Football Loses Heartbreaker at Catholic
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team traveled to our nation's capital Friday, September 16, and dropped a 29-28 decision to the Cardinals. The loss drops the Tartans record to 1-2 while Catholic remains unbeaten at 3-0.
Tartans freshman place kicker Kevin Donohue's (West Hempstead, N.Y./Chaminade) 28-yard field goal attempt with 13 seconds remaining in the contest sailed right, as the home team held on for the come from behind victory.
On the first play from scrimmage Tartan senior defensive lineman Andrew Medenbach (Muskegon, Mich./Mona Shores) recovered a fumble on Catholic's 19-yard line. Two plays following the turnover, junior running back Patrick Blanks (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) scored on an 11-yard scamper giving Carnegie Mellon the early 7-0 lead following the point after attempt.
The Cardinals responded to the Tartans, scoring the next 13 points claiming a 13-7 lead after the first quarter of play. Catholic's first score went 10 plays before they settled for a 21-yard field goal off the foot of Brian Gongaware with 10:19 to play in the quarter. After the Tartans were held to a three and out, Catholic put together another long drive, this time a 16-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a Gongaware's 26-yard field goal making the score 7-6.
On the ensuing kickoff, Carnegie Mellon fumbled the ball that the Cardinals recovered on the Tartan 42-yard line. Three plays later, Catholic's Greg Cordivari connected with Tanner Keefe on an 11-yard touchdown strike.
Carnegie Mellon reclaimed the lead before the half, as junior running back Jake Nardone (Beaver, Pa./Beaver Area) found the end zone twice. The first came on a 17-yard run with 6:43 showing on the clock and the last with 37 ticks left on a 4-yard scamper up the middle. On the two scoring drives, Nardone accounted for 50 yards on the ground while giving the visitor's a 21-13 edge at the break.
With just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter, junior cornerback Sam Thompson (Alcoa, Tenn.) intercepted Cordivari as the ball went through the intended receivers' hands and right to Thompson. The junior then returned it 71 yards for the Tartans touchdown extending Carnegie Mellon's lead to 28-13.
Like the first half, Catholic answered the Tartans scoring 16 unanswered points. Before the end of the third quarter Gongaware connected on his third field goal of the game. The freshman's 33-yard kick cut the Cardinals deficit to 28-16. The Cardinals continued to cut into the Tartans lead, as Michael Pitsenberger plunged two yards for a touchdown on the home team's first possession of the fourth quarter. The point after attempt made the score 28-23 with 10:20 left in the game.
On fourth and goal from the 6-yard line with just under three minutes to play in the game, Cordivari found Jeff Frusciante in the back of the end zone. The failed two-point conversion left the score 29-28 Catholic with 2:41 to play.
Nardone led the Tartans in rushing with 83 yards and two scores. Senior running back Chris Garcia (Albuquerque, N.M./Valley) ended the game with 74 yards on the ground while Carnegie Mellon tallied 218 yards rushing as a team.
Cordivari ended the game 32-of-54 for 358 yards and two touchdowns. Andrew Ouellette led the Cardinals in receiving with eight catches for 108 yards.
Defensively, senior linebacker Dan Behmke (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby) led the Tartans with a career-high 10 tackles. Junior linebacker Philip Nicolaides (Exton, Pa./Downington East) had a career-high eight tackles while Medenbach also finished with a career-high seven along with a sack and a fumble recovery.
The Tartans will travel to Kenyon College Saturday, September 24 with kickoff slated for 12:00 p.m.