collins, R-Sr., HB (90)
Barry Church, Sr., FS (89)
Maurice Hill, Sr., DT (87)

Injury Report
Carnegie Mellon: Jon Crowell, R-Fr., CB (torn shoulder muscle – 4 weeks)
Toledo: Archie Donald, R-Sr., OLB (abdominal strain – 2 weeks); Chris Faison, R-Sr., SS (torn groin – 3 weeks); Stephen Williams, R-Sr., WR (broken wrist – 7 weeks)

Suspensions
Carnegie Mellon: Brandon Brewer, So., FB (academics – season)
Toledo: None

[moose141]

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

Spectacular write up once again, man. Loved the insights into all of the contributors that have really made this team tick throughout the season, as well as the great little tidbits as well. The blurbs about all of the local schools at the various levels of the NCAA pyramid, as well as the 'doctors' pun were fantastic writing. While you may be going up against a team that has proven throughout the season that it is playing in an entirely different weight class, I think there is still the chance that you can score a knockout blow and pull the upset. Even if you aren't able to win outright, I think that I would certainly be taking CMU (or as Deuce affectionately refers to them as the 'Mellons', haha) to cover in this one.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Spectacular write up once again, man. Loved the insights into all of the contributors that have really made this team tick throughout the season, as well as the great little tidbits as well. The blurbs about all of the local schools at the various levels of the NCAA pyramid, as well as the 'doctors' pun were fantastic writing. While you may be going up against a team that has proven throughout the season that it is playing in an entirely different weight class, I think there is still the chance that you can score a knockout blow and pull the upset. Even if you aren't able to win outright, I think that I would certainly be taking CMU (or as Deuce affectionately refers to them as the 'Mellons', haha) to cover in this one.

Thanks man! It's easy to look at this year's run and think it's all Jim Manning's doing, but while he has deservingly gotten most of the attention, there have been plenty of contributors on both sides of the ball that have helped CMU reach the MAC title game. I definitely have some stuff working for me with Toledo's injuries, but it's still going to be a tough task... or at least it was a tough task. You'll find out the result here in a little bit!

[Careless Whisper]

Season 4, Game 13: Carnegie Mellon vs. #16 Toledo - MAC Championship Game

Snowball Effect: Title Slips Away from Tartans in Second Half
Carnegie Mellon was outscored 26-3 over the final 30 minutes after taking a 24-7 lead into the halftime break



CMU quarterback Justin Keyes hurdles a would-be Toledo tackler on this first-down scramble. (Anthony Henry / Getty Images)

by Jayson Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter

DETROIT, Mich. -- For 55 minutes, Carnegie Mellon had the college football world on notice.

Going against the Big 12 and SEC Championship Games, it was the Tartans who commanded the bulk of Saturday night’s attention, evidenced by Twitter’s top trending topics including “Carnegie Mellon”, “Tartans”, and “Justin Keyes”. And while the Mid-American Conference (MAC) title tilt didn’t quite have the same stakes as a normal David versus Goliath matchup, there was still something to be said about witnessing a Division III transplant on the cusp of pulling a program-changing upset against one of the nation’s four remaining undefeated teams.

The happy ending would see the author or director write that the plucky underdog hung on against its overpowered foe. But Saturday was no fairytale, and instead No. 16 Toledo completed a 17-point comeback with five minutes to go to defeat Carnegie Mellon, 33-27, winning its second MAC title in six seasons.

A spirited effort by Carnegie Mellon (7-6, 6-2 MAC) won the hearts of many, turning the neutral site of Ford Field into a Tartans home game for the entirety of the second half. CMU took control of the game by taking control of the clock, owning nearly 65 percent of the first half possession thanks to 17 first downs and 255 yards of total offense. But slowly the Toledo (13-0, 8-0 MAC) defense started to stiffen and the offense found its footing, swinging momentum in favor of the West Division champs to help keep its undefeated season alive.

