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

[ZSmit88]

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

Should be able to climb the .500 hump this week.

RG3 at Texas Tech feels like a really good fit. Happy he's there. Manziel in The Big House... ehh, not so much.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Should be able to climb the .500 hump this week.

RG3 at Texas Tech feels like a really good fit. Happy he's there. Manziel in The Big House... ehh, not so much.

Definitely! Western Michigan may be the weakest opponent I see this season, so winning is the only option.

As I've mentioned a few times in the comments, seeing where all these names end up is one of my favorite things about this report. That Texas Tech quarterback room was stacked with Andrew Luck has RG3's predecessor, and their WR group currently contains DeAndre Hopkins, Odell Beckham Jr., and Keenan Allen. Manziel at Michigan is a weird fit for sure, but it's pretty remarkable the season he's having as a frosh - maybe he'll become the first freshman to win a Heisman in my report too!

[Careless Whisper]

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

by Jeff Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Williams fully pledges to CMU

After a week-long wait, Carnegie Mellon landed its fifth and final commitment of the in-season recruiting period as four-star defensive tackle Mario Williams (Lombard, Ill.) pledged to join the Tartans next fall.

The aptly named Williams (no relation to the Houston Texans defensive end) made an official visit to Clemson this past Saturday following his trip to Oakland. While in Death Valley, it was reported that the Tartans coaching staff promised the Glenbard East product his lucky jersey number of #91, which is currently assigned to redshirt freshman punter R.J. Lovelady. Williams then finished his visit with Clemson before informing the Tigers and Tennessee he was going elsewhere.

Ironically, the jersey number promise helped CMU land current junior defensive tackle Matt Burnsides in the 2009 recruiting cycle, as the 2010 Associated Press All-America Second Team selection informed the staff he wanted to wear #29 during his official visit.

14-player senior class set to play final game at Gesling Stadium

Carnegie Mellon will celebrate its 14-player senior class prior to kickoff against Western Michigan this Saturday, a group that includes two All-Americans and a third All-MAC selection.

The Tartans benefited from having four years of linebacker Mark Toth (289 tackles, 22 sacks, 12 INT, 14 FF, 3 FR, 2 TD) and cornerback Erik Sellers (145 tackles, 5 sacks, 11 INT, 3 FF, 2 TD), both of which garnered All-America nods through their careers. Toth was the 2008 MAC Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American, while Sellers collected national Second Team accolades in 2010. Defensive end David Brown (140 tackles, 30 sacks, 1 INT, 4 FR) was named to the All-MAC First Team last season.

On offense, CMU will say goodbye to runningback Nate Satele (351 carries, 1,474 yards, 12 TD; 9 catches, 103 yards, 2 TD), fullback Brandon Brewer (21 carries, 68 yards, 1 TD; 4 catches, 17 yards), wide receiver Stephen Carter (136 catches, 1,636 yards, 9 TD), tight end David Young (51 catches, 799 yards, 9 YD), and offensive tackles Anthony Tremblay and Jason Baker.

Defensively, in addition to Toth, Sellers, and Brown, the Tartans will lose defensive end Nathan Ford (8 tackles, 1 sack), linebackers Charlie Cohen (112 tackles, 6 sacks, 4 INT, 1 FF) and Chris Hill (154 tackles, 8 sacks, 2 INT, 1 FF, 1 TD), and strong safety Elvis Washington (137 tackles, 1 sack, 9 INT, 1 FF, 5 FR, 1 TD). CMU will also have to break in a new kicker for the 2012 season as Jon Foster (41-61 FG, 188-189 XP) is set to graduate.

Former starting QB may look to transfer

With sophomore Gerald Culver now entrenched as the starting quarterback for Carnegie Mellon, reports are that junior Kevin Wilson is exploring transfer options for the 2012 season.

Wilson, who entered the 2011 campaign as the starter and has thrown for 1,716 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions this year, would be immediately eligible as a senior in 2012 through the recently-passed graduate transfer rule. The Germantown, Md. native is set to graduate in the spring and would have one year of eligibility.

