Football Takes Care of Ohio Wesleyan, 41-10
(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team hosted Ohio Wesleyan University Saturday, October 8, and scored on its first five possessions of the game on the way to a 41-10 victory over the Battling Bishops. The Tartans are now 4-2 while Ohio Wesleyan drops to 1-5. The win moves the Tartans one win away from 500 in the history of the program.
The Tartans opened the game with a 10-play, 57-yard drive that took five minutes off the clock, as junior running back Jake Nardone (Beaver, Pa./Beaver Area) found the end zone on a 2-yard plunge giving the home team a 7-0 lead.
On Ohio Wesleyan's second play from scrimmage, Mason Espinosa's pass was intercepted by junior Vincent Brown (Duluth, Ga./Peachtree Ridge) setting up the Tartans at the Bishops' 29-yard line. Seven plays later, senior running back Chris Garcia (Albuquerque, N.M./Valley) made the score 14-0 on a 1-yard run.
After the Tartans held OWU to a three and out, the Cardinal and Gray made the score 20-0, as junior running back Patrick Blanks (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) capped off an eight-play, 69-yard drive with a 24-yard scamper down the sideline in which he broke several tackles on his way into the end zone. The second Bishop turnover of the game led to another Nardone touchdown run, this time from 11 yards out. Nardone's score made the score 27-0 with 12:51 to play in the half.
The Bishops got on the scoreboard before the end of the half, as they put together a 21-play, 63-yard drive that took 9:34 off the clock, but had to settle for a 41-yard field goal off the foot of Miles MacKenzie. MacKenzie's kick made the score 27-3 with 3:06 to play in the half.
Before the end of the half, the Tartans extended their lead to 34-3. Garcia scored on a 1-yard dive overtop of the line with 30 seconds left on the clock. His score came one play after sophomore quarterback Rob Kalkstein (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) connected with junior wide receiver Alex Lum (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) on a 32-yard pass play on fourth and one.
Junior running back Jared Delello (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) made the score 41-3 after a 9-yard run, capping off a four-play, 47-yard drive at the 4:50 mark of the third quarter.
Ohio Wesleyan was the last to score on the night when Espinosa found Rayce Risser on a 9-yard touchdown reception making the score 41-10.
Carnegie Mellon totaled 422 yards of total offense with 300 coming by way of the rushing attack. Garcia finished with 76 yards and two scores while moving into 13th on the all-time school rushing list with 1,439 career yards. Blanks ended the game with 73 yards and a score.
Defensively, sophomore inside linebacker Eric Rolfes (Cincinnati, Ohio/Madeira) led the Tartans with eight tackles, five solo, including a sack for a loss of five yards. Junior linebacker Nick Karabin (Ruffs Dale, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) and junior corner back Luke Sharkey (Port St. Lucie, Pla./St. Lucie West Centennial) chipped in with six tackles each. Karabin added two forced fumbles.
The Tartans will be idle next week before traveling to Wittenberg University Saturday, October 22. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at Edwards-Maurer Field in Springfield, Ohio.
Take a look back at our football history as we celebrate a run to 500 wins. The team now sits at 499 wins.