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

[Careless Whisper]

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

Around the MAC – Week 7 Edition
Midway through its Mid-American Conference slate, Carnegie Mellon remains unbeaten at 4-0

MAC East Standings
Carnegie Mellon | 5-2, 4-0 MAC
Kent State | 4-2, 2-0 MAC
Akron | 4-3, 3-1 MAC
Ohio | 4-3, 2-1 MAC
Miami (Ohio) | 3-4, 2-1 MAC
Bowling Green | 2-5, 1-2 MAC
Buffalo | 1-6, 0-3 MAC

MAC West Standings
Toledo | 4-2, 2-1 MAC
Western Michigan | 2-5, 2-2 MAC
Eastern Michigan | 1-5, 1-1 MAC
Northern Illinois | 2-4, 1-2 MAC
Ball State | 4-3, 0-3 MAC
Central Michigan | 2-4, 0-3 MAC

MAC Players of the Week
Offensive: Travaris Cadet, R-Jr., QB, Toledo | 20-37, 214 yards, 4 TD; 8 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD in 35-25 win against Ball State
Defensive: Brett Irby, So., OLB, Eastern Michigan | 9 tackles (1 TFL), 1 FF, 1 FR in 27-23 win against Northern Illinois

Week 7 Scores
Toledo 35, Ball State 24
Akron 45, Miami (Ohio) 14
Bowling Green 34, Buffalo 10
Ohio 20, Central Michigan 17
Eastern Michigan 27, Northern Illinois 23
Carnegie Mellon 38, Western Michigan 20

Week 8 Matchups
Bowling Green (2-5, 1-2) at Western Michigan (2-5, 2-2) | 10/23, 12:30 PM
Ohio (4-3, 2-1) at Ball State (4-3, 0-3) | 10/23, 12:30 PM
Army (6-0) at Carnegie Mellon (5-2) | 10/23, 1:00 PM
Alabama A&M (1-4) at Akron (4-3) | 10/23, 3:30 PM
Toledo (4-2, 2-1) at Buffalo (1-6, 0-3) | 10/23, 3:30 PM
Florida State (5-2) at Central Michigan (2-4, 0-3) | 10/23, 6:00 PM
Eastern Michigan (1-5, 1-1) at Miami (Ohio) (3-4, 2-1) | 10/23, 6:00 PM
Kent State (4-2, 2-0) at Northern Illinois (2-4, 1-2) | 10/23, 8:00 PM

[Deuce2223]

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

How long is McIntire out for... Big game coming up against a undefeated Army squad. Hopefully the defense can shut down the option attack (I assume they are still running it) and Keyes can get some points on the board.

A loss wouldn't kill you in terms of winning the MAC, but a win could put you in position to make a run at a Top-25 bid late in the year.

Happy to see BSU playing well. Crazy to see both Hawaii and BYU undefeated.

[moose141]

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

Another great win, Keyes is really cruising leading the attack, I can see a MAC player of the year award in his future at the end of this season! Also nice to see Satele step up, I've never been a fan of his, much like Deuce always hated Keyes, but it's nice to see him finally get some stickum and put together a strong performance. Forgive me for not remembering, but could this be the year we finally see CMU in the rankings? I know the older NCAA's, especially, made it tough for mid-majors to sneak into the rankings (which is realistic TBH), but I could see you guys winning out and who knows maybe a 10-2 record heading into the MAC title game gives you that boost.

[Careless Whisper]

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

How long is McIntire out for... Big game coming up against a undefeated Army squad. Hopefully the defense can shut down the option attack (I assume they are still running it) and Keyes can get some points on the board.

A loss wouldn't kill you in terms of winning the MAC, but a win could put you in position to make a run at a Top-25 bid late in the year.

Happy to see BSU playing well. Crazy to see both Hawaii and BYU undefeated.

I have a note in the next update that McIntire's injury was just a game one and he'll be good to go for Army. Surprisingly, the Black Knights actually run more of a pro style attack than triple option since that was their default offense in NCAA 08, but I'm really surprised that they've had so much success with scholarship and bowl sanctions.

Definitely need to win this one if I want to be nationally ranked later in the year, that's for sure. With how lousy the MAC has turned out to be it seems, if I can win here and get to the MAC title game at 10-2, then I might be at #25 and that would be huge for the program.