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

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

Author’s Note: Full disclosure, there isn’t a graduate transfer rule in any of the older-gen NCAA games, but if Wilson remains the clear backup to Culver for the remainder of the season, then I will cut him from the CMU roster in the offseason and recreate him with the same attributes as a college senior recruit for the off-season recruiting pool. This is a tactic that will allow me to allow disgruntled players a chance to continue their careers elsewhere if they hadn’t transferred away from CMU in the game before their junior season. (In hindsight, I should’ve done this with Nate Satele following last season since his attributes are better than Lawrence McIntire’s.) Unfortunately, this process is only limited to my players at CMU, but hopefully it’ll add some more realism to my report and make it a tad more challenging for me to keep players.

[Careless Whisper]

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

at
Western Michigan Broncos (1-9, 1-6 MAC) at Carnegie Mellon Tartans (5-5, 5-1 MAC)
Saturday, November 19, 2011 | 12:30 PM (ET)
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Gesling Stadium | None

Top Storyline: Are there any positives for Western Michigan?

With one of the worst offenses by scoring (15.6 PPG, 117th) and yardage (283.4 YPG, 115th), plus a 1-9 overall record, Western Michigan is one of the worst programs currently at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. One of the lone current bright spots is sophomore quarterback Aaron Smith (101.1 QB rtg., 168-342, 1,875 yards, 14 TD, 13 INT; 82 carries, 336 yards), who has been clocked at 4.54 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Help could come next year when the Broncos’ trio of transfers will be eligible, as they will welcome redshirt sophomore runningback Jake Smith (Ohio State), redshirt junior tight end Marvin Marshall (Missouri), and sophomore cornerback Brandon Adams (Central Michigan) into the fold.

Top Matchup: Carnegie Mellon Offensive Line vs. Western Michigan DT Steve Scott

While he may lack some attributes from a talent standpoint, WMU junior defensive tackle Steve Scott (29 tackles, 1 FR) is one of the team’s top defensive players. He was named a Preseason All-American following a sophomore campaign that saw him accumulate 53 tackles, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus (PFF) only grades him at 76.0, which factors in his underwhelming junior season in 2011. Despite this, his presence should provide a challenge for the Carnegie Mellon interior offensive line, particularly with redshirt sophomore guard Ricky Fields returning to the lineup in place of true freshman Kevin Doucette.

Top Mismatch: Carnegie Mellon QB Gerald Culver vs. Western Michigan Cornerbacks

Western Michigan possesses an experienced cornerback group with four redshirt seniors and a third-year sophomore, but all would be better suited for the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. Redshirt sophomore Brian Williams (27 tackles, 2 INT) has the top PFF grade from the group at 72.0, with fifth-year seniors David Lewis (20 tackles, 1 INT), Dervon Wallace (9 tackles), and Keith Dixson (9 tackles) all overmatched in every matchup. CMU sophomore quarterback Gerald Culver (156.7 QB rtg., 70-114, 1,051 yards, 11 TD, 8 INT; 54 carries, 101 yards, 2 TD) is gaining confidence by the game, and although he still has his struggles reading defenses and throwing for accuracy, the potential for another career day is there with redshirt sophomore Eddie Williams (77 catches, 1,203 yards, 13 TD; 13 carries, 156 yards, 1 TD) and sophomore Travis Sledge (36 catches, 460 yards, 3 TD) matched up against this hapless group.

Prediction: Carnegie Mellon 45, Western Michigan 14

This ideally should be a blowout for the Tartans, who are better than the Broncos at every single position. Carnegie Mellon needs a win from its next two games to secure a third consecutive bowl bid, though its goal of reaching the MAC Championship Game for the second time in three seasons has been dashed with No. 23 Kent State clinching the MAC East Division crown via tiebreaker.