“I can’t put into words how much this hurts and how much our guys are hurting in the locker room right now,” said CMU fourth-year head coach John Elliott. “I’m so proud of how hard they fought and how they left everything out on the field. We paid no attention to all the pregame hoopla (about Toledo’s undefeated season) and knew the only ones who believed we could win were us. And really, we were right there. That doesn’t mean (expletive) obviously, but we proved that we belong on this level and the future of Carnegie Mellon football is incredibly bright.”

After consecutive three-and-outs to start the game, CMU received a lifeline on its second drive after Kevin Cousins recovered a Nate Satele fumble on a first-down catch. Four more first downs followed, then Justin Keyes rewarded the redshirt senior with a 25-yard touchdown pass on the very edge of the end zone to put the East Division champs ahead, 7-0. The Rockets had a quick answer with a 58-yard touchdown burst from DaJuane Collins, but the Keyes responded with a pair of fourth-down conversions on a scramble and completion to Cousins to end the quarter.

Carrying that momentum into the next frame, Keyes put the Tartans back in front by finding Issac Schroeder between three defenders for a 15-yard score. Toledo seemed to have another response by driving down to the CMU 16-yard line, but Mark Toth crashed into the backfield untouched and forced a fumble from Collins, which was fallen on by Elvis Washington. That set up another extended drive ending in a Keyes one-yard sneak to make it 21-7, then Washington picked off an Aaron Opelt overthrow with 1:48 remaining in the half.

From there, the momentum pendulum swung mightily. Washington’s second turnover in as many drives didn’t end in points, but Andy Fitzhugh managed to pin the Rockets inside their own four-yard line to keep the pressure on. A three-and-out seemingly put it back in the Tartans hands, only for Stephen Carter to muff the punt. Toledo recovered on the opponent 16 with 59 seconds on the clock, but Aaron Crosby intercepted Opelt two plays later to end the scoring threat. Keyes answered the call again, navigating the offense to the Rockets’ 30-yard line with a pair of first-down passes before Jon Foster drilled a 48-yard field goal to set the halftime tally at 24-7.

Out of the locker room, Toledo found new life on the opening drive as it rode Collins down the field for a six-yard plunge to make it 24-14. Keyes kept his heroic performance going with multiple first-down completions and scrambles, but Carter dropped a sure first down pass on third and 11 and CMU settled for another field goal. That proved to be costly, as Opelt woke up from his slow start just three plays later and found Trumaine Smith behind Hayden Temple on a deep post for a 63-yard touchdown to trim the gap to 27-21.

After a three-and-out, the Tartans pushed the ball to the opposing 29 and set Foster up for his third field goal, only for the sophomore to push it wide left to keep it a six-point game. The Rockets then put together a 10-play drive that ultimately ended in a field goal with 11:14 to go, and got the ball right back after Carter fumbled away the ensuing kickoff. Riding that wave, Toledo rattled off another 10-play drive and cashed in with a Collins three-yard dive to take its first lead at 30-27. Matt Johnson kept the new deficit at three after blocking the extra point.

Keyes looked to right the ship and engineer a go-ahead drive, but Rockets head coach Tom Amstutz dialed up the perfect third-down blitz call, allowing Josh Pitts to rush into the backfield untouched and strip the CMU signal-caller on a sack. That seemed to be the game with Toledo recovering in the red zone, but Johnson brought down Opelt on third-and-goal to keep it at one-score difference at 33-27.

The Tartans had another shot at rewriting the game’s final chapter, and Keyes began the next drive on the right foot with a fourth-down conversion to Carter. Facing a second fourth down, the junior found Cousins for the 11th time on the evening, but he was marked inches short of the marker after review. CMU burned both of its remaining timeouts to get the ball back with 21 seconds left on its own 32-yard line, and started the drive with a Keyes-to-Cousins 21-yard hookup. However, Jim Manning – who was a non-factor again against the Rockets with 58 total yards (36 rushing, 22 receiving) on 26 touches (20 carries, 6 receptions) – was tackled in-bounds on the next play to force a quick spike, and Keyes’ Hail Mary attempt fell incomplete to end the game.

