Cline Sets Single-Game Passing Record in Tartans Setback at #13 Washington & Jefferson

Cline Sets Single-Game Passing Record in Tartans Setback at #13 Washington & Jefferson

(WASHINGTON, Pa.) – Senior quarterback Alex Cline (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) passed for a school record 410 yards, as the Carnegie Mellon University football dropped a 36-14 road contest to 13th-ranked Washington & Jefferson Saturday night in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play. Cline broke a 25-year old record which was held by Chris Dee, who passed for 379 yards at Rochester September 18, 1993. The Tartans move to 1-1, 0-1 while W&J remains unbeaten at 3-0, 2-0.

Cline finished the game completing a career-best 30-of-48 and two touchdowns. Junior Willie Richter (Leander, Texas/Cedar Park) also had a career day with seven receptions for 184 yards and a touchdown. Senior Rory Hubbard (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) totaled a career-high eight catches for 54 yards and a score. Senior Karl Kumm (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) and sophomore Alec Oshita (Torrance, Calif./Mira Costa) both had five receptions. Kumm totaled 65 yards and Oshita 58.

Defensively, junior Thomas Polutchko (Southborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) led the Tartans with a career-best nine stops, including seven solo.

Carnegie Mellon totaled 498 yards to the Presidents 501. Jacob Adams threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite receiver was Andrew Wolf who caught five passes for 186 yards and three scores. Jordan West led W&J's rushing attack with 179 yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns.

The Presidents wasted little time finding the end zone. W&J needed 49 seconds to take the early lead, as the Presidents took the opening drive and went 73 yards on three plays resulting in a 39-yard touchdown pass from Adams to Wolf. Before the end of the first quarter, the tandem struck two more times, the first on a 66-yard catch-and-run and the second a 67-yard reception. Both point after attempts sailed wide left to leave the score 19-0 with 5:27 to play in the first quarter.

The first quarter scoring didn't end for W&J. Following an interception by Zack Queen on the Tartans 37-yard line, West ran it on the Presidents first play from scrimmage to push the home teams lead to 26-0 with four minutes showing on the clock.

Carnegie Mellon cut the deficit to 26-7 before the end of the first quarter when Cline connected with Richter for a 39-yard catch-and-run score.

On the Presidents first possession of the second quarter, they marched 93 yards on 15 plays, which ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by West. The five-minute scoring drive pushed the score to 33-7.

The Tartans then were held to a three-and-out, but a muffed punt by W&J was scooped up by Carnegie Mellon's freshman Nick Cizik (Portland, Ore./Sunset) at the Presidents 18-yard line. Two plays later Cline found Hubbard on a 9-yard touchdown pass to make the score 33-14 with 5:40 to play in the half.

With two minutes to go in the third quarter, Adam Napotnik made the score 36-14 with a 28-yard field goal. The field goal capped off an 11-play, 57-yard drive for the Presidents and it proved to be the only scoring in the second half.

Carnegie Mellon will open its home schedule on Saturday, September 22 when the Bearcats of Saint Vincent College travel to Pittsburgh. Kick is set for 1:00 p.m. on the turf at Gesling Stadium.