Western Michigan PFF Top Ten
Aaron Smith, So., QB (84)
Jimmie Houston, R-Jr., FB (82)
Mitch Vorick, R-Sr., OLB (80)
Craig Brooks, R-Jr., FS (80)
David Bowling, Jr., OLB (78)
Adam Bracken, So., QB (78)
Juan Nunez, R-Sr., WR (76)
Mario Armstrong, R-Sr., SS (76)
Andrew Wersel, R-Sr., DE (76)
Nick Hunter, R-Sr., FS (76)

Schedule & Results
09/03 | at Dartmouth | L, 7-19
09/08 | CINCINNATI | L, 10-52
09/17 | at Columbia | L, 27-32
09/24 | at Toledo * | W, 31-24
10/01 | AKRON * | L, 20-38
10/08 | BALL STATE * | L, 14-33
10/15 | at Ohio * | L, 7-35
10/22 | MIAMI (OHIO) * | L, 9-21
11/04 | at Eastern Michigan * | L, 14-27
11/12 | CENTRAL MICHIGAN * | L, 17-42

Injury Report
Western Michigan: Deshon Lawrence, R-Sr., WR (broken wrist – season); Jon Woods, Jr., MLB (upper arm fracture – 4 weeks); Justin Parks, So., HB (broken wrist – 1 week; medical redshirt)
Carnegie Mellon: Stephen Carter, Sr., WR (broken jaw – 6 weeks)

Suspensions
Western Michigan: None
Carnegie Mellon: None

[sgf83]

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

Good luck against the Broncos and good luck securing a bowl bid this season. Hopefully the Tartans can take care of business!

[Careless Whisper]

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

Tartans Survive Second-Half Comeback to Reach Bowl Eligibility
CMU saw a 31-6 lead shrink to a one-score one late, but collected two of its 10 sacks on the final drive to secure a win



CMU quarterback Gerald Culver sprints past the Western Michigan defense on this first-quarter touchdown run. (Andre Bowman / Getty Images)

by Jayson Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Carnegie Mellon reached bowl eligibility this afternoon, but it wasn’t without drama, as the Tartans avoided disaster to defeat one-win Western Michigan, 34-26, on Senior Day from Gesling Stadium.

Carnegie Mellon (6-5, 6-1 MAC) led by as many as 25 points midway through the third quarter at 31-6, only to see Western Michigan (1-10, 1-7 MAC) storm back with 20 unanswered points thanks to three touchdown passes and two forced fumbles. The Tartans managed to string together an extended drive late to add an insurance field goal with 1:01 remaining, and the Broncos’ hopes of tying the game were dashed with the clock at zeroes after David Brown collected the hosts’ 10th sack of the afternoon as a team.

“We were fortunate to come away with a win today,” said CMU head coach Jules Nottingham. “I thought we were good in the first half but made a few mistakes, and then the sharpness wasn’t there in the second half. Credit to Western Michigan for playing hard and really testing us when they’re not having the best of seasons. Our defense stepped up in key moments to keep us ahead, and it’s good to have the opportunity to play in a bowl game for the third straight year.”

Everything went in favor of CMU in the early going, starting with a 46-yard option keeper by Gerald Culver to paydirt, followed by a Mark Toth forced fumble on the Broncos’ first offensive play that was recovered by Matt Burnsides. Culver then made it 14-0 just 13 seconds after his touchdown rush, finding Eddie Williams on a skinny post for a 29-yard score. That was followed by two sacks from Brown to force a punt, and then the Tartans defense snagged turnovers on the next two WMU drives to take full control of the contest.

The lead grew to 24-0 midway through the second quarter, thanks in part to junior backup quarterback Kevin Wilson. Wilson replaced Culver briefly after the sophomore had to depart with a chest injury following a late hit, and immediately connected with Williams on a 24-yard first down pass. Culver would return at the end of the drive and cash in with a one-yard plunge from Lawrence McIntire, but the visitors would finally strike with 1:54 left in the half when Aaron Smith hooked up with Juan Nunez for a 45-yard touchdown.

Culver tossed his lone interception of the game midway through the third frame, committing the mistake in the red zone to derail a likely scoring drive. That was immediately reversed, however, as Mark Toth took one back from Smith to set up the CMU offense on the five-yard line, allowing Culver to find Brandon Brewer out of the flat for a touchdown to make it 31-6. That hiccup was foreshadowing for what was to come for the Tartans though, as a fumble on their next drive led to another Smith-to-Nunez touchdown connection, then McIntire coughed it up to begin the fourth quarter and Smith found Andy Jones from 26 yards out to cut the gap to 31-19.

