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

[studbucket]

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

Well, I know you don't want to discount an opponent, but EMU seems like an especially weak conference championship contender. Hopefully this can be a two score victory or more and Eddie Williams can have a bit of a celebration as he breaks the receiving yards record and looks to lock up a Heisman.

[Deuce2223]

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

Good to see this starting back up. Looking forward to Eddie getting a chance finally finish out his Heisman campaign...

[Careless Whisper]

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

Well, I know you don't want to discount an opponent, but EMU seems like an especially weak conference championship contender. Hopefully this can be a two score victory or more and Eddie Williams can have a bit of a celebration as he breaks the receiving yards record and looks to lock up a Heisman.

They are certainly weak on paper, and it doesn't hurt that they are only in the game because of Ball State's bowl ban. But as I mentioned in the preview, I can't take them lightly because that CMU was that heavy underdog just a few years ago and we nearly beat an undefeated Toledo team who had a Heisman-finalist QB. Williams has been the Heisman favorite for some time now, but he also need a great game to secure the hardware, as I'm sure Jordan Jefferson could win it if he plays well and gets Mizzou to the national title game.

Good to see this starting back up. Looking forward to Eddie getting a chance finally finish out his Heisman campaign...

Appreciate it, Deuce! Certainly didn't expect to take 1.5 years to play out this season, but I'm committed to finishing it and keep this going even now that we have a new game. I've played out the rest of this season (and some games of the next season already) and am super excited to report on it!

[moose141]

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

I'm quick replying on page 126 of 130 for me (so I don't spoil things) just to say CW I have missed you and have been so sad to have forsaken this forum, so glad to have found myself back here again and enjoy the finale of the Eddie Williams saga and see how the season shakes out for the Tartans!

[moose141]

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

Okay just caught completely up, what a TEASE that we're still itching for the conference title game and the Heisman ceremony! Need that like I need oxygen to breathe...

That said, what a season so far. Eddie just the legend that he is continuing to dominate but the emergence of Wilson in the final few weeks of the season has been insane. Feels like the guy is throwing 4+ TD, 0 INT games now in his sleep. Huge boost for your team to finally have a QB throwing that consistently, and it's a shame that the game is underrating you and keeping you pegged for such a weak bowl game. Just gotta finish strong!

[Bigsheen]

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

Absolutely ready to see this MAC Championship game play out! Should be a cruise for CMU, but definitely want to see a big performance out of Williams to get him his Heisman moment.

Having been away from the boards myself for awhile, now that I'm back, I truly love your layout and attention to detail.

[Careless Whisper]

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

I'm quick replying on page 126 of 130 for me (so I don't spoil things) just to say CW I have missed you and have been so sad to have forsaken this forum, so glad to have found myself back here again and enjoy the finale of the Eddie Williams saga and see how the season shakes out for the Tartans!

Okay just caught completely up, what a TEASE that we're still itching for the conference title game and the Heisman ceremony! Need that like I need oxygen to breathe...

That said, what a season so far. Eddie just the legend that he is continuing to dominate but the emergence of Wilson in the final few weeks of the season has been insane. Feels like the guy is throwing 4+ TD, 0 INT games now in his sleep. Huge boost for your team to finally have a QB throwing that consistently, and it's a shame that the game is underrating you and keeping you pegged for such a weak bowl game. Just gotta finish strong!

Appreciate the kind words, moose - missed having you on here! It's been a special season and you can really see the difference in talent now with my recruiting classes compared to the rest of the MAC. Wilson's stability at quarterback has been a nice surprise over the second half of the year - would've liked for him to be a little less interception-prone prior to this season, but I'll take what I can get. As for the conference title game, you'll see it was one that played out awfully similar to a past game in this report...

Absolutely ready to see this MAC Championship game play out! Should be a cruise for CMU, but definitely want to see a big performance out of Williams to get him his Heisman moment.

Having been away from the boards myself for awhile, now that I'm back, I truly love your layout and attention to detail.

