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

[theJackman]

Important visits will happen, I admit the recruit I'm most interested in is Cook, looking forward to seeing if the Tartans can get their hands on him.

[RaiderAid89]

Hey cw I’m glad to see this still going strong since I had been gone. Keep it up

[Careless Whisper]

Quote: Originally Posted by bh446066

This a really cool dynasty, glad I found it. What's it like playing with that momentum meter again? I remember that thing annoying me to death.

Thanks for checking in, I appreciate it! The momentum meter honestly annoys me as well, because it really feels overpowered most of the time. It mostly just brings forth an unrealistic amount of turnovers, because I've had plenty of games where there's 10-12 turnovers between the two teams and we still can put up 40-50 points each. I like the idea of the meter and maybe they can implement it into the new game when it comes, but its execution does more harm than good, IMO.

Quote: Originally Posted by theJackman

Important visits will happen, I admit the recruit I'm most interested in is Cook, looking forward to seeing if the Tartans can get their hands on him.

Absolutely a huge weekend for recruiting. All four are important to get, Morgan Cook in particular would be nice because the TE position is bare behind David Young - though I don't feature them in my offense too much. I think out of the quartet, Doucette might be the most important to sign since I lose both of my starting guards after this season and don't have much talent backing them up.

Quote: Originally Posted by RaiderAid89

Hey cw I’m glad to see this still going strong since I had been gone. Keep it up

Appreciate it, RaiderAid! Things have slowed down a tad because work has been crazy for me, but I'm trying to post at least one game every week or every other week. Should be able to do so this week with no problem, and might be able to get the preview up later this afternoon.

[Careless Whisper]

at
Miami (Ohio) Redhawks (5-4, 4-1 MAC) at Carnegie Mellon Tartans (6-3, 5-0 MAC)
Saturday, November 6, 2010 | 3:30 PM (ET)
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Gesling Stadium | No television

Team Overview (C overall, C offense, C defense)
Miami (Ohio) has emerged as a contender in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East division, sitting at 4-1 with its only defeat coming to Akron. The Redhawks own an impressive season-opening 45-28 win over Northwestern, and defeated Central Michigan (31-7), Northern Illinois (40-10), Eastern Michigan (34-20), and Kent State (31-10) in conference action. However, Miami also was blown out by the Zips, 45-14, after being down 31-7 at halftime, and gave Cincinnati its only win of the season in a 31-3 shellacking.

The Redhawks’ offense is led by a couple of first-year starters in Clay Benton (125.1 QB rtg., 171-295, 1,993 yards, 19 TD, 16 INT) and Thomas Merriweather (122 carries, 821 yards, 4 TD; 11 catches, 154 yards, 1 TD). Benton, a redshirt junior, has a talented an experienced receiving corps to throw to, led by four-year starter Armand Robinson (59 catches, 551 yards, 8 TD). Robinson has tallied 2,318 yards and 26 touchdowns on 233 career receptions, and he’s flanked opposite of fellow redshirt senior Donovan Potter (54 catches, 637 yards, 6 TD). In the slot are senior Rob Reiland (34 catches, 398 yards, 2 TD) and redshirt junior Chris Givens (16 catches, 248 yards, 2 TD).

Fifth-year senior Caleb Bostic (60 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 2 FF, 1 TD) leads the defense as a four-year starter who has accumulated 195 tackles, six sacks, and four interceptions over his career. Beside him in the linebacker group is sophomore Edward Palmer (39 tackles, 1 FR), who despite being five-foot-nine, is a playmaker that had 71 tackles, three sacks, and an interception as a freshman. The pass rush is led by redshirt senior Jordan Stevens (40 tackles, 3 sacks) and fourth-year junior Matt Kajmowicz (33 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD) on the edges, and fifth-year Alex Stewart (23 tackles, 3 sacks) in the middle. Three Redhawks have run back interceptions for touchdowns in the secondary, including true freshman Craig Mitchell (18 tackles, 2 INT, 1 FR, 1 TD), who has been solid as a rookie.