A three-and-out on offense seemed to be canceled out by an Andy Fitzhugh punt to the four-yard line, but WMU picked up and drove 96 yards for yet another score – this one from Smith to Nick Davis on a 26-yard pass. With its backs against the wall, Culver converted a big third down with a 42-yard strike to Travis Sledge, and though the drive stalled from there, CMU forced two WMU timeouts before Jon Foster booted a 38-yard field goal to make it 34-26 with 1:01 on the clock. That’s when the senior defensive leaders stepped up once again for the hosts, as Toth grabbed his third sack of the afternoon following a Broncos first down, and Brown took down Smith inside the red zone as time expired to seal the victory.

Toth and Brown combined for six of the team’s 10 sacks, with Matt Burnsides grabbing two and Chris Hill and Zac Hood each having one. Jabari London joined Toth with an interception of Smith.

Culver finished with exactly 300 yards of total offense (218 passing, 82 rushing) and three total touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing). Williams and Sledge were both over 100 yards receiving on six catches each, collecting 116 and 113, respectively.

Carnegie Mellon has a short turnaround to complete its regular season, as it heads to Northern Illinois on Wednesday, Nov. 23.

Western Michigan Broncos at Carnegie Mellon Tartans
Nov 19, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Western Michigan Broncos (1-10, 1-7 MAC)	0	6	7	13	26
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (6-5, 6-1 MAC)	14	10	7	3	34

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		WMU	CMU
12:55	(CMU) Gerald Culver 46-yard run (Jon Foster kick)	0	7
12:42	(CMU) Gerald Culver 29-yard pass to Eddie Williams (Jon Foster kick)	0	14
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		WMU	CMU
14:56	(CMU) Jon Foster 29-yard field goal	0	17
7:53	(CMU) Lawrence McIntire 1-yard run (Jon Foster kick)	0	24
1:54	(WMU) Aaron Smith 45-yard pass to Juan Nunez (pass failed)	6	24
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		WMU	CMU
6:15	(CMU) Gerald Culver 5-yard pass to Brandon Brewer (Jon Foster kick)	6	31
2:43	(WMU) Aaron Smith 41-yard pass to Juan Nunez (Kendrick Perry kick)	13	31
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		WMU	CMU
14:01	(WMU) Aaron Smith 26-yard pass to Andy Jones (run failed)	19	31
7:27	(WMU) Aaron Smith 26-yard pass to Nick Davis (Kendrick Perry kick)	26	31
1:01	(CMU) Jon Foster 38-yard field goal	26	34

Western Michigan Broncos PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Aaron Smith 22/37 374 4 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Blake Massey 8 51 6.3 0 Jimmie Houston 3 17 5.6 0 Nick Davis 1 12 12.0 0 Juan Nunez 1 2 2.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Nick Davis 6 145 24.1 1 Jimmie Houston 5 53 10.6 0 Juan Nunez 4 126 31.5 2 Derrick Thorne 3 21 7.0 0 Blake Massey 2 -2 -1.0 0 Andy Jones 1 26 26.0 1 Brandon Ruffin 1 5 5.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD David Bowling 10 0 0 0 Mario Armstrong 10 0 0 0 David Lewis 9 0 0 0 Tom Patrick 6 1 0 0 Andrew Wersel 6 0 0 0 Craig Brooks 2 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Kendrick Perry 0/0 2/2 2 -- PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Dan Preston 6 225 37.5 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Nick Davis 4 85 21.2 0 Juan Nunez 3 91 30.3 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Juan Nunez 2 21 10.5 0

Carnegie Mellon Tartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Gerald Culver 14/24 218 2 1 Kevin Wilson 2/2 31 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Gerald Culver 13 82 6.3 1 Lawrence McIntire 21 60 2.8 1 Nate Satele 9 18 2.0 0 Eddie Williams 1 -1 -1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Eddie Williams 6 116 19.3 1 Travis Sledge 6 113 18.8 0 Kelvin Butler 1 11 11.0 0 David Young 1 7 7.0 0 Brandon Brewer 1 5 5.0 1 Lawrence McIntire 1 -3 -3.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Mark Toth 12 3 1 0 Zac Hood 5 1 0 0 Erik Sellers 5 0 0 0 Bobby Magnum 4 0 0 0 David Brown 3 3 0 0 Chris Hill 3 1 0 0 Jabari London 3 0 1 0 Matt Burnsides 2 2 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Jon Foster 2/3 4/4 10 38 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Andy Fitzhugh 4 180 47.5 2 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Kelvin Butler 3 55 18.3 0 Kyle Holland 2 40 20.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Kelvin Butler 3 12 4.0 0

