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

**FlackoMars** · 05-21-2021, 08:55 AM

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

Love seeing the player movement. Congrats to Todd on getting drafted.

**Careless Whisper** · 06-04-2021, 10:01 AM

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

Originally posted by FlackoMars

Love seeing the player movement. Congrats to Todd on getting drafted.

Free agency always has gotten pretty crazy in my report. Not sure why Brady would make the move to Washington when Pennington is a top-seven QB in the game.

Apologize for the lack of updates lately, work has been brutal and I haven't had much time or motivation to push through the rest of the offseason. Only have a couple more posts before we finally get to the new year though, so I hope to get those all squared away and up soon!

**Careless Whisper** · 06-04-2021, 10:04 AM

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

Vikings Trade Up, Select Worilds with First Overall Pick
Jason Worilds of Virginia Tech becomes the second straight defensive end to go number one, joining Ricky Sapp

**dfsJunkie** · 06-04-2021, 10:47 AM

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

Would have preferred Baltimore to take Bradford or Luck, especially over Corp. Regardless, they had a HUGE offseason. I'm thinking they win it all next year.

**Careless Whisper** · 06-11-2021, 06:30 AM

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

Originally posted by dfsJunkie

Would have preferred Baltimore to take Bradford or Luck, especially over Corp. Regardless, they had a HUGE offseason. I'm thinking they win it all next year.

I'm really shocked that no quarterback went in the first round, particularly Luck with how good he was from the jump and all the accolades he collected. I'd have to look at the ratings, but I think Mallett will end up being the guy for the future compared to Corp - which makes double-dipping at that position in the second round even stranger. You can't explain EA logic though, even in these older games.

**Careless Whisper** · 06-11-2021, 10:19 AM

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

by Jeff Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Carter, Toth selected as team captains

Carnegie Mellon announced on its social media channels this afternoon that seniors Stephen Carter and Mark Toth have been named team captains ahead of the 2011 season.

Carter, a three-year starter at wide receiver, has accumulated 106 catches, 1,270 yards, and seven touchdowns over his career. The former three-star recruit collected 500 yards and three touchdowns on 44 catches last season.

Toth, a two-time All-MAC selection at middle linebacker, enters his senior season as one of the nation’s best at the position. He has 225 tackles, 19 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, and eight interceptions in his career, and was named to the Associated Press Freshman All-American Team and MAC Freshman of the Year back in 2008. Despite receiving no conference postseason recognition as a junior, Toth managed to compile 93 tackles, 9 sacks, an interception, and a touchdown last year.

Eight freshmen to redshirt in 2011

CMU head coach Jules Nottingham revealed yesterday that the Tartans plan to redshirt eight of their first-years this season.

Outside linebacker Leon Ford, runningback Jeff Gilmore, free safety Matt Gonzalez, middle linebacker Chris Harris, kicker Aaron Lake, strong safety Mark Marshall, guard Zac McLaughlin, and tight end Austin Ware will preserve their four years of eligibility by sitting out in 2011.

Gilmore and McLaughlin are the two most notable redshirts from the list. The Winnipeg, Manitoba runningback was CMU’s top-rated recruit, but entered a loaded positional group with sophomore Lawrence McIntire and senior Nate Satele likely to receive the majority of the carries. McLaughlin, a guard from Ravenna, Ohio, was one of four freshmen at his position signed in February with both starting spots wide open.

Redshirt freshman linebacker changes positions

Second-year freshman Jordan Gibson has been moved from outside linebacker to defensive end in fall camp, CMU head coach Jules Nottingham confirmed.

Standing at six-foot, 217 pounds, Gibson was recruited as a one-star middle linebacker and then moved outside after arriving in Oakland. Nottingham believes the Dundalk, Md. native has potential as a pass rusher despite his smaller frame, and the Tartans lacked depth at defensive end behind starters David Brown and Zac Hood.