Really nice to hear that, Bigsheen - thank you! My attention to detail is something I pride myself on, and I'm glad that it helps enhance the following of this report. Doing all the research on CMU's rich history is half the fun in this.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Topsy-Turvy Tartans Escape Detroit as MAC Champions
No. 23 Carnegie Mellon turned the ball over seven times, but scored the game’s final 10 points to claim its first MAC title



Left: Tartans cornerback Jon Crowell outraces the Eastern Michigan special teams on his momentum-shifting 78-yard punt return touchdown in the third quarter. /
Right: Heisman Trophy favorite Eddie Williams turns the corner on what would be the game-winning score for CMU. (Marie Thompson / Getty Images)

by Jayson Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter

DETROIT, Mich. -- All week leading up to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship Game, the message from Carnegie Mellon head coach Jules Nottingham was simple: “Remember 2009. Don’t take your opponent lightly.”

Three years ago in Detroit, Carnegie Mellon was the team that was dismissed by undefeated Toledo, but the underdog Tartans controlled the game until the very end where the Rockets’ talent won out. Tonight, the roles were reversed, as it was MAC West Division runner-up Eastern Michigan throwing haymaker after haymaker, but in the end No. 23 Carnegie Mellon secured its first MAC championship with a 34-28 victory over the Eagles.

Carnegie Mellon (12-1, 8-0 MAC) never trailed Eastern Michigan (5-8, 5-3 MAC) by more than four points over the course of the contest, but seven turnovers gave it a mountain to climb. The Tartans tossed five interceptions, fumbled the ball away twice, and was stopped on fourth down twice as a part of their mistakes – however, their defense forced six turnovers, and as mistake-prone as their offense was, they held a distinct 35:15 to 24:45 advantage in time of possession that limited the Eagles’ opportunities.

“Certainly not the way we thought the game would go, but we’re obviously satisfied with the result,” said Nottingham. “There were a lot of nerves out there and all the credit goes out to Eastern Michigan for how they played. If this game was played the exact same way nine more times, chances are (Eastern Michigan) would have come out with the win more often than not. We’re thrilled to have achieved our goal of MAC champions and look to finish this season on a high note in the bowl.”

The game’s plot was hinted at on CMU’s opening drive as Lawrence McIntire was stuffed on fourth down from the EMU 34-yard line. The defense responded with a pair of clutch sacks by Matt Butler and Nathan Ford to force the Eagles into a turnover on downs, but Kevin Wilson threw his first interception on the very next play to give EMU the ball on the Tartans’ 25-yard line.

The Eagles returned the favor with Tom Bowie’s first of four picks on the night, with Jabari London snagging his first of two at his team’s four-yard line. Wilson then dug his offense out of a hole by connecting with Travis Sledge for 39 yards, and four plays later he found McIntire on a wheel route for a 38-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.

Wilson’s second interception came on an underthrow to begin the second quarter, but CMU’s defense held strong and forced a three-and-out. The senior then extended a drive with a 48-yard pass to Eddie Williams on third down, but the trek ended up scoreless when Gerald Culver was stopped on fourth down from the EMU seven-yard line. The Eagles responded with an eight-play, 93-yard journey ending in a Maurice Kearney 10-yard run with 1:14 remaining in the half, and Wilson threw pick number three at the end of the frame on an overthrow to Williams.

Williams made a rare error on the first Tartans drive of the second half, fumbling the ball on a jet sweep with EMU taking over at the CMU 49-yard line. Three plays later, the Eagles were ahead 14-7 when Bowie found Quintin Johnson for a 35-yard touchdown. That seemed to wake up the MAC East Division champions, with Joseph Love’s 35-yard field goal followed by a 78-yard punt return touchdown by Jon Crowell and a 66-yard pick six from little-used cornerback Aaron Webb to swing the score in favor of the Tartans, 24-14, with 12:47 left in regulation.

That lead lasted all of 28 seconds. EMU scored on its next offensive play, as Bowie took advantage of blown coverage to find Erik Davis for a 78-yard score. McIntire then fumbled on CMU’s ensuing possession, and Bowie hooked up with Matt Dowdell for a 16-yard touchdown to make it 28-24 in favor of the Eagles with 12:19 on the clock.

The Tartans regrouped after the momentum swing, slowly churning out a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped by a Williams four-yard touchdown run on the jet sweep, making it 31-28 CMU. Webb then collected his second career interception to set the Tartans up inside the red zone, only for Wilson to throw his fifth interception and give EMU a lifeline.

