Tartans Strong First Half Not Enough in Latrobe

(LATROBE, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team traveled to Latrobe, Pa. on Saturday, October 25 and dropped a 38-31 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) contest to the Bearcats of Saint Vincent College.  The loss moves the Tartans record to 3-4, 3-4 PAC, while the Bearcats are now 3-4, 3-2.

Carnegie Mellon jumped out to an early 13-0 lead with 11:46 to play in the first quarter after running three offensive plays.  Junior quarterback Andrew Hearon (Tulsa, Okla./Metro Christian Academy) scrambled 24 yards for a touchdown on the Tartans first offensive play.  The juniors score was setup by sophomore Samer Abdelmoty's (McLean, Va.) 30-yard interception return.  On Saint Vincent's next possession, Carnegie Mellon's junior corner back Ryan Aitken (Alexandria, Va./West Potomac) recovered a fumble which resulted in the Tartans second score.  Two plays following the fumble recovery, Hearon found freshman running back Sam Benger (Hingham, Mass.) on a 46-yard swing pass for the first of his three first half touchdown passes.  The extra point was blocked leaving the score 13-0 Carnegie Mellon.

Saint Vincent's signal caller, Andy Borgen added two rushing scores of 17 and 11 yards to pull the Bearcats right back into the contest. On Borgen's second score, the extra point hit the left upright to leave the score 13-13 with 12:25 left in the half.

In the second quarter, the Tartans put together two eight-play scoring drives of 79 and 99 yards both resulting in touchdown tosses from Hearon.  His first scoring strike was a five-yard pass to sophomore Matt Forjan (Fredericksburg, Va./James Monroe) before adding a 35-yard touchdown to junior Chris Herrera (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus).  Following Herrera's score, the Tartans elected to go for two points and converted when Hearon found freshman wide receiver John Prather (Olney, Md./Our Lady Of Good Counsel) making the score 28-13.
 
Saint Vincent started the second half scoring 17 unanswered points to claim a 30-28 lead with six minutes to play in the third quarter.  The Bearcats first score of the half came on a 30-yard field by Morgan Porter before Borgen added his third rushing touchdown of the game.  The home team then took the lead when Borgen connected with Dustin Lowman on an 86-yard catch and run.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Tartans reclaimed the lead on a 25-yard field goal by freshman placekicker Tyler Kohman (Pataskala, Ohio/Columbus Academy) to make the score 31-30.  On the Bearcats next possession, they marched 65 yards on four plays resulting in a Borgen 16-yard touchdown pass to DJ Oceant-Kelly to retake the lead.  Saint Vincent's completed the two-point conversion to make the score 38-31 and was the final points scored on the afternoon.

Carnegie Mellon turned it its most total yards of the season as the outgained Saint Vincent 446-380.  Hearon finished the game passing for a career-best 279 yards and three touchdowns on 17-of-30.  Herrera also turned in a career day with eight receptions for 84 yards and a score.  Junior Max Reinertsen (Esko, Minn.) finished the game with a career-best five receptions for 91 yards. For the second straight game, Benger eclipsed the 100-yard mark finishing with a game-high 104 yards rushing on 18 carries.  The freshman also added one reception for 46 yards.

Defensively, senior linebacker Eric Myers (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) led the Tartans with a career-high 11 tackles, seven solo. Junior linebacker Nico Comsa (Connellsville, Pa.) ended the game with nine tackles, as five of them went as solo stops.

Borgen completed 15-of-23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 58 yards and three touchdowns.

Carnegie Mellon will return home for its final PAC contest of the season on Saturday, November 1 when they entertain Thiel College at 1:00 p.m. on the turf of Gesling Stadium.