Boise's been very steady in this report, always rattling off 9-11 win seasons. Hawaii doesn't surprise me too much, they're absolutely loaded with Barkley and an assortment of four and five-stars, so I can see them being a BCS buster at the end of the year, but BYU's emergence as an undefeated is fun as well. It reminds me of Wyoming last year (?) who was maybe the most surprising undefeated team I've seen in this game until they lost their bowl - more random mid-majors going unbeaten is definitely something I want to keep seeing!

Another great win, Keyes is really cruising leading the attack, I can see a MAC player of the year award in his future at the end of this season! Also nice to see Satele step up, I've never been a fan of his, much like Deuce always hated Keyes, but it's nice to see him finally get some stickum and put together a strong performance. Forgive me for not remembering, but could this be the year we finally see CMU in the rankings? I know the older NCAA's, especially, made it tough for mid-majors to sneak into the rankings (which is realistic TBH), but I could see you guys winning out and who knows maybe a 10-2 record heading into the MAC title game gives you that boost.

Keyes would definitely be in the running at this point, he's really been the engine to my offensive attack! I've always been negative of Satele as well because of the fumbling (and being spoiled with Big Jim, of course), but he really stepped up against WMU and I hope to see more of that in the future.

I definitely think if we run the table to the MAC title game, CMU should pop in at #25. I don't remember where we were in the Preseason 119, and we're not receiving votes in either poll, but usually a double-digit win mid-major makes the rankings so this is definitely my shot to do so. I like that the game makes it tough for mid-majors to break through that glass ceiling because it should be that way, especially with how the sport nowadays has shifted to the Power 5!

[Careless Whisper]

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

by Jeff Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Keyes thriving in final season

Fourth-year quarterback Justin Keyes has become the face of Carnegie Mellon football this season, having carried the team to a 5-2 overall record and 4-0 mark in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play.

With a three-score performance against Western Michigan last week, Keyes has matched his career high in touchdown passes from last year (16) and with six rushing touchdowns, is nearing his 2009 number in that department (8). The senior has posted a 147.8 quarterback rating and accumulated 2,025 total yards (1,577 pass, 448 yards) to go along with 22 total touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Burnsides building on freshman campaign

Sophomore defensive tackle Matt Burnsides emerged as a star last year, earning Associated Press Freshman All-America, All-MAC First Team, and MAC Freshman of the Year following a 49 tackles, eight sacks, two forced fumbles, and one forced fumble. There has been no sophomore slump in 2010.

With a pair of sacks against Western Michigan, Burnsides now has eight on the season to match last year’s total. The sophomore also has 31 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles through seven games, and should receive All-America consideration if this pace continues. Burnsides has thrived thanks to more talent around him, allowing him to see more single-team blocks while the CMU defense has blitzed more often.

McIntire healthy for Army

Freshman runningback Lawrence McIntire is available for the Tartans’ clash with undefeated Army this Saturday after leaving last weekend’s win against Western Michigan with an injury.

McIntire has been a part of a timeshare at the position with junior Nate Satele, compiling 200 yards and a touchdown on 47 carries thus far. Satele, who has struggled with fumbles over his career, took advantage of the freshman’s absence last week by running for 142 yards and a pair of scores.

Three-star tight end sets official visit

Three-star tight end Morgan Cook (Takoma Park, Md.) will make an official visit to Carnegie Mellon on Nov. 6 when it hosts Miami (Ohio) in the 2010 home finale.

Cook, a six-foot-five, 255-pound product of Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, lists the Tartans third on his list behind Virginia Tech and Virginia. While tight end isn’t a position used consistently in Jules Nottingham’s offense, the coaching staff would like to add talent there in hopes of giving their passing game different looks while helping the rushing attack.