Brown serves as the ideal success story of this kind of move. The senior All-America defensive end arrived at CMU as a two-star middle linebacker from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and has recorded 22 sacks over his career – including a school-record 15 last season.

Fitch signs UDFA contract with Texans

CMU graduate Matt Fitch didn’t hear his name called alongside Todd Andriano in the 2010 NFL Draft, but he also will get his shot at a professional career after signing an undrafted free agent deal with the Houston Texans.

Fitch’s contract is reportedly for two years and $1.18 million as he looks to make the team in the preseason. Houston currently lists him as the fourth guard on its depth chart.

The Tartans now have five players currently in the league with Fitch joining free safety Todd Andriano, cornerback Calvin Burton, outside linebacker Matt Johnson, and runningback Jim Manning.

Keyes joins Nottingham’s coaching staff

Tartans head coach Jules Nottingham has announced the addition of recently graduated quarterback Justin Keyes to his coaching staff. Keyes will serve as a quality offensive control graduate assistant.

Keyes, a four-year starting signal-caller and All-MAC Second Team pick as a senior, initially pursued an NFL career but was unable to latch onto a team after going undrafted in the NFL Draft. The former two-star prospect had his share of ups and downs in Oakland, but graduated as the all-time leader in completions (615), attempts (1,087), and passing yards (7,308), and ranks second in passing touchdowns (52).

Nottingham sets in-season recruiting targets

Carnegie Mellon has offered 15 scholarships on the cusp of the in-season recruiting period, and is using its recent run of results to target more ambitious targets.

Jules Nottingham and his staff have extended scholarship offers to six four-star recruits for the first time in program history, highlighted by quarterback Eric Frederick (Brownsville, La.). Frederick is reportedly the Tartans’ top target and could be a day-one starter in Oakland. Runningback Jason Mack (Nether Providence, Pa.), offensive tackles Andrew Graham (Forestville, Ohio) and Matt Hughes (Salem, Ohio), defensive tackle Mario Williams (Lombard, Ill.), and cornerback Ron Williams (Wooster, Ohio) are the other four-star prospects on CMU’s board.

Quarterback is a point of emphasis in this class, with the Tartans missing on the position this past February. CMU also has a scholarship offer to three-star Bryant Elimimian (Garfield Heights, Ohio) and will look to sign one of he or Frederick to add to quarterback room of junior Kevin Wilson, sophomore Gerald Culver, and redshirt freshman Albert Williams.

Carnegie Mellon In-Season Recruiting Targets
Ron Williams, CB, **** (5’11”, 170 lbs., Wooster, Ohio / Wooster)
Matt Hughes, OT, **** (6’5”, 331 lbs.; Salem, Ohio / Salem)
Eric Frederick, QB, **** (6’2”, 190 lbs.; Brownsville, La. / West Monroe)
Jason Mack, HB, **** (6’0”, 205 lbs.; Nether Providence, Pa. / Strath Haven)
Mario Williams, DT, **** (5’11”, 280 lbs.; Lombard, Ill. / Glenbard East)
Andrew Graham, OT, **** (6’6”, 337 lbs.; Forestville, Ohio / Winton Woods)
Andy Dockery, HB, *** (5’10”, 195 lbs.; Middletown, Ohio / Madison)
Brian Adams, DT, *** (6’2”, 275 lbs.; Naperville, Ill. / Naperville Central)
Eric Pettit, HB, *** (6’2”, 175 lbs.; Fort McKinley, Ohio / McKinley)
Mike Petty, WR, *** (6’0”, 208 lbs.; Warren, Ohio / Harding)
Jason Sharp, CB, *** (6’1”, 182 lbs.; Bartow, Fla. / Bartow)
Steve Johnson, OLB, *** (6’2”, 232 lbs.; North Canton, Ohio / Hoover)
Bryant Elimimian, QB, *** (6’4”, 232 lbs.; Garfield Heights, Ohio / Garfield Heights)
Zach Carter, OLB, *** (6’3”, 213 lbs.; East Grand Rapids, Mich. / East Grand Rapids)
Chris Gaston, OLB, *** (6’0”, 248 lbs.; Hampton, Va. / Phoebus)

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

Author’s Note: Because Carnegie Mellon has progressed to a three-star program, I now can recruit above a three-star level according to my recruiting restrictions. The same A+/A/A- awareness requirement applies.