Bowie converted a pair of third downs to put the Eagles on the CMU half of the field, but Matt Burnsides made sure his only tackle of the game was an important one, forcing and recovering a fumble on Kearney. The Tartans tacked on a 25-yard field goal from Love with 1:46 remaining, and on EMU’s ensuing kickoff return, Tim Wright punched the ball out and it was recovered by Graham Taylor to seal the game.

Williams finished the evening with 158 yards on 12 receptions and the game-winning touchdown run, breaking the NCAA single-season and career receiving yards marks in the process. Sledge was also over the century mark in receiving yards, compiling 103 on six catches.

“There is no one more deserving of the Heisman Trophy than Eddie Williams,” added Nottingham in his post-game interview on ESPN. “He has proven time and time again that he is the best player in America and dominates no matter what level the competition is. A 12-catch game with one touchdown is a quiet game by his standards, and yet he was able to deliver when it mattered the most.”

Wilson finished with 325 yards passing on 22-of-44 attempts with his first-quarter touchdown and five interceptions. Bowie had 288 passing yards on 13-of-28 attempts, three scores, and four picks.

The MAC title is Carnegie Mellon’s 15th conference championship in program history, and its first since it won the University Athletic Association (UAA) title in 1997.

The No. 23-ranked Tartans and their 12-1 record will now await their bowl fate, which is to be determined tomorrow.

Eastern Michigan Eagles at Carnegie Mellon Tartans
Dec 8, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Eastern Michigan Eagles (5-8, 5-3 MAC)	0	7	7	14	28
#23 Carnegie Mellon Tartans (12-1, 8-0 MAC)	7	0	10	17	34

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		EMU	CMU
1:23	(CMU) Kevin Wilson 38-yard pass to Lawrence McIntire (Joseph Love kick)	0	7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		EMU	CMU
1:14	(EMU) Maurice Kearney 10-yard run (Corey Thomas kick)	7	7
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		EMU	CMU
9:48	(EMU) Tom Bowie 35-yard pass to Quintin Johnson (Corey Thomas kick)	14	7
4:55	(CMU) Joseph Love 35-yard field goal	14	10
2:53	(CMU) Jon Crowell 78-yard punt return (Joseph Love kick)	14	17
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		EMU	CMU
12:47	(CMU) Aaron Webb 66-yard interception return (Joseph Love kick)	14	24
12:34	(EMU) Tom Bowie 78-yard pass to Erik Davis (Corey Thomas kick)	21	24
12:19	(EMU) Tom Bowie 16-yard pass to Matt Dowdell (Corey Thomas kick)	28	24
6:20	(CMU) Eddie Williams 4-yard run (Joseph Love kick)	28	31
1:46	(CMU) Joseph Love 25-yard field goal	28	34

Eastern Michigan Eagles PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Tom Bowie 13/28 288 3 4 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Maurice Kearney 15 95 6.3 1 Billy Young 1 -3 -3.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Erik Davis 4 131 32.7 1 Quintin Johnson 3 105 35.0 1 Brian Thomas 3 15 5.0 0 Matt Dowdell 2 30 15.0 1 Lou Benson 1 7 7.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Hassan Gold 8 0 0 0 Ryan Ealy 6 0 1 0 Chase Ogletree 6 0 0 0 Ryan Bentley 5 0 0 0 Sam Miller 5 1 0 0 Brendan Bridges 4 0 2 0 Vincent Gaddis 3 0 1 0 David Warren 3 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Corey Thomas 0/0 4/4 4 -- PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Mark Fields 4 172 43.0 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Brian Thomas 3 62 20.6 0 Tony Miller 2 39 19.5 0 Erik Davis 2 38 19.0 0