Carnegie Mellon In-Season Recruiting Targets
Tom Cook, OLB, *** (6’4”, 213 lbs.; Pittsburgh, Pa. / Woodland Hills) – Top 3, Official Visit 10/23
- Pittsburgh, Penn, Carnegie Mellon
Morgan Cook, TE, *** (6’5”, 255 lbs.; Takoma Park, Md. / Don Bosco Cristo Rey) – Top 3, Official Visit 11/6
- Virginia Tech, Virginia, Carnegie Mellon
Andrew Davis, CB, *** (5’11”, 185 lbs.; Philadelphia, Pa. / St. Joseph’s Prep) – Top 5
- Michigan State, Carnegie Mellon, Virginia, Navy, North Carolina State
Kevin Doucette, G, *** (6’3”, 282 lbs.; Elizabethtown, Pa. / Elizabethtown) – Top 5
- Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, Penn, Virginia, Louisville
Charlie Williams, OT, *** (6’6”, 290 lbs.; Barberton, Ohio / Barberton) – Top 5
- Notre Dame, Carnegie Mellon, Ohio State, Rutgers, Michigan
James Williamson, DE, *** (6’1”, 252 lbs.; Edmonton, Alberta / W.R. Myers) – Top 5
- Michigan, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, Marshall
Lionel Wiley, MLB, *** (5’11”, 234 lbs.; McCandless, Pa. / Avonworth) – Top 5
- Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Michigan, Boston College, Carnegie Mellon
Harry Hand, C, *** (6’4”, 291 lbs.; Philadelphia, Pa. / St. Joseph’s Prep) – Top 5
- Michigan, Virginia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, Virginia, Pittsburgh
Jeff Gilmore, HB, *** (5’8”, 200 lbs.; Winnipeg, Manitoba / Portage Collegiate) – Top 5
- Carnegie Mellon, Wisconsin, Michigan, Boise State, Rutgers
Bryan Ward, QB, *** (6’3”, 215 lbs.; Monessen, Pa. / Monessen) – Top 5
- Ohio State, Michigan, Virginia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, Central Michigan
Mike Bush, OT, *** (6’6”, 304 lbs.; Fostoria, Ohio / Fostoria) – Removed
Shannon Green, G, *** (6’5”, 335 lbs.; Warren, Ohio / Harding) – Removed
Jason Crossley, DT, *** (6’3”, 315 lbs.; Bartlett, Ill. / Bartlett) – Removed
Dusty Hayward, OT, *** (6’4”, 300 lbs.; Jefferson, Pa. / Thomas Jefferson) – Removed
David Jenkins, DT, *** (6’0”, 315 lbs.; Bartlett, Tenn. / Bartlett) – Removed

[Careless Whisper]

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

at
Army Black Knights (6-0) at Carnegie Mellon Tartans (5-2)
Saturday, October 23, 2010 | 1:00 PM (ET)
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Gesling Stadium | No television

Team Overview (D overall, D+ offense, D defense)
Despite being banned from a bowl, Army has enjoyed one of its best seasons in recent memory by taking advantage of a home-heavy slate. The Black Knights sit at 6-0 with wins over Bowling Green (42-14), Columbia (27-24), Tennessee State (45-9), Dartmouth (52-17), Ohio (20-17, OT), and Marshall (31-27). Only their win over the Bobcats on Oct. 2 was on the road.

Redshirt junior quarterback Chip Bowden (196.6 QB rtg., 99-143, 1,548 yards, 17 TD, 2 INT) is in his first year as a starter and has a pair of talented third-year wide receivers to throw to in Mike Babineaux (34 catches, 476 yards, 5 TD) and David Burton (18 catches, 251 yards, 3 TD). Burton is back from injury, and those two pair with senior Tommy Hansbro (15 catches, 317 yards, 2 TD) to give the CMU secondary a unique challenge. On the ground, redshirt freshman Tony Thompson (85 carries, 483 yards, 4 TD; 8 catches, 249 yards, 2 TD) leads a committee approach, with fourth-year junior Peyton Johnson (27 carries, 132 yards; 2 catches, 13 yards, 2 TD) and third-year sophomore J.D. Hawk (39 carries, 165 yards, 4 TD) seeing time as well.