**Knickerbocker91** · 06-11-2021, 12:39 PM

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

Now that bigger recruits are showing interest in Carnegie Mellon, what position do you feel can get the most immediate impact as a result?

**Careless Whisper** · 06-12-2021, 07:19 AM

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

Originally posted by Knickerbocker91

Now that bigger recruits are showing interest in Carnegie Mellon, what position do you feel can get the most immediate impact as a result?

Great question! I think quarterback is an obvious pick, not just because of the question marks there currently in Kevin Wilson and Gerald Culver, but because I haven't had a guy above a two-star level yet throughout this report. For as stellar Justin Keyes was as a senior and most of his junior season, slotting someone with even more talent (like four-star target Eric Frederick) and letting them play multiple years out can accelerate our ascent towards moving to a BCS conference. I feel confident that with Nottingham's offense, I can get production out of an assortment of two and three-star skill position guys, but a bluechip quarterback would be an absolute game-changer.

In terms of need, I think offensive tackle and linebacker are right there as well. Both of my tackles graduate this year and while I brought in some talent in McClover and Kemoeatu, having stability out on the ends will open up a lot in my offense. Mark Toth's graduation at middle linebacker will leave an unfillable hole after this season, but having someone reliable and athletic who will fly to the ball allows me to cause chaos defensively with different blitz and zone packages.

Thanks for checking in!

**mvpstax** · 06-15-2021, 08:15 AM

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

Frederick and Mack would be huge gets for the offense

**Careless Whisper** · 06-16-2021, 09:10 AM

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

Originally posted by mvpstax

Frederick and Mack would be huge gets for the offense

Definitely! Frederick is easily the most coveted recruit I've targeted in this report thus far, because I think an elite quarterback talent is the key to winning multiple MAC titles and move onto a BCS conference. Mack would be a big get as well - the RB room is a little bloated, but his talent would allow him to play right away.

**Careless Whisper** · 06-16-2021, 09:17 AM

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

Nottingham’s Tartans Named MAC Favorites
Carnegie Mellon was picked to capture the Mid-American Conference title under first-year head coach Jules Nottingham

by Jayson Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Remember when people scoffed at the thought of Carnegie Mellon playing Division I football?

Of course, it was easy to question CMU athletic director Daniel Corrigan’s ambitious move. The Tartans were just a top-25 program at the Division III level, then spent just two seasons in FCS football to prepare for the FBS jump. CMU’s 3-9 inaugural FBS campaign saw eight double-digit losses and one of those victories coming by the skin of its teeth against a winless Duke squad.

But that was then. Now, the Tartans have five Associated Press Preseason All-Americans, one of the nation’s most sought-after offensive minds leading the charge, and the coaches and media’s pick to win the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

“We’re not caught up in preseason rankings or predictions,” said Tartans head coach Jules Nottingham. “We’re going into this season with the same mentality as we did under (retired head coach John Elliott). We have had a couple of good seasons but you don’t earn a bid to Detroit by what you have done in the past. The work has to be constant to reach our goals, and we have shown in fall camp that we’re willing to give what’s necessary to have success.”

While Nottingham’s expertise is in his spread offensive scheme, the first-year head coach’s defense could end up as one of the nation’s best. Senior defensive end David Brown is one of the five aforementioned All-Americans, leading the nation with 15 sacks last season. Lining up beside him is junior defensive tackle Matt Burnsides – another Preseason All-American – while senior cornerback Erik Sellers returns after a surprising Second Team All-America nod in 2010. A total of eight starters return from last year’s unit, and 10 of the 11 projected starters are at least in their third collegiate season.

