Tartans Picked Fifth in PAC Football Preseason Poll
(LATROBE, Pa.) – The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) held its annual football media day on Wednesday, August 3, where the Carnegie Mellon University football team was selected to finish fifth in the 2016 PAC preseason poll with 252 points while collecting one first-place vote. Media day was held at the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Center on the campus of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
Thomas More College garnered 24 first-place votes and a total of 351 points to headline this year's preseason poll. Washington & Jefferson College was second with three first-place votes and 303 points, followed by Case Western Reserve University in third place with 292 points and four first-place tallies. Westminster College was picked fourth after collecting 280 points and one first-place vote and preceded the Tartans.
Tartan head coach Rich Lackner, who is in his 31st year at the helm of the program, was joined at media day by senior co-captain and H-back Zach Cree (Vanderbilt, Pa./Connellsville Area), as the two participated in a question and answer session with the other 10 PAC schools.
For the second straight year, Lackner addressed the importance of having a lot of experience returning to the team. The Cardinal and Gray return 18 starters on offense, defense and special teams from a team that enters the 2016 campaign riding a seven game winning streak. The streak is tied for the third best in Division III and includes the program's sixth postseason victory which came at the ECAC Legacy Bowl.
"Hopefully we win more games and keep this going," said Lackner jokingly when asked about continuing the success from a year ago. "We had a rough start last year, as we came out of the gate losing three of our first four games. The three teams that we lost to were all excellent football teams and well coached, which says a lot about the character of our kids and the quality of my coaching staff. Hopefully our kids took that success into the offseason and worked hard in the spring and in the summer."
Cree, an All-PAC Honorable Mention member last season and 2016 co-captain selected by his peers, has played in 27 contests the past three years, including 21 straight, with 16 starts. In his first two seasons at Carnegie Mellon Cree was listed as a fullback before converting to an H-Back in the Tartans' three-year old Multiple One Back offense. Cree hauled in seven receptions a year ago for 91 yards and a touchdown while also playing a critical part in the blocking upfront for the Tartans.
"It is an honor to be selected as a captain for any team you play on," said Cree. "For me personally, the fact that my teammates selected me to be captain makes it that much more special. We have many good players and leaders on the team and being chosen by them to be a leader is something that I take seriously and is an honor."
Carnegie Mellon returns three preseason All-Americans in junior running back Sam Benger (Hingham, Mass.), senior defensive end Brian Khoury (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) and junior safety Drew Fitzmorris (Omaha, Neb./Westside).
Benger, who was named All-America by three organizations and the PAC Offensive Player of the Year, led the nation in 2015 with an NCAA Division III-best 2,092 yards averaging 190.2 yards per game. He became the 21st player in Division III history to reach the 2,000-yard plateau, as well as the Tartans' all-time single-season rushing leader. Upfront the Tartans return two starting linemen in senior tackle Luke Nealley (Frederick, Md.) and senior guard W. Tyler Reid (Lees Summit, Mo./Lees Summit West). Reid has started all 31 games of his career while Neally has started the Tartans' last 21 contests. Junior wide receiver John Prather (Olney, Md./Our Lady Of Good Counsel) returns as a key to the passing game after hauling down seven touchdowns and racking up 718 receiving yards.
Khoury and Fitzmorris will front a defense which returns seven starters. Khoury, a first team All-PAC selection last season, was a finalist for the 2015 Cliff Harris Award, which is presented to the top small college defensive player in the nation. He broke the school single-season record with 13.5 sacks and the single-game sack record with 4.0. Fitzmorris, also a 2015 first team All-PAC honoree, led Carnegie Mellon with 87 tackles and led the PAC with six interceptions.
Joining Khoury on the line is classmate Jack Fagan (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley) while senior safety Samer Abdelmoty (McLean, Va.) joins Fitzmorris in the secondary. The Tartans return three starting linebackers, senior Sam Rylowicz (Winfield, Ill./West Chicago Community) and juniors Stanley Bikulege (Greer, S.C./Saint Joseph's Catholic) and Kyle Brittain (Largo, Fla./Clearwater Central Catholic). Abdelmoty was second on the Tartans with four interceptions last season and added five pass breakups. Bikulege returns as the Tartans' second leading tackler with 68 stops, 33 solo, in 2015. Brittain led the 2015 squad with nine pass breakups and was second with 10.5 tackles for a loss of 40 yards.
Carnegie Mellon's kicking game sees both its starters return in senior placekicker Gabe Renna (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) and junior punter Tyler Kohman (Pataskala, Ohio/Columbus Academy). Renna set the school single-season record for extra points made with 56 while converting 93% (56-60) of his PATs. Kohman averaged 39.2 yards per punt a year ago and booted a career-best 58-yarder while he placed 18 of his 44 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
Carnegie Mellon will open the 2016 season on Saturday, September 3, when the Bears of Washington University in St. Louis travel to Gesling Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
2016 PAC Preseason Poll:
1. Thomas More (24 first-place votes): 351
2. Washington & Jefferson (3 first-place votes): 303
3. Case Western Reserve (4 first-place votes): 292
4. Westminster (1 first-place vote): 280
5. Carnegie Mellon (1 first-place vote): 252
6. Bethany: 167
7. Saint Vincent: 156
8. Waynesburg: 145
9. Geneva: 96
10. Thiel: 75
11. Grove City: 61