True freshman Doug Peterson (1-3 FG, 8-9 XP) won the kicking job from classmate Calvin Russell (7-12 FG, 20-21 XP) in fall camp, but Russell has taken it back after the former’s early struggles. Sophomore punter Johnny Duncan (37 punts, 1,624 yards, 43.9 avg., 11 inside 20) has been one of the MAC’s best in 2010, while Robinson (27 kick returns, 638 yards; 16 punt returns, 129 yards) has scored before on a kickoff return in his career.

Season Results
09/04 | at Northwestern | W, 45-28
09/11 | MINNESOTA | L, 20-49
09/18 | at Boise State | L, 14-45
09/25 | at Central Michigan * | W, 31-7
10/02 | at Cincinnati | L, 3-31
10/09 | NORTHERN ILLINOIS * | W, 40-10
10/16 | at Akron * | L, 14-45
10/23 | EASTERN MICHIGAN * | W, 34-20
10/30 | KENT STATE * | W, 31-10

PFF Top Five
Armand Robinson, R-Sr., WR (87)
Caleb Bostic, R-Sr., OLB (87)
Donovan Potter, R-Sr., WR (86)
Dexter Korto, R-Sr., OLB (86)
Scott Fountain, Jr., OT (85)

Injury Report
Miami (Ohio): Brandon Harris, So., TE (broken tailbone – 4 weeks; medical redshirt); Chris Barrett, Fr., OT (strained back – 5 weeks; medical redshirt); Cornelius Ward, R-Jr., CB (broken jaw – 6 weeks)
Carnegie Mellon: Jon Crowell, R-So., CB (dislocated ankle – season)

Suspensions
Miami (Ohio): Willie Vincent, R-So., WR (academics – 3 games)
Carnegie Mellon: None

[smellbig]

Quote: Originally Posted by Careless Whisper

Thanks for checking in, I appreciate it! The momentum meter honestly annoys me as well, because it really feels overpowered most of the time. It mostly just brings forth an unrealistic amount of turnovers, because I've had plenty of games where there's 10-12 turnovers between the two teams and we still can put up 40-50 points each. I like the idea of the meter and maybe they can implement it into the new game when it comes, but its execution does more harm than good, IMO.

Holy crap, I forgot all about that. I would love to see it remastered for the new EA game but yeah it's got some problems.

[moose141]

Hopefully, it's just some focus on the season at hand that has kept Elliott from the extension he deserves, as he has architected this rise! I know he is on the more senior side of the coaching tree, though, so it would be interesting to see if Nottingham potentially becomes the guy to take the reigns in the future, maybe CMU is trying to keep him on board, especially with how he has turned the offense around I'm sure some big boys are starting to eye him up!

Funny thing with senior night, other than Keyes, Crosby, and Temple there was a lot of me looking at that list and going, "Who?", haha. A couple of solid receivers for the Redhawks might make this game a bit more high scoring than what you have seen lately, but their QB seems to be a bit turnover happy which should play right into your defense's strengths. Looking forward to you inching closer to sealing the division crown, expecting big fireworks for Keyes in his sendoff at Gesling Stadium!

[Careless Whisper]

Quote: Originally Posted by moose141

Hopefully, it's just some focus on the season at hand that has kept Elliott from the extension he deserves, as he has architected this rise! I know he is on the more senior side of the coaching tree, though, so it would be interesting to see if Nottingham potentially becomes the guy to take the reigns in the future, maybe CMU is trying to keep him on board, especially with how he has turned the offense around I'm sure some big boys are starting to eye him up! Funny thing with senior night, other than Keyes, Crosby, and Temple there was a lot of me looking at that list and going, "Who?", haha. A couple of solid receivers for the Redhawks might make this game a bit more high scoring than what you have seen lately, but their QB seems to be a bit turnover happy which should play right into your defense's strengths. Looking forward to you inching closer to sealing the division crown, expecting big fireworks for Keyes in his sendoff at Gesling Stadium!

Hahaha I know there were a few guys that got added to the roster when I had to change games, so guys like Cabral, Sanders, and Justin White weren't on the NCAA 07 file. But you're right, the class itself is really made up of three players - though that's not surprising considering I only signed 10 that year! Miami should provide a solid challenge, but as you said their QB is pretty turnover happy and that should play into the hands of my defense. As for the Elliott extension news (or lack thereof), I'm pretty sure I have an idea on what direction I want to go on that front, so everything should make more sense at the end of the season!