Army runs a 3-4 defense and has a veteran-led defensive line. Alex Jackson (17 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR) and Anthony Clark (28 tackles, 5 sacks) have both started since their freshmen years, with Clark totaling 14 sacks with the Black Knights. Fellow junior Montrell St. Louis (15 tackles, 2 sacks) tallied five sacks in 2009 from the nose tackle position. Senior linebacker Jerrell Barrett (23 tackles, 2 INT, 1 FF, 1 TD) was productive last season after arriving from junior college, collecting 70 tackles, two sacks, and three interceptions, but the unit also features three first-year starters in freshman Robert Thompson (16 tackles, 1 FR0, redshirt junior Daniel Jones (14 tackles), and sophomore Bobby Heath (20 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF). The secondary is also relatively inexperienced, but features senior wide receiver Tommy Hansbro (18 tackles) as its slot cornerback, as he collected 39 tackles and a pair interceptions last year.

Sophomore kicker Mark Capers (7-11 FG, 28-28 XP) has bounced back after an awful freshman season where he went 8-of-17 on field goals, while junior Luke Guillory (22 punts, 917 yards, 41.7 avg., 5 inside 20) has handled the punting duties since arriving at West Point. Burton (13 kick returns, 248 yards; 10 punt returns, 60 yards) and Babineaux (7 kick returns, 150 yards; 1 punt return, 14 yards) serve as the primary kick returners.

Season Results
09/04 | BOWLING GREEN | W, 42-14
09/11 | COLUMBIA | W, 27-24
09/18 | TENNESSEE STATE | W, 45-9
09/25 | DARTMOUTH | W, 52-17
10/02 | at Ohio | W, 20-17 (OT)
10/09 | MARSHALL | W, 31-27

PFF Top Five
David Burton, Jr., WR (85)
Mike Babineaux, Jr., WR (82)
Alex Jackson, Jr., DE (82)
Anthony Clark, Jr., DE (82)
Chip Bowden, R-Jr., QB (82)

Injury Report
Army: None
Carnegie Mellon: Jon Crowell, R-So., CB (dislocated ankle – season)

Suspensions
Army: David O’Neal, Fr., TE (team rules – 4 games)
Carnegie Mellon: None

[moose141]

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

Game of the week material here. Think this should springboard you to a stellar end of the season. Army doesn't look too strong, other than that pitch and catch combo they have. That said, really you just need Burnsides to keep getting home each play to help disrupt that passing attack that they have and I think otherwise you can outscore them with no problems thanks to all of your playmakers, especially with adding McIntyre back into the equation.

Also, nice to see that it looks like your recruiting is going fairly strong this year in that you're hanging around in the Top 3 and 5 for most recruits. I remember a couple seasons ago you were lucky to stay in the Top 3 for at most 3-4 players by the end of the season, haha.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Game of the week material here. Think this should springboard you to a stellar end of the season. Army doesn't look too strong, other than that pitch and catch combo they have. That said, really you just need Burnsides to keep getting home each play to help disrupt that passing attack that they have and I think otherwise you can outscore them with no problems thanks to all of your playmakers, especially with adding McIntyre back into the equation.

Also, nice to see that it looks like your recruiting is going fairly strong this year in that you're hanging around in the Top 3 and 5 for most recruits. I remember a couple seasons ago you were lucky to stay in the Top 3 for at most 3-4 players by the end of the season, haha.

I didn't think this would be Game of the Week material when I scheduled it, haha. Wanted to get a home game and break up my MAC slate for a week, and thought a clash with the Black Knights was an intriguing matchup! Didn't expect them to be unbeaten at this point, you're right that their ratings aren't impressive but they have a few strong pieces that could give me fits.

Recruiting is definitely going better than most years! I think now that I'm coming off last year's run and currently leading the MAC East this year, that's definitely helping me stay on the radar of most of my targets for longer. I think I'll be able to start targeting better talent too if I finish this season strong, because I feel like I'll move from a two to a three-star program, which with my rules would allow me to go after four-stars that are interested.

I played the game yesterday before the conference championships and should have the recap up later this afternoon!

[Careless Whisper]

Season 5, Game 8: Army at Carnegie Mellon

Win Streak Ends as Tartans Fall to Undefeated Army
Carnegie Mellon sophomore Kevin Wilson threw for 109 yards and a touchdown replacing an injured Justin Keyes

by Jayson Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Carnegie Mellon saw its four-game winning streak come to an end this afternoon, as its offense struggled with injuries and fumbles in a 21-14 defeat to undefeated Army from Gesling Stadium.