Carnegie Mellon Tartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Kevin Wilson 22/44 325 1 5 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Lawrence McIntire 13 28 2.1 0 Eddie Williams 4 21 5.2 1 Gerald Culver 3 9 3.0 0 Jeff Gilmore 1 8 8.0 0 Clay Armstrong 2 6 3.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Eddie Williams 12 158 13.1 0 Travis Sledge 6 103 17.1 0 Lawrence McIntire 2 40 20.0 1 Chris Smith 2 24 12.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Jabari London 7 0 2 0 Zac Hood 6 1 0 0 Matt Butler 5 1 0 0 Graham Taylor 4 0 0 0 Brandon Williams 3 0 0 0 Aaron Webb 2 0 2 1 Nathan Ford 1 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Joseph Love 2/2 4/4 10 35 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Kyle Holland 4 70 17.5 0 Jeff Gilmore 1 50 50.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Jon Crowell 3 106 35.3 1

[studbucket]

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

7 turnovers but still winning, wow! The Titans did that in 2000 over the Browns, no clue the last time in happened in the NCAA.

Things will definitely need to be cleaned up for next game. Was the team just too aggressive? Unlucky? Or uncharacteristically sloppy?

[Deuce2223]

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

Congrats on finally getting that MAC title. You were due. Big game for Williams and yes he is the most deserved but sadly sometimes that doesn't mean he wins.

Looking forward to seeing the Bowl matchup.

[redsox907]

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

Those 7 turnover games are always frustrating in the moment, but extra satisfying when you grind out the W. Nice job finally breaking through the MAC

[Careless Whisper]

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

7 turnovers but still winning, wow! The Titans did that in 2000 over the Browns, no clue the last time in happened in the NCAA.

Things will definitely need to be cleaned up for next game. Was the team just too aggressive? Unlucky? Or uncharacteristically sloppy?

Nice stat pull! Hard to believe it's happened at any level of football, especially with that Titans-Browns gap of 7-to-1 in the turnover department. At least I was able to force six to help my cause!

I was defensively too aggressive and tried to put the game away early, but some shotty play-calling and Wilson's inaccuracy returning also hurt. This game can certainly get too turnover-happy with the momentum meter, and as I continued to make mistakes and failed to pull away, it made it harder to come away with a win. Outside of the excess number of turnovers, it really was like the 2009 MAC title game, IMO.

Congrats on finally getting that MAC title. You were due. Big game for Williams and yes he is the most deserved but sadly sometimes that doesn't mean he wins.

Looking forward to seeing the Bowl matchup.

Appreciate it, Deuce - it's been a long time coming! Hard to believe I started this dynasty losing 42-3 to Youngstown State and now we're nationally-ranked, but the build has been a satisfying one. Hopefully the voters saw enough from Williams to give him the Heisman - to be revealed soon!

As for the bowl matchup, that'll come in time, but I will say it is a veryyyyyyy intriguing one.

Those 7 turnover games are always frustrating in the moment, but extra satisfying when you grind out the W. Nice job finally breaking through the MAC

Thanks redsox, much appreciated! Very frustrating game with the number of turnovers - both being on the sticks and from a realism standpoint - but pulling out the win was what mattered the most.

Got quite a few posts to put together before we reveal the Heisman results and move into the bowl game - will have those up over the next week or so, starting with the All-MAC one now.

[Careless Whisper]

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

Tartans Sweep League Awards, Flood All-MAC Teams with 17 Selections
Eddie Williams, Matt Burnsides, and Robert Wall collected all three major MAC awards for the champion Tartans

by Jeff Greenberg, Carnegie Mellon insider for Rivals.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Carnegie Mellon’s historic 2012 campaign was rewarded richly this afternoon, as the No. 22 Tartans swept the Mid-American Conference (MAC) major awards and placed a total of 17 players on either the All-MAC First or Second Team. Redshirt junior wide receiver Eddie Williams repeated as the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, senior defensive tackle Matt Burnsides claimed Defensive Player of the Year, and rookie cornerback Robert Wall was named the MAC Freshman of the Year.

Williams, a finalist for the Heisman Memorial Trophy, has stamped his name as college football’s greatest ever wide receiver this season. He leads the nation in all receiving categories with 117 receptions, 2,100 yards, and 23 touchdowns – with the yards mark being a new NCAA FBS record. Williams added four rushing touchdowns for a total of 27 scores, which also paces all of NCAA Division I. This is the Altoona, Pa. native’s second MAC Offensive Player of the Year honor, coupling them with the 2010 MAC Freshman of the Year and soon-to-be three Associated Press All-America nods. He also owns the NCAA career records for receiving yards (5,049) and receiving touchdowns (52).