[RoundingThird]

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

Nice to see this thing still up and running after I haven't posted on here in 2 years! I see you survived a nice little scare there from WMU in the 2nd half

[Careless Whisper]

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

Nice to see this thing still up and running after I haven't posted on here in 2 years! I see you survived a nice little scare there from WMU in the 2nd half

Yes, I'm definitely still trucking along with this! (Albeit, at a slower pace than before, lol.) WMU was a frustrating game for sure, everything seemed to avalanche in that second-half run of theirs but thankfully the talent gap was too big there in the end. Glad that we were able to get that sixth win to seal another bowl bid!

[RolePlayer]

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

Can't believe the season is almost over. Good job avoiding the upset against WMU, tough game for McIntire averaging two yards a carry and the fumble. He's struggled the past few games.

I love the idea you came up for with Kevin Wilson, I think it's something I'll bring into my dynasty.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Can't believe the season is almost over. Good job avoiding the upset against WMU, tough game for McIntire averaging two yards a carry and the fumble. He's struggled the past few games.

I love the idea you came up for with Kevin Wilson, I think it's something I'll bring into my dynasty.

It's hard to believe it's almost over, but it also felt like it draggggggggggged (which is from my doing, obviously ) so I'm ready to finish up strong and move into 2012. McIntire isn't the back that Jim Manning was and he's had some good games this year, but he can easily be upgraded upon should the opportunity arise. It's a little unfair that he's been forced into the lead back role honestly, but Nate Satele has been such a disappointment.

Appreciate the kudos on the Wilson idea - feel like it's a natural move for him to make should the season finish out with Culver as the starter. Glad to be of some inspiration!

[Careless Whisper]

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

Around the NCAA – Week 12 Edition
There’s another twist in the BCS Championship Game race as No. 1 Texas falls at home to No. 12 Clemson, 31-21

ESPN The Magazine Cover Story
Dark Horse – The Razorbacks have proven that they belong among the elite teams.

The top four teams in the BCS standings are all undefeated, which frustrates No. 9 Arkansas and its unblemished 11-0 mark. The Razorbacks, who are coming off a 34-0 blanking of Marshall, haven’t received the same kind of respect as the other unbeatens, but that could change when they travel to No. 10 LSU this week. Senior Collin Klein (153.9 QB rtg., 152-226, 1,618 yards, 20 TD, 3 INT; 129 carries, 838 yards, 11 TD) is a three-year starter at quarterback and part of a two-headed monster on offense, alongside junior runningback Rex Burkhead (179 carries, 1,144 yards, 15 TD; 11 catches, 207 yards, 2 TD). Arkansas also possesses a dynamic duo on defense with their cornerbacks as senior Janoris Jenkins (15 tackles, 3 INT, 2 FR) and junior Morris Claiborne (16 tackles, 3 INT) have 14 career interceptions between the two of them and are future NFL day one or two picks. The Razorbacks have won all their games by double figures outside of a 38-30 victory at Alabama, but LSU will be the first ranked foe they have played.

Top Storylines
#12 Clemson upsets #1 Texas in Austin, 31-21

The BCS Championship Game race took another turn this past Saturday, as No. 12 Clemson went into Austin and walked away with a 31-21 win over No. 1 Texas. The Tigers opened up a 21-7 halftime lead and forced a pair of red zone fumbles from the Longhorns, which were the only two turnovers of the game. Texas tied it with 11:13 left in the first half off a Sam McGuffie seven-yard run, but Clemson answered with a Blaine Gabbert 30-yard strike to Jordan Reed, and the first of those two fumbles led to a Marcus Lattimore 18-yard score to make it 21-7. Lattimore was unstoppable for the Tigers, finishing with 182 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. Gabbert threw for 224 yards and a score on 19-of-29 passing, while his counterpart John Chiles had 254 yards passing and a touchdown on 21-of-39 attempts.