The captain of that 11 is senior middle linebacker Mark Toth, who somehow didn’t receive All-MAC recognition a season ago despite tallying 93 tackles, nine sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception returned for a touchdown. Toth is the highest rated player according to Pro Football Focus at 95.0, and is likely to garner a mid-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft despite coming in undersized at five-foot-eleven. He was tabbed to the Preseason All-MAC team, and was the 2008 MAC Freshman of the Year following a 50-tackle, six-interception, three-sack rookie campaign.

On offense, the gameplan will revolve around redshirt sophomore superstar Eddie Williams, who burst onto the scene with 89 receptions, 1,329 yards, and 17 total touchdowns (14 receiving, 3 rushing), earning Associated Press Freshman All-America and MAC Freshman of the Year accolades along the way. Senior captain Stephen Carter (44 catches, 500 yards, 3 TD) and sophomore Travis Sledge (36 catches, 447 yards, 2 TD) are solid second and third options behind Williams at wide receiver, and the runningback room returns sophomore Lawrence McIntire (120 carries, 571 yards, 6 TD) and senior Nate Satele (155 carries, 652 yards, 5 TD). The offensive line brings back three starters, but will break in a pair of new guards with true freshman Gavin Hawkins and redshirt sophomore Ricky Fields likely to begin in those spots.

By now, you’re probably wondering when the elephant in the room will be addressed. Who replaces Justin Keyes at quarterback?

“It’s hard to lose a talent and a leader like Justin (Keyes),” said Nottingham. “We’re glad to have him back on the staff as a grad assistant, as I believe he has a bright future in coaching. His experience will help both Kevin (Wilson) and Gerald (Culver) tremendously, and I have faith in both of them to lead this offense. Kevin will start the opener against Penn, but Gerald will see some series and we have a couple of packages in play that will give us a different look.”

Junior Kevin Wilson has served as Keyes’ primary backup over his career, but struggled in limited time last season after throwing four interceptions and just one touchdown in 54 pass attempts. After topping former three-star and now University of Connecticut quarterback Bryan Williams in fall camp as a freshman, Wilson has twice as many interceptions (6) as touchdowns (3) over his two years. Sophomore Gerald Culver was set to be redshirted in 2010 before a Keyes injury and Wilson’s ineffective play forced him onto the field at Kent State, where he provided 39 yards and an interception in a 27-23 defeat.

Another bright spot for the Tartans will be their special teams unit, who bring back both specialists in Jon Foster and Andy Fitzhugh, and the Randy Moss Award recipient Kelvin Butler. Butler was spectacular as a freshman after scoring six times (3 kick, 3 punt) on returns, three times more touchdowns than second place. Foster was an All-MAC Second Team pick in 2010 after converting 12-of-17 field goals and all 58 extra point attempts.

CMU is picked to top Toledo in a rematch of the 2009 MAC Championship Game, and earned nine first-place votes to Akron’s four in the East division. The Tartans open the season at Gesling Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 3 against their recent Motor City Bowl opponents in Penn.

2011 Schedule
(Home games in ALL CAPS; * denotes MAC contest)
09/03: PENN (1:00 PM)
09/10: at #16 Nebraska (8:00 PM)
09/17: at Pittsburgh (6:00 PM) – Steel City Showdown
09/24: at Buffalo * (12:30 PM)
10/01: CENTRAL MICHIGAN * (12:30 PM) – Homecoming
10/08: at Bowling Green * (12:30 PM)
10/15: at Miami (Ohio) * (12:30 PM)
10/22: AKRON * (12:30 PM)
10/29: MICHIGAN STATE (12:30 PM)
11/05: OHIO * (12:30 PM)
11/19: WESTERN MICHIGAN * (12:30 PM) – Senior Day
11/23: at Northern Illinois * (6:00 PM)