Keyes had his best game as a collegiate in the loss, easily outplaying his Heisman-finalist counterpart Opelt (17-32, 252 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT). After throwing five interceptions in the first meeting, the junior put up a zero in that column tonight and finished with 245 yards and two scores on 24-of-37 passing, while adding 101 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

Cousins also put together his best career performance, recording 137 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches.

For Toledo, Collins carried the nation’s top mid-major offense with 131 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. Smith tallied 119 yards and a score on five receptions as the Rockets played without the injured Stephen Williams.

Toledo will return to Detroit for bowl season, carrying its unbeaten 13-0 mark into the Motor City Bowl against Ivy League champion Princeton. Carnegie Mellon, now at 7-6, will find out its bowl destination in the upcoming week.

Carnegie Mellon Tartans at Toledo Rockets
Dec 12, 2009	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (7-6, 6-2 MAC)	7	17	3	0	27
#16 Toledo Rockets (13-0, 8-0 MAC)	7	0	14	12	33

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		CMU	TOL
6:12	(CMU) Justin Keyes 25-yard pass to Kevin Cousins (Jon Foster kick)	7	0
5:40	(TOL) DaJuane Collins 58-yard run (Alex Steigerwald kick)	7	7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CMU	TOL
14:42	(CMU) Justin Keyes 15-yard pass to Issac Schroeder (Jon Foster kick)	14	7
3:38	(CMU) Justin Keyes 1-yard run (Jon Foster kick)	21	7
0:00	(CMU) Jon Foster 48-yard field goal	24	7
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CMU	TOL
12:02	(TOL) DaJuane Collins 6-yard run (Alex Steigerwald kick)	24	14
4:12	(CMU) Jon Foster 40-yard field goal	27	14
3:45	(TOL) Aaron Opelt 63-yard pass to Trumaine Smith (Alex Steigerwald kick)	27	21
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CMU	TOL
11:14	(TOL) Alex Steigerwald 39-yard field goal	27	24
5:00	(TOL) DaJuane Collins 3-yard run (XP blocked)	27	30
2:46	(TOL) Alex Steigerwald 22-yard field goal	27	33

Carnegie Mellon Tartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Justin Keyes 24/37 245 2 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Justin Keyes 18 101 5.6 1 Jim Manning 20 36 1.6 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Kevin Cousins 12 137 11.4 1 Jim Manning 6 22 3.6 0 Stephen Carter 3 57 19.0 0 Issac Schroeder 1 15 15.0 1 Nate Satele 1 8 8.0 0 Kurt Thompson 1 6 6.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Mark Toth 12 1 0 0 Matt Johnson 9 1 0 0 Todd Andriano 8 0 0 0 Aaron Crosby 7 1 1 0 Elvis Washington 6 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Jon Foster 2/3 3/3 9 48 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Andy Fitzhugh 3 127 42.3 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Calvin Burton 4 56 14.0 0 Stephen Carter 3 52 17.3 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Stephen Carter 1 3 3.0 0

Toledo Rockets PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Aaron Opelt 17/32 252 1 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD DaJuane Collins 23 131 5.6 3 Brent McKinney 1 8 8.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Trumaine Smith 5 119 23.7 1 John Allen 4 48 12.0 0 David Ford 2 31 15.5 0 Carl Ford 2 27 13.5 0 DaJuane Collins 2 14 7.0 0 Brent McKinney 1 9 9.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Desmond Marrow 8 0 0 0 Josh Pitts 7 1 0 0 Barry Church 7 0 0 0 Lester Richmond 6 0 0 0 Derrick Summers 3 1 0 0 Marcus Brooks 2 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Alex Steigerwald 2/2 3/4 9 39 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Cedric Hunt 4 131 32.7 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD DaJuane Collins 4 100 25.0 0 Joe Shuler 1 23 23.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD DaJuane Collins 3 7 2.3 0

[moose141]

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

What an instant classic and a heartbreaker all wrapped up into one package. Justin Keyes was an absolute baller, guy put the team on his back and nearly carried them to the promised land, despite the one fumble he had an unbelievable game and was finally able to have the link up with Cousins that everyone expected when he came over from Penn State.