Carnegie Mellon (5-3) saw Justin Keyes, Lawrence McIntire, and Eddie Williams all leave the game at certain points with injuries, and the offense lost a pair of fumbles without that trio. Army (7-0) controlled the game with 223 rushing yards and nearly had both of its backs at the century mark, as Tony Thompson had 104 and Peyton Johnson added 97.

“Army has a very good football team and Coach (Stan) Brock is doing a phenomenal job there,” said CMU fifth-year head coach John Elliott. “We just could never get into a rhythm. Lawrence (McIntire) went out after a catch, then we lost Eddie (Williams) there midway through the second quarter. I thought Kevin (Wilson) did a solid job after Justin (Keyes) left for the second time, but with him in there we have to change our offensive philosophy. It’s better to get one of these games out of the way now than in MAC play, but we obviously wanted to win today and we didn’t deserve to do that.”

The Tartans lost Keyes on the opening drive, as the senior limped off holding his back following a Jerrell Barrett sack. Kevin Wilson checked in and on his second drive, he found Lawrence McIntire out of the backfield for a solid gain of 19 yards, but the freshman tailback stayed down holding his head and was later diagnosed with a mild concussion.

Meanwhile on the other side, the Black Knights strung together a 10-play, 74-yard drive at the end of the opening frame, finishing it off with a four-yard plunge from Thompson to make it 7-0. Army’s defense then locked in even as Keyes checked himself back into the game, as they took his favorite target Williams out of the game with a pinched nerve, then knocked out the senior signal-caller for good late in the half with a Robert Thompson takedown on an option.

The Black Knights doubled their lead on their first drive of the second half, methodically moving the ball down the field before Johnson cashed in from eight yards out to make it 14-0. Wilson then strung together a solid drive in response, only for it to end with a Jamal Olatunde strip-sack while in the red zone. Army couldn’t take advantage of the turnover, but continued its strong defensive effort and eventually picked up that third touchdown midway through the final frame, as Chip Bowden connected with a wide-open Darryl Woodward for a 43-yard strike to push the gap to 21-0.

CMU had a quick response, as Nate Satele ripped off a 31-yard run to set up a Wilson 34-yard touchdown pass to David Young. That made it 21-14, and after the Black Knights were forced to punt following one first down, the Tartans strung together another successful drive that ended in a Satele eight-yard burst to make it 21-14.

The hosts forced a second punt on the next drive, setting the stage for potential heroics behind their backup quarterback. The story had a different ending however, as just two plays in Robert Thompson brought Wilson down and stripped the ball, and Bobby Heath dove on it to keep Army unbeaten.

Jon Foster missed a pair of field goals in the first and third quarters with the Tartans trailing.

Wilson finished with 109 yards on 9-of-15 passing, and Satele put together his second straight 100-yard performance with 112 on 18 carries.

Elliott noted that McIntire and Williams should be healthy for next week, while they’re still awaiting tests on Keyes.

Carnegie Mellon returns to Mid-American Conference (MAC) play on Saturday, October 30 when it travels to Eastern Michigan.

Army Black Knights at Carnegie Mellon Tartans
Oct 23, 2010	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Army Black Knights (7-0)	7	0	7	7	21
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (5-3)	0	0	0	14	14

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		ARMY	CMU
1:40	(ARMY) Tony Thompson 4-yard run (Mark Capers kick)	7	0
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		ARMY	CMU
10:24	(ARMY) Peyton Johnson 8-yard run (Mark Capers kick)	14	0
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		ARMY	CMU
8:59	(ARMY) Chip Bowden 43-yard pass to Darryl Woodward (Mark Capers kick)	21	0
6:33	(CMU) Kevin Wilson 34-yard pass to David Young (Jon Foster kick)	21	7
3:59	(CMU) Nate Satele 8-yard run (Jon Foster kick)	21	14