[Careless Whisper]

Big Plays Lead to Senior Day Blowout
CMU scored three 50+ yard touchdowns and five additional 30+ yard ones move to 6-0 in the MAC



Senior cornerback Hayden Temple intercepted three passes, breaking Calvin Burton's school record for interceptions in the win. (Jared Jones / Getty Images)

by Alicia Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Carnegie Mellon continued its march towards the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division title this afternoon, as the Tartans outscored Miami (Ohio), 28-3, over a span of nearly 20 minutes to defeat the Redhawks, 56-37, this afternoon on Senior Day from Gesling Stadium.

Five of Carnegie Mellon’s (7-3, 6-0 MAC) eight touchdowns were 30 yards or longer, with three of them covering over half of the field. The Tartans started slow offensively with a three-and-out and Stephen Carter fumble, but Mark Toth’s 95-yard pick six midway through the first quarter squashed Miami’s (5-5, 4-2 MAC) early upset hopes. The Redhawks would answer CMU’s 21-0 start with 21 unanswered points of their own, only to see Eddie Williams swing the pendulum back in the hosts’ favor with a 55-yard run to make it 28-21 with 5:20 left in the half.

“Really loved the effort of the guys today,” said CMU head coach John Elliott. “We didn’t get off to the best start, and knew that Miami would come out with a purpose since they’re still in the hunt for the division. Our veterans and youth both stepped up today and really made some big momentum-shifting plays. I know that the younger guys really wanted to send this senior class out with a win, but I also know the senior class themselves were more motivated heading into this one.”

Following Toth’s 95-yard interception return, the Tartans forced a three-and-out and gave the keys to their quarterback Justin Keyes, who broke off a pair of long runs on the ensuing drive, including a 39-yard scamper to make it 14-0. Toth and Matt Burnsides then halted a promising Miami drive with back-to-back sacks, and Kelvin Butler sprung a 76-yard punt return touchdown – his second in as many weeks – to push the gap to 21-0 in the early stages of the second quarter.

The Redhawks had an answer shortly after Clay Benton connected with Armand Robinson on a 66-yard bomb to make it 21-7, then following a Nate Satele fumble, Donovan Potter took a backwards pass 45 yards to the house to make it a one-score game. A Keyes interception allowed Miami to keep the train rolling, and the visitors took advantage with a Benton 17-yard pass to Rob Reiland, tying the game at 21-21 with 9:03 left in the half.

Following a CMU three-and-out, Hayden Temple stopped the bleeding defensively by snagging an errant deep pass, giving him a program-record 18th career interception. Williams scored on the aforementioned jet sweep shortly after to put the Tartans back in front, and Temple snagged his second pick in as many possessions. While that didn’t lead to points, the hosts knocked Benton out of the game on their next drive and possession soon went back to CMU. It seemed as if the halftime tally would be 28-21, but Korey Harper dove on a fumble forced by Carter on the punt team with 36 seconds left, and Keyes found Issac Schroeder and Travis Sledge for completions – the latter being a 5-yard one in the corner of the end zone.

The special teams unit continued its big day as Bobby Magnum forced a fumble on the second-half kickoff and Schroeder recovered, leading to a Keyes 16-yard touchdown pass to Williams. Temple intercepted his third pass of the afternoon later in the fourth quarter, and Keyes put the game to bed at the start of the fourth quarter with a 32-yard touchdown scramble. While Miami managed to score twice against CMU’s second defensive unit, a late timeout by the Redhawks gave the Tartans the final score as Lawrence McIntire found paydirt in the closing seconds.

“We were just trying to run the clock out that entire fourth quarter pretty much,” said Elliott. “Not sure why they wanted to extend the game, but I figured if they thought they could come back from 12 points down with 30 seconds to go, we might as well put the game away.”

Keyes celebrated his Senior Day in style, compiling 341 yards of total offense (161 pass, 180 rush) and four touchdowns (2 pass, 2 rush). His classmate Temple topped Calvin Burton’s school record for interceptions with three and added five tackles, while Toth collected seven tackles, his aforementioned pick six, and a trio of the team’s nine sacks.