Two-Deep Depth Chart
QB: #12 Kevin Wilson (Sr.), #10 Gerald Culver (So.)
HB: #22 Lawrence McIntire (So.), #20 Nate Satele (Sr.)
WR: #15 Eddie Williams (R-So.), #11 Kelvin Butler (So.)
WR: #88 Travis Sledge (So.), #85 Issac Schroeder (Jr.)
WR: #81 Stephen Carter (Sr.), #87 Bo Robinson (So.)
TE: #48 David Young (Sr.), #83 Brian Pittman (Fr.)
LT: #71 Anthony Tremblay (Sr.), #63 Cory Kemoeatu (Fr.)
LG: #79 Gavin Hawkins (Fr.), #73 Collin Bell (Fr.)
C: #65 Joey Muhammad (Jr.), #62 DeMarcus Nichols (Fr.)
RG: #70 Ricky Fields (R-So.), #77 Kevin Doucette (Fr.)
RT: #72 Jason Baker (Sr.), #78 Philip McClover (Fr.)
LE: #99 David Brown (Sr.), #95 Nathan Ford (Sr.)
RE: #98 Zac Hood (Jr.), #36 Jordan Gibson (R-Fr.)
DT: #29 Matt Burnsides (Jr.), #40 Travis Silva (R-So.)
DT: #97 P.J. Ryan (Jr.), #40 Travis Silva (R-So.)
LOLB: #55 Charlie Cohen (Sr.), #24 Luke Harvey (R-Jr.)
MLB: #46 Mark Toth (Sr.), #42 Matt Butler (Fr.)
ROLB: #41 Chris Hill (Sr.), #21 Brandon Williams (So.)
CB: #32 Jon Crowell (R-Jr.), #34 Rob Jones (So.)
CB: #2 Erik Sellers (Sr.), #9 Bobby Magnum (R-Jr.)
FS: #6 Jabari London (R-Fr.), #23 Jason Ervin (Jr.)
SS: #28 Elvis Washington (Sr.), #9 Bobby Magnum (R-Jr.)
K: #38 Jon Foster (Sr.)
P: #49 Andy Fitzhugh (Jr.)
KR: #11 Kelvin Butler (So.), #33 Kyle Holland (R-Fr.)
PR: #11 Kelvin Butler (So.), #33 Kyle Holland (R-Fr.)

**dfsJunkie** · 06-17-2021, 07:01 AM

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

Five All-Americans, nice job! This season should be a blast. I'm pretty nervous for the QB play, though, honestly. This could be a special team if Wilson or Culver can step up.

**Careless Whisper** · 06-19-2021, 08:52 AM

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

Originally posted by dfsJunkie

Five All-Americans, nice job! This season should be a blast. I'm pretty nervous for the QB play, though, honestly. This could be a special team if Wilson or Culver can step up.

Agreed on all counts. The quarterback situation really scares me, because Wilson is the complete opposite of Keyes in that he's an immobile pocket quarterback, while Culver has decent mobility but his accuracy is absolutely atrocious. And with the new guards, I may not have as much success running it inside so one or both of the quarterbacks will have to step up. If they do however, we have all the pieces to finally win the MAC and break into the top 25 IMO.

**superjames1992** · 06-20-2021, 03:23 PM

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

Finally fully caught up on this! Looking forward to this next season!!! It will be interesting to see how the quarterback position unfolds!

**Careless Whisper** · 06-21-2021, 07:33 AM

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

Originally posted by superjames1992

Finally fully caught up on this! Looking forward to this next season!!! It will be interesting to see how the quarterback position unfolds!

Appreciate you catching up, james! Next season could be a truly special ones, but it basically hinges on the quarterback position - hopefully Wilson and/or Culver can get the job done.

I have a few more preseason pieces left in the docket, including a position-by-position breakdown of the team coming up next. Hopefully I can get the first game going here by the end of this week or the start of the next one!

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

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