Army Black Knights PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Chip Bowden 11/19 137 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Tony Thompson 16 104 6.5 1 Peyton Johnson 15 97 6.5 1 Matt Pittman 3 12 4.0 0 Chip Bowden 5 10 2.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Darryl Woodward 3 61 20.3 1 Mike Babineaux 3 29 9.7 0 Tommy Hansbro 1 27 27.0 0 Will Yeatman 1 10 10.0 0 David Burton 1 6 6.0 0 Matt Pittman 1 2 2.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Jerrell Barrett 8 2 0 0 Robert Thompson 6 1 0 0 Alex Jackson 4 0 0 0 Tommy Hansbro 4 0 0 0 Bobby Heath 3 0 0 0 Jamal Olatunde 2 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Mark Capers 0/1 3/3 3 -- PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Luke Guillory 2 90 45.0 2 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD David Burton 1 22 22.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD David Burton 3 23 7.7 0

Carnegie Mellon Tartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Kevin Wilson 9/15 109 1 0 Justin Keyes 9/15 46 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Nate Satele 18 112 6.2 1 Justin Keyes 5 8 1.6 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Stephen Carter 5 41 8.2 0 Eddie Williams 4 31 7.7 0 David Young 3 51 17.0 1 Travis Sledge 3 11 3.7 0 Issac Schroeder 2 2 1.0 0 Lawrence McIntire 1 19 19.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Mark Toth 8 0 0 0 Charlie Cohen 7 0 0 0 Erik Sellers 6 0 1 0 David Brown 4 1 0 0 Chris Hill 3 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Jon Foster 0/2 2/2 2 -- PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Andy Fitzhugh 4 137 34.2 2 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Kelvin Butler 2 52 26.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Kelvin Butler 2 2 1.0 0

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

Author's Note: Forgot to take a photo out of frustration.

[slicknick3822]

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

Tough loss, especially losing Keyes on the first drive. I think if you had him the whole game it may have been a different story.

[Deuce2223]

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

Wow without those injuries I think that's a win for sure. Satele seems to really be settling in at RB, so losing McIntire probably wasn't a huge blow, but I am not sure that we are ready to see the Mellon Tartans post Keyes (which for me is crazy to say cause I wasn't a huge fans his first 2 years). Wilson however played decent missing his #1 WR.

Hopefully everyone can make it back next week.

[moose141]

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

Echoing what Deuce said, I mean it's always going to put your offense behind the eight ball when you lose your starting QB and star WR. Probably the biggest thing is how it affects the scheme of your offense with Wilson not having the same mobility that Keyes does to create with his legs in addition to his arm.

[PeoplesChampGB]

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

That's so frustrating to have confidence that you are able to beat this team and then you lose your playmakers. I know that feeling all too well.

I also believe you win this game by at least 14 if they didn't have to leave.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Tough loss, especially losing Keyes on the first drive. I think if you had him the whole game it may have been a different story.

Agreed, and I think me forcing him back into the game didn't help either. If I would have waited it out and let the duration run its course (said it was a two-quarter injury), then I would have had him back at new and been able to run my offense properly.

Wow without those injuries I think that's a win for sure. Satele seems to really be settling in at RB, so losing McIntire probably wasn't a huge blow, but I am not sure that we are ready to see the Mellon Tartans post Keyes (which for me is crazy to say cause I wasn't a huge fans his first 2 years). Wilson however played decent missing his #1 WR.

Hopefully everyone can make it back next week.

I'm a little worried about the post-Keyes era because while Wilson was decent in reserve, he doesn't offer the same athleticism and really limits the offense. Been happy with Satele's performance lately, he's started to step up and take hold of the starting job so you're right that losing McIntire was pretty miniscule. But with Keyes and Williams, I almost certainly win that game.

Echoing what Deuce said, I mean it's always going to put your offense behind the eight ball when you lose your starting QB and star WR. Probably the biggest thing is how it affects the scheme of your offense with Wilson not having the same mobility that Keyes does to create with his legs in addition to his arm.

Exactly right. Wilson has been average to solid in each of his reserve appearances over the course of this report, but the offense gets stagnant and more predictable with him in there. I can't keep the ball with him on any read options or run any speed options either, so my running game falls more onto the shoulders of the backs' talent and the offensive line - luckily Satele has played well lately and the OL is pretty solid at every spot.

That's so frustrating to have confidence that you are able to beat this team and then you lose your playmakers. I know that feeling all too well.

I also believe you win this game by at least 14 if they didn't have to leave.