Burnsides makes it two consecutive seasons that a Tartan collected the MAC Defensive Player of the Year award. The senior defensive tackle has amassed 35 tackles (18 for loss), nine sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery this season. He was the 2009 MAC Freshman of the Year following an eight-sack campaign, then made the Associated Press All-America Second Team in 2010 after collecting 49 tackles (26 for loss), 12 sacks, and two forced fumbles. The Hyattsville, Md. product is now a four-time All-MAC First Team selection, compiling 38 sacks over his career, which broke the school record held by former teammate David Brown.

Wall gives CMU its fourth MAC Freshman of the Year in five seasons, joining Burnsides (2009), Williams (2010), and Mark Toth (2008). The playmaking cornerback has snagged six interceptions this season, five of which coming in a five-game span including two at Central Michigan. The College Park, Md. native has also accumulated 31 tackles (4 for loss) and a sack against rival Pittsburgh in his debut campaign.

Including Williams, Burnsides, and Wall, the Tartans totaled nine players on the All-MAC First Team. Redshirt junior guard Ricky Fields was the other offensive representative after Pro Football Focus (PFF) marked him with 15 pancakes and just three sacks allowed. The entire starting secondary joined Wall on the First Team with redshirt senior cornerback Jon Crowell (34 tackles [3 TFL], 4 INT, 1 TD), redshirt sophomore free safety Jabari London (45 tackles [1 TFL], 7 INT, 1 FF), and fifth-year strong safety Bobby Magnum (43 tackles, 4 INT, 1 FF) earning the honors. CMU had two special teams representatives in true freshman kicker Joseph Love (12-15 FG, 72-73 XP, 108 points) and junior return specialist Kelvin Butler (26 kick returns, 683 yards, 1 TD; 36 punt returns, 372 yards, 1 TD).

The All-MAC Second Team offense featured junior tailback Lawrence McIntire (216 carries, 1,015 yards, 10 TD; 23 catches, 269 yards, 3 TD), sophomore guard Collin Bell (7 pancakes, 2 sacks allowed), and senior center Joey Muhammad (13 pancakes, 3 sacks allowed). There were five Tartans on the Second Team defense: redshirt sophomore defensive end Jordan Gibson (29 tackles [7 TFL], 4 sacks, 1 FF), senior defensive end Zac Hood (24 tackles [5 TFL], 5 sacks), freshman defensive tackle Mario Williams (25 tackles [13 TFL], 7 sacks, 2 FF), junior linebacker Brandon Williams (64 tackles [12 TFL], 2 sacks, 2 INT, 3 FF, 1 FR), and third-year cornerback Rob Jones (31 tackles [5 TFL], 5 INT).

CMU previously had 11 players named All-MAC in 2011, 10 players in 2010, and seven in 2009.

[studbucket]

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

If I remember correctly, Williams is also a baseball player, is that right? Has his football success had him give up the other sport? It's been a remarkable season.

What are his measurements? Is he more Calvin Johnson or Jerry Rice in his style?

[Careless Whisper]

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

If I remember correctly, Williams is also a baseball player, is that right? Has his football success had him give up the other sport? It's been a remarkable season.

What are his measurements? Is he more Calvin Johnson or Jerry Rice in his style?

You are correct! I can't reveal what I'm going to do with Williams regarding baseball yet, but football is easily his priority. In the Sports Illustrated feature I wrote for him, he said the logistics have to be perfect (such as playing for a NFL and MLB team in the same city) in order to consider a pro baseball career - if he can even make it to that level.

Williams stands in at 6'3", 215 pounds and is definitely more of a Calvin Johnson type - in fact, that's probably the best player comparison for him. He's not the fastest but his leaping ability and hands make him a man amongst boys in the MAC. On jet sweeps, he can bend the corner and truck a linebacker, but won't race down the sideline untouched very often. He's a really fascinating player - he was listed as an athlete in recruiting and I probably could have played him his freshman year, but the redshirt year + spring training drills (mini games in the offseason that helps boost a player's attributes) + the in-season progression has turned him into maybe the best player I've ever had in any NCAA Football game.