Tartans Open Season With a 35-17 Victory Over Whitworth in Larsen’s Debut

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team opened its 2022 season at home against Whitworth University on Friday and came away with a 35-17 victory in first-year Head Coach Ryan Larsen's debut.  

Game Information
Carnegie Mellon 35, Whitworth 17
Records: Carnegie Mellon (1-0), Whitworth (0-1)
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. (Gesling Stadium)

How it Happened

• Junior Ben Mills connected with senior Kris Hughes on an 18-yard touchdown two minutes into the second quarter to make the score 7-0.
• The tandem of Mills and Hughes struck again seven minutes later on a school-record 99-yard catch and run to double the Tartans' lead.
• Whitworth's Logan Kitselman plunged in from a yard out to cut the Tartans' lead in half with two minutes to play in the second quarter.
• As time expired in the first half, Alvaro Campos-Ontiveros connected on a 40-yard field goal to make the score 14-10.
• The Tartans marched down the field to start the second half and with 12:48 on the clock, junior Tre Vasiliadis scored on 12-yard run to extend the Tartans' lead to 21-10.
• In the closing seconds of the third quarter the Pirates cut Carnegie Mellon's lead to one score when Jaedyn Prewitt found Evan Liggett for a 22-yard strike. The touchdown made the score 21-17 heading into the final period.
• Vasiliadis struck again, this time for an 11-yard touchdown run with 7:24 to play to expand the lead to 28-17.
• On the ensuing possession after Vasiliadis's second score, junior Kevin Cooke scored on a 43-yard interception return to close the scoring at 35-17.

Stats

• Carnegie Mellon outgained Whitworth 485-456 in yards of total offense.
• The Tartans' defense held Whitworth to -3 yards rushing.  
• Mills ended with a career-high 354 yards on 15-of-32 and threw two touchdowns.
• Hughes recorded a career-high with 190 receiving yards on six receptions and two scores.
• Sophomore Ben Condemi turned in a career performance with highs of five catches and 131 yards
• Vasiliadis recorded his sixth career 100-yard rushing game when he carried the ball for 152 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns.
• Graduate student Cole Hanna converted all five point-after-attempts in his Tartan debut.
• Junior Adrian Williams recorded a career-high 11 tackles, including 10 solo.
• Senior Aryan Hegde along with juniors Robert Coury and Thomas Coury all ended with eight tackles while the Coury brothers each tabbed a solo sack.

Game Notes

• Head Coach Ryan Larsen records his first career victory.
• Carnegie Mellon improves to 68-43-3 all-time in season openers.
• Mills to Hughes 99-yard touchdown is the longest touchdown pass in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) since September 20, 1975.
• It marked the fourth time in school history that two Tartan receivers recorded 100 yards in a game.
• Hughes moved into second all-time with 22 touchdown receptions for his career. He needs three more to move into a tie for first with John Prather (2014-2017).
• The Tartans have now won 20 straight games when leading after three quarters of play.
• The Tartans' defense held the Pirates to -3 yards rushing and are now 17-3 over the last five seasons when holding their opponent to less than 100 yards on the ground. The school record for rushing yards allowed is -14 against Hiram in 2005.

Up Next

•  Carnegie Mellon will travel to Troy, New York, to play the Engineers of RPI. Kick is set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 10.