Absolutely, probably one of the more frustrating losses in this report for me because it was a winnable game. Army played well, don't get me wrong, but I also feel like I win that by two scores with everyone in there. In the end, it really doesn't mean a whole lot since it was a non-conference game and the goal is to get back to the MAC Championship Game and win, but I still can feel that one slipped away.

Appreciate all the comments everyone! We're coming down the home stretch with four regular-season games left in Season 5!

[Careless Whisper]

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

Around the NCAA – Week 8 Edition
#3 Florida is knocked out of the ranks of the unbeaten as #18 LSU defeats the Gators, 38-24

BCS Rankings
1 | Texas (0.935, 6-0)
2 | Clemson (0.920, 7-0)
3 | Texas A&M (0.893, 8-0)
4 | USC (0.844, 7-0)
5 | Notre Dame (0.804, 7-0)
6 | Wisconsin (0.751, 6-0)
7 | Texas Tech (0.681, 7-1)
8 | Tennessee (0.661, 5-2)
9 | Penn State (0.652, 6-2)
10 | Florida (0.613, 6-1)
11 | LSU (0.513, 7-1)
12 | Georgia (0.493, 6-1)
13 | UCLA (0.492, 5-1)
14 | West Virginia (0.465, 6-1)
15 | Nebraska (0.414, 6-1)

Heisman Watch
Jacoby Franks, Sr., WR, Texas Tech | 64 catches, 870 yards, 10 TD
Willy Korn, Sr., QB, Clemson | 187.8 QB rtg., 130-208, 2,193 yards, 29 TD (1 rush), 8 INT
Ricky Stanzi, R-Sr., QB, Iowa | 145.4 QB rtg., 172-275, 2,134 yards, 19 TD, 7 INT; 60 carries, 237 yards, 8 TD
Lamar Miller, So., HB, LSU | 134 carries, 930 yards, 10 TD; 19 catches, 284 yards, 7 TD
Russell Shepard, So., QB, Texas A&M | 147.4 QB rtg., 140-225, 1,703 yards, 22 TD, 12 INT; 76 carries, 303 yards, 3 TD

NCAA Players of the Week
Offensive: John Griffin, R-Sr., HB, UNLV | 25 carries, 256 yards, 3 TD in 41-13 win at Utah
Defensive: Marcus McCall, Jr., MLB, Arizona | 8 tackles (2 TFL), 1 sack, 3 INT, 1 TD in 29-18 win at Stanford

Injury Report
Jevan Snead, R-Sr., QB, Colorado State | Sprained ankle (2 weeks)
Brandon Carswell, R-Jr., WR, USC | Torn shoulder muscle (5 weeks)
Roland Jackson, R-So., TE, Miami (Fla.) | Broken ankle (6 weeks)

Week 8 Notable Top 25 Scores
#15 LSU 49, Auburn 21
#23 Louisville 45, Cincinnati 14
#3 Texas A&M 42, Oklahoma State 24
#1 Texas 28, #14 Nebraska 17
#7 Tennessee 28, Alabama 14
#4 USC 49, Arizona State 21
#13 UCLA 49, Oregon 24
#25 Pittsburgh 30, Syracuse 21
#6 Wisconsin 28, #21 Ohio State 21
#17 Michigan 48, Purdue 7
Georgia Tech 38, #24 Miami (Fla.) 31

Week 9 National Broadcasts
#10 Florida (6-1) vs. #11 Georgia (6-1) | 10/30, 12:30 PM (The World’s Largest Cocktail Party)
#18 Iowa (7-1) at #17 Michigan (5-2) | 10/30, 12:30 PM
#5 Notre Dame (7-0) at Navy (5-2) | 10/30, 3:30 PM
#1 Texas (6-0) at #9 Texas Tech (7-1) | 10/30, 6:00 PM (Rivalry Game, Game of the Week)
#8 Penn State (6-2) at #21 Ohio State (5-2) | 10/30, 8:00 PM (Rivalry Game)
#16 Virginia (7-0) at #12 West Virginia (6-1) | 10/30, 8:00 PM
#6 Wisconsin (6-0) at Michigan State (5-2) | 10/30, 8:00 PM
Georgia Tech (6-2) at #2 Clemson (7-0) | 10/30, 8:00 PM