On a negative note, Stephen Carter may need to wear a bag over his head when he returns to campus after that performance. He had, what, two fumbles on returns (one punt and one kickoff) and then a crucial drop as well? Talk about nightmare fuel for the poor kid.

19 unanswered points to end things for Toledo is a killer, and that sequence where they finally beat you with the deep post route and you followed that up with the missed field goal had to be demoralizing. Have to say again, though, fantastic write up and game recap; even knowing how things would end up based on the headline, the article was fantastic in keeping the suspense up as to how the game would turn!

[Deuce2223]

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

Wow the Rockets really had Manning's #. Pretty tough to pull off the upset when you start runner can't even get 2 yds per carry.. Keyes gave it his all. I will say I was on the bandwagon for a year feeling like Keyes was going to be the downfall of the program but he has won me over. Hopefully you can find another QB and RB in this class to start grooming to take over.

Looking forward to the bowl game.

[Careless Whisper]

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

What an instant classic and a heartbreaker all wrapped up into one package. Justin Keyes was an absolute baller, guy put the team on his back and nearly carried them to the promised land, despite the one fumble he had an unbelievable game and was finally able to have the link up with Cousins that everyone expected when he came over from Penn State.

On a negative note, Stephen Carter may need to wear a bag over his head when he returns to campus after that performance. He had, what, two fumbles on returns (one punt and one kickoff) and then a crucial drop as well? Talk about nightmare fuel for the poor kid.

19 unanswered points to end things for Toledo is a killer, and that sequence where they finally beat you with the deep post route and you followed that up with the missed field goal had to be demoralizing. Have to say again, though, fantastic write up and game recap; even knowing how things would end up based on the headline, the article was fantastic in keeping the suspense up as to how the game would turn!

This was definitely the most exciting and best overall played game of the report so far, which makes the result even more heartbreaking. Really felt like Keyes was going to will us to win, he was superb in all facets against a really fast and athletic defense that bullied my offensive line all night. His mobility allowed me to keep a ton of plays alive, and his connection with Cousins was unstoppable. His touchdown passes (pictured below) were perfect passes too, as he fit them in spots where only his guys could get them.



Carter probably shouldn't show his face on campus when the virtual bus gets home, he was dreadful. He's been bad with drops all year, and very subpar in the return game (we're really missing Crowell, and I probably should have replaced Carter on that front already), and I really need to target wide receiver in recruiting to help with the graduation of Cousins. Eddie Williams, the freshman I redshirted, will definitely help me out on that front next year, but I'm kind of kicking myself for redshirting him because I thought Carter would step up and be a solid #2.

Appreciate the kudos on my writing, as always! That was a fun one to recap despite the result, and you're right with how demoralizing the sequence of Opelt's bomb and the missed field goal was. It seemed after Foster pushed the field goal that I was actually behind in the game, despite still having a six-point lead.

Wow the Rockets really had Manning's #. Pretty tough to pull off the upset when you start runner can't even get 2 yds per carry.. Keyes gave it his all. I will say I was on the bandwagon for a year feeling like Keyes was going to be the downfall of the program but he has won me over. Hopefully you can find another QB and RB in this class to start grooming to take over.

Looking forward to the bowl game.

They absolutely did, it was so frustrating how they manhandled my offensive line and never gave Manning anything to work with. Keyes' athleticism came in clutch because he bought himself more time again and again, and if I have a quarterback that is more of a statue back there, chances are I lose this by 20-plus. I know his performances in the past haven't had you on the bandwagon, but it's good to hear he's won you over now and I think while he's a little interception-happy still, the new offense really allows him to flourish and I'm excited for how good he could be next year. Definitely will want to bring in multiple QBs and RBs in this next class, since I'll only have Wilson behind Keyes and Satele has been really bad in his limited time this year.

[TrophyKing80]

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

Tough loss to Toledo, but I gotta give you props on the write-up's featured picture: that hurdle looks sick! Nicely-done, Careless.