Tartans Picked Eighth in PAC Football Preseason Poll
(LATROBE, Pa.) – In the second season playing as an affiliate member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), the Carnegie Mellon University football team has been selected to finish eighth in the 2015 PAC preseason poll, announced by the conference office on Wednesday, August 5 at the league's annual Media Day. The PAC Media Day was held at the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Center on the campus of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
Washington and Jefferson College garnered 28 first-place votes and a total of 368 points to headline this year's preseason poll. Thomas More College was second with six first-place votes and 341 points, followed by Bethany College in third place, Waynesburg University in fourth and Saint Vincent College to round out the top five.
Tartans Head Coach Rich Lackner was joined at media day by senior co-captain and outside linebacker Nico Comsa (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville Area), as the two participated in a question and answer session with the other 10 PAC schools.
Lackner addressed the importance of having a lot of experience returning to the team in 2015 seeing that the Tartans return a total of 23 players that saw at least three starts on offense or defense as well as key personnel on special teams.
"Anytime you have that number of kids with game experience returning it is helpful. We have a great group of young men that are returning who are excited about the season," said Lackner. "We had a great offseason with those kids, they work extremely hard and spring ball went well. It's a special group every year. I put a lot of stock in chemistry and hopefully we will have great chemistry with this team this season."
Comsa, a third team D3football.com All-South Region, second team Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) South All-Star, first team All-Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) and second team All-University Athletic Association (UAA) selection a year ago, is the top returning tackler for the Tartans. Comsa tallied career numbers during his junior campaign in leading the Tartans with 97 tackles and 12.5 for loss of 40 yards. The senior recorded two interceptions, including one for a touchdown. He appeared in all 10 games with nine starts and tallied 2.5 sacks, forced two fumbles and had six games of double-digit tackles including a career-best 12 on three occasions.
"Anytime you are chosen by a group of guys to be a representative and lead them into battle it is always an honor," said Comsa. "I feel we are playing on a team full of captains with this team. We have leaders at every position which helps our team chemistry tremendously heading into the season."
Eleven others who saw starting time a year ago return on the defensive side of the ball. In the secondary, seniors Vince Demarchi (Chesterland, Ohio/West Geauga), Malcolm Guya (Whitehall Pa.) and Ryan Aitken (Alexandria, Va /West Potomac) along with junior Samer Abdelmoty (McLean, Va.) and sophomore Drew Fitzmorris (Omaha, Neb./Westside) return. Joining Comsa as returning linebackers are senior Marcus Anthony (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy), juniors Gary Falanga (North Brandford, Conn.) and Augie Luptak (Sewickley, Pa./Kiski Prep) and sophomore Stanley Bikulege (Greer, S.C./Saint Joseph's Catholic). On the defensive line, juniors Jacob Bartel (North Newton, Kan./Newton), Jack Fagan (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley) and Brian Khoury (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) are set to return. Fitzmorris, who missed two games due to injury last season, finished third on the team with 58 tackles. Aitken returns as the Tartans' fourth leading tackler with 52 stops, 31 solo, in 2014. He led the team with eight pass breakups and 10 total passes defended. As a team, the Tartans return eight of their top 10 tacklers from a year ago.
Offensively, Carnegie Mellon returns 11 players that saw at least three starts and action in more than eight games. Senior quarterback Andrew Hearon (Tulsa, Okla./Metro Christian Academy) returns after passing for 1,649 yards and topping Carnegie Mellon's single-season charts with 149 completions and 278 attempts a year ago. Sophomore running back / kick returner Sam Benger (Hingham, Mass.) returns for the Tartans following a superb rookie campaign where he led the team with 1,325 all-purpose yards and finished the season averaging 27.2 yards per return which ranked second in the PAC and 20th nationally. Benger also returns as the team's leading rusher with 570 yards last season. Junior running back Zach Cree (Vanderbilt, Pa./Connellsville Area) joins Benger in the backfield as the Tartans' second leading rusher a year ago with 285 yards and four touchdowns. Four of the Tartans top five receives return in seniors Chris Herrera (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus) and Max Reinertsen (Esko, Minn.) who are joined by sophomore John Prather (Olney, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) and Benger. The four accounted for two-thirds of the Cardinal and Gray's receiving yards a year ago with Herrera leading the charge with 36 receptions for 432 yards.
Upfront the Tartans return five linemen that saw a combined 47 starts; senior tackle Will French (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle), senior guard Ted Houlis (Pompton Lakes, N.J.), junior center Andrew Garibaldi (Flemington N.J./Hunterdon Central), junior tackle Luke Neally (Frederick, Md.) and junior guard W. Tyler Reid (Lees Summit, Mo./Lees Summit West). Reid appeared in all 10 games with three starts while French saw action in nine contests with two starts.
Besides Benger returning on special teams, sophomore punter / placekicker Tyler Kohman (Pataskala, Ohio/Columbus Academy) returns following a season where he averaged 37.7 yards per punt and placed 23 inside the opponent's 20-yard line. He also recorded a school record 50-yard field goal last season.
Carnegie Mellon will head to St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, September 5 to kick off its season against the Bears of Washington University. Kick is set for 12:00 p.m. CT.
View full interview with Coach Lackner and Nico.
2015 PAC Preseason Poll:
1. Washington & Jefferson (29 first place votes), 368 points
2. Thomas More (6 first place votes), 341 points
3. Bethany, 265 points
4. Waynesburg, 245 points
5. Saint Vincent, 212 points
6. Westminster College, 209 points
7. Case Western Reserve, 169 points
8. Carnegie Mellon, 148 points
9. Geneva, 128 points
10. Thiel, 123 points
11. Grove City, 56 points