#7 Georgia knocks off #9 Notre Dame, 42-28

No. 7 Georgia kept its faint BCS Championship Game hopes alive with a 42-28 victory over No. 9 Notre Dame. The Bulldogs went down 21-14 when Jimmy Garoppolo scored twice on the ground for the Fighting Irish, but responded with 28 unanswered with two Brandon Bolden touchdown runs and a pair of Logan Gray touchdown passes to win the game. Gray and Bolden were terrific for Georgia, as the redshirt senior quarterback Gray accumulated 410 yards of total offense (310 passing, 100 rushing) and four total touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing), while the fourth-year junior runningback Bolden had 70 rushing yards, two rushing scores, and a 54-yard receiving touchdown. Garoppolo had four total touchdowns (2 passing, 2 rushing) and 302 passing yards for Notre Dame, but three interceptions.

All-Big Ten championship a possibility

Though it’s not the most likely outcome, there is a realistic chance that we have an all-Big Ten matchup in the BCS Championship Game. It requires No. 1 USC (10-0) to lose either at Arizona State (6-4) or against rival No. 15 UCLA (8-2), with No. 2 Penn State (10-0) and No. 3 Michigan (11-0) winning the remainder of their games. The Nittany Lions finish the season at Michigan State (4-7) and against No. 16 Notre Dame (7-3), while the Wolverines host rival No. 25 Ohio State (7-3) in their regular-season finale. PSU boasts veteran stars on offense in redshirt junior quarterback Star Jackson (168.2 QB rtg., 157-251, 2,262 yards, 27 TD, 7 INT), senior runningback Jamie Harper (117 carries, 862 yards, 12 TD; 16 catches, 321 yards, 3 TD), and redshirt senior wide receiver Derek Moye (58 catches, 703 yards, 10 TD), as well as potential defensive All-Americans in senior defensive tackle Chris Handy (38 tackles, 7 sacks, 1 FR, 1 TD), junior linebacker Jelani Jenkins (63 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 FR), and senior safety David Smith (21 tackles, 7 INT). For Michigan, the story starts with true freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel (164.6 QB rtg., 221-345, 2,962 yards, 37 TD, 12 INT; 119 carries, 607 yards, 9 TD), who is currently the Heisman favorite. His offense also features junior runninback Eddie Lacy (108 carries, 736 yards, 6 TD) and freshman wide receiver Allen Robinson II (53 catches, 817 yards, 10 TD), while the defense has redshirt senior linebacker – and 2007 number one recruit – Chris Galippo (52 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 INT, 2 FF, 2 FR, 2 TD) and senior safety Bacarri Rambo (30 tackles, 1 sack, 3 INT, 1 FF, 1 TD).

BCS Rankings
1 | USC (10-0, 0.952)
2 | Penn State (10-0, 0.951)
3 | Michigan (11-0, 0.902)
4 | Miami (Fla.) (11-0, 0.831)
5 | Florida (10-1, 0.807)
6 | Georgia (10-1, 0.757)
7 | Texas (10-1, 0.707)
8 | Clemson (9-2, 0.679)
9 | Arkansas (11-0, 0.645)
10 | Virginia Tech (10-2, 0.611)
11 | LSU (10-1, 0.604)
12 | Texas A&M (9-2, 0.493)
13 | Hawaii (8-2, 0.437)
14 | Virginia (9-3, 0.394)
15 | UCLA (8-2, 0.376)
19 | Boise State (10-1, 0.319; highest-ranked non-BCS team)

Heisman Watch
Johnny Manziel, Fr., QB, Michigan | 164.6 QB rtg., 221-345, 2,962 yards, 37 TD, 12 INT; 119 carries, 607 yards, 9 TD
John Brantley, R-Sr., QB, Florida | 188.2 QB rtg., 194-298, 2,939 yards, 43 TD, 11 INT
Robert Griffin III, R-Jr., QB, Texas Tech | 173.1 QB rtg., 249-377, 3,486 yards, 39 TD, 9 INT; 71 carries, 196 yards, 1 TD
Russell Shepard, Jr., QB, Texas A&M | 159.7 QB rtg., 199-320, 2,989 yards, 30 TD, 19 INT; 110 carries, 516 yards, 7 TD
Curtis Lane, R-Jr., QB, Miami (Fla.) | 160.5 QB rtg., 223-358, 3,165 yards, 32 TD, 10 INT