Carnegie Mellon will be off this coming week before finishing the regular season with a pair of road contests, starting with a Saturday, November 20 matchup at Kent State.

Miami (OH) RedHawks at Carnegie Mellon Tartans
Nov 6, 2010	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Miami (OH) RedHawks (5-5, 4-2 MAC)	0	21	3	13	37
Carnegie Mellon Tartans (7-3, 6-0 MAC)	14	21	7	14	56

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		M-OH	CMU
8:41	(CMU) Mark Toth 95-yard interception return (Jon Foster kick)	0	7
5:38	(CMU) Justin Keyes 39-yard run (Jon Foster kick)	0	14
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		M-OH	CMU
14:11	(CMU) Kelvin Butler 76-yard punt return (Jon Foster kick)	0	21
13:13	(M-OH) Clay Benton 66-yard pass to Armand Robinson (Calvin Russell kick)	7	21
12:59	(M-OH) Donovan Potter 45-yard run (Calvin Russell kick)	14	21
9:03	(M-OH) Clay Benton 17-yard pass to Rob Reiland (Calvin Russell kick)	21	21
5:20	(CMU) Eddie Williams 55-yard run (Jon Foster kick)	21	28
0:16	(CMU) Justin Keyes 5-yard pass to Travis Sledge (Jon Foster kick)	21	35
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		M-OH	CMU
14:38	(CMU) Justin Keyes 16-yard pass to Eddie Williams (Jon Foster kick)	21	42
10:27	(M-OH) Calvin Russell 39-yard field goal	24	42
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		M-OH	CMU
14:50	(CMU) Justin Keyes 32-yard run (Jon Foster kick)	24	49
12:12	(M-OH) yler Byers 41-yard pass to Rob Reiland (Calvin Russell kick)	31	49
5:29	(M-OH) Tyler Byers 7-yard run (pass failed)	37	49
0:23	(CMU) Lawrence McIntire 2-yard run (Jon Foster kick)	37	56

Carnegie Mellon Tartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Justin Keyes 13/27 161 2 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Justin Keyes 18 180 18.0 2 Lawrence McIntire 19 61 3.2 1 Eddie Williams 1 55 55.0 1 Nate Satele 4 10 2.5 0 Brandon Brewer 1 3 3.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Eddie Williams 6 73 12.1 1 Travis Sledge 4 32 8.0 1 Stephen Carter 2 23 11.5 0 Issac Schroeder 1 33 33.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Erik Sellers 10 0 0 0 Mark Toth 7 3 1 1 Aaron Crosby 6 1 0 0 Hayden Temple 5 0 3 0 Zac Hood 4 2 0 0 Rob Jones 3 1 0 0 David Brown 2 1 0 0 Matt Burnsides 1 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Jon Foster 0/0 8/8 8 -- PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Andy Fitzhugh 5 175 35.0 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Kelvin Butler 5 89 17.7 0 Stephen Carter 1 21 21.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Kelvin Butler 3 76 25.3 1

Miami (OH) Redhawks PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Clay Benton 22/44 278 1 4 Tyler Byers 4/6 91 1 0 Brian Greenway 0/2 0 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Donovan Potter 1 45 45.0 1 Thomas Merriweather 8 35 4.3 0 Tyler Byers 6 25 4.1 1 Clay Benton 6 8 1.3 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Armand Robinson 6 130 21.6 1 Rob Reiland 6 105 17.5 1 Donovan Potter 6 78 13.0 0 Chris Givens 4 47 11.7 0 Thomas Merriweather 2 6 3.0 0 Scott Barron 2 3 1.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Ben Bennett 9 0 0 0 Dexter Korto 8 0 0 0 Caleb Bostic 8 0 0 0 Josh Krauth 7 0 0 0 Ryan Kennedy 5 1 0 0 Jordan Stevens 5 1 0 0 Craig Mitchell 4 0 1 0 Edward Palmer 3 1 0 0 Matt Kaimowicz 3 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Calvin Russell 1/1 4/4 7 39 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Johnny Duncan 8 286 35.7 2 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Armand Robinson 7 140 20.0 0 Donovan Potter 1 44 44.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Armand Robinson 4 7 1.7 0