NCAA Players of the Week
Offensive: Marcus Mariota, Fr., QB, Hawaii | 25-44, 417 yards, 6 TD; 11 carries, 112 yards, 2 TD in 63-7 win at Washington State
Defensive: Jason Workman, Jr., SS, Hawaii | 3 tackles (1 TFL), 2 INT, 1 FF, 1 TD in 63-7 win at Washington State

Injury Report
Peter Pettit, Sr., DT, Ohio | Pinched nerve (2 weeks)
Tony Swaggert, Fr., OLB, New Mexico State | Ruptured disk (season)

Week 12 Notable Top 25 Scores
#17 Wisconsin 34, Michigan State 7
#3 Michigan 49, Northwestern 13
#8 Clemson 31, #7 Texas 21
#6 Georgia 42, #16 Notre Dame 28
#13 Hawaii 63, Washington State 7
#20 Texas Tech 41, Oklahoma 24
#4 Florida 42, Georgia Tech 22
#19 Boise State 34, Idaho 3
#10 LSU 48, Ole Miss 16
#15 UCLA 37, Arizona State 27
#2 Penn State 42, Indiana 24
#11 Virginia Tech 45, #14 Virginia 14
#9 Arkansas 34, Marshall 0
#1 USC 48, California 6

Week 13 National Broadcasts
#7 Texas (10-1) at #12 Texas A&M (9-2) | 11/25, 6:00 PM (Lone Star Showdown; Game of the Week)
#25 Ohio State (7-3) at #3 Michigan (11-0) | 11/26, 12:30 PM (The Game)
Iowa (8-3) at #17 Wisconsin (9-2) | 11/26, 12:30 PM
#14 Virginia (9-2) at #5 Miami (Fla.) (11-0) | 11/26, 3:30 PM
#9 Arkansas (11-0) at #10 LSU (10-1) | 11/26, 6:00 PM (Battle for the Golden Boot)
Florida State (5-6) at #4 Florida (10-1) | 11/26, 8:00 PM (Battle for the Governor’s Cup)
#16 Notre Dame (7-3) at #13 Hawaii (8-2) | 11/26, 8:00 PM
#1 USC (10-0) at Arizona State (6-4) | 11/26, 8:00 PM

[Careless Whisper]

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

Around the MAC – Week 13 Edition
The MAC West Division features a three-way tie with its winner coming down to the results of Week 13

MAC East Standings
#23 Kent State | 11-0, 7-0 MAC
Carnegie Mellon | 6-5, 6-1 MAC
Miami (Ohio) | 6-5, 5-2 MAC
Akron | 6-5, 5-2 MAC
Bowling Green | 7-4, 5-3 MAC
Ohio | 5-6, 4-3 MAC
Buffalo | 3-8, 0-7 MAC

MAC West Standings
Central Michigan | 5-6, 3-4 MAC
Eastern Michigan | 4-7, 3-4 MAC
Northern Illinois | 4-7, 3-4 MAC
Toledo | 4-8, 3-5 MAC
Ball State | 4-7, 2-5 MAC
Western Michigan | 1-10, 1-7 MAC

MAC Players of the Week
Offensive: Adam Gilmore, R-So., QB, Bowling Green | 30-46, 356 yards, 5 TD in 49-17 win at Miami (Ohio)
Defensive: Mark Toth, Sr., MLB, Carnegie Mellon | 12 tackles (3 TFL), 3 sacks, 1 INT, 2 FF in 34-26 win against Western Michigan

Week 12 Scores
Akron 34, Ohio 31
Carnegie Mellon 34, Western Michigan 26
Northern Illinois 28, Toledo 21
Bowling Green 49, Miami (Ohio) 17
Ball State 34, Central Michigan 9
#23 Kent State 31, Vanderbilt 7
North Carolina State 31, Eastern Michigan 17

Week 13 Matchups
Carnegie Mellon (6-5, 6-1) at Northern Illinois (4-7, 3-4) | 11/23, 6:00 PM
Miami (Ohio) (6-5, 5-2) at Ohio (5-6, 4-3) | 11/23, 6:00 PM
Buffalo (3-8, 0-7) at Ball State (4-7, 2-5) | 11/24, 8:00 PM
Missouri (8-2) at Western Michigan (1-10) | 11/26, 3:30 PM
Bowling Green (7-4) at Boston College (7-4) | 11/26, 6:00 PM
#23 Kent State (11-0, 7-0) at Akron (6-5, 5-2) | 11/26, 6:00 PM (Battle for the Wagon Wheel)
Eastern Michigan (4-7, 3-4) at Central Michigan (5-6, 3-4) | 11/26, 6:00 PM

[Careless Whisper]

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

by Jeff Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

Williams, Butler named finalists for respective awards

Carnegie Mellon boasts a pair of national award finalists in wide receivers Eddie Williams and Kelvin Butler. Williams is one of three contenders for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the nation’s top wide receiver, while Butler is looking to continue his reign as the Randy Moss Award winner – the award bestowed to the nation’s best kick returner.

Williams joins Miami (Fla.) redshirt senior Kayne Farquharson (66 catches, 950 yards, 13 TD) and Mississippi State senior Julio Jones (71 catches, 1,205 yards, 16 total TD) as the Biletnikoff finalists. The redshirt sophomore has built off his breakout 2010, accumulating 83 catches, 1,319 yards, and 14 touchdowns, while adding 155 yards and a score on 14 rushes.

Butler sits alongside Florida redshirt senior Chris Rainey (24.6 kick return avg.; 15.0 punt return avg., 1 TD) and Toledo redshirt senior Tim Cortazzo (25.1 kick return avg., 1 TD; 9.7 punt return avg., 1 TD) as the finalists. The sophomore and reigning Randy Moss Award winner has 40 returns for 979 yards and two touchdowns on kickoffs, and 285 yards and a score on 31 punt returns.

Toth named MAC Defensive Player of the Week

For the second time this season, Carnegie Mellon senior linebacker Mark Toth has been named MAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Toth was dominant against Western Michigan, finishing with 12 tackles (3 for loss), three sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception. After surprisingly not receiving All-MAC plaudits as a junior, Toth is the leader in the clubhouse for MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2011 as he has collected 76 tackles, six sacks, five interceptions, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown. The school’s leading tackler has 301 for his career, as well as 25 sacks and 13 interceptions.

This is the fourth MAC Defensive Player of the Week honor in Toth’s career, winning twice in 2010 and most recently following a 49-33 win against Central Michigan this year.

Tartans projected for International Bowl

In the latest edition of bowl rankings, Carnegie Mellon is projected to match up with South Florida in Toronto, Ontario for the International Bowl on Jan. 5, 2012.

South Florida currently sits at 5-5, boasting the 30th ranked pass offense (259.7 YPG) and the 36th ranking in turnover difference (+0.30), but they struggle defensively with poor marks in total defense (100th, 422.0 YPFG) and rush defense (102nd, 162.7 YPG).

The MAC currently has five teams projected for bowls. No. 23 Kent State (11-0) is predicted to play Yale in the Motor City Bowl, Akron (6-5) could see Florida State in the Alamo Bowl, Miami (Ohio) (6-5) projects to match up with Navy in the Insight Bowl, and Bowling Green (7-4) is on a course to play Southern Miss in the GMAC Bowl.

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

[RolePlayer]

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

Freshman are taking over, Johnny Manziel a Heisman runner and Mariota wins player of the week. Marcus Mariota in the Hawaii's offense must be a sight to see.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Freshman are taking over, Johnny Manziel a Heisman runner and Mariota wins player of the week. Marcus Mariota in the Hawaii's offense must be a sight to see.

I'm fully expecting Mariota to win a Heisman in one of the next two seasons, provided Matt Barkley leaves for the draft after this year - that offense is tailor-made for him and Hawaii is already one of the top programs in the Pac-10. Manziel's run has been really interesting to see, because he wasn't the top-rated QB recruit in his class - Mariotta, Prescott, and Bridgewater all had higher ratings - but I guess Michigan had enough talent around him to launch him into Heisman candidacy.