#19 Tartans Run Past DePauw, 45-14, in NCAA First Round

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team hosted DePauw University on Saturday in the opening round of the 2022 Division III NCAA Football Championship. The Tartans defeated the Tigers 45-14 to move onto the second round.

Game Information
Carnegie Mellon 45, DePauw 14
Records: Carnegie Mellon (11-0), DePauw (9-2)
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. (Gesling Stadium)

How it Happened

• DePauw forced a fumble on the opening kickoff which was recovered by Dane Young on the Carnegie Mellon 29-yard line. Six plays later, Wally Renie connected with Robby Ballentine on a 14-yard touchdown strike to make the score 7-0 with 12:19 to play in the first quarter.
• Carnegie Mellon responded with an 11-play, 75 yards drive that took 5:21 off the clock which resulted in a 4-yard touchdown pass from junior Ben Mills to senior Kris Hughes. The strike tied the score at 7-7 at 6:58 in the first.
• On the ensuing kickoff, senior Aryan Hegde forced a fumble that Hann recovered on the Tigers 26-yard line. Four plays later, junior Tre Vasiliadis gave the Tartans a 14-7 lead on a 4-yard rush.
• With 13:06 left in the first half, Mills tossed his second touchdown of the afternoon finding junior Ethan Reifer on a 14-yard catch-and-run to extend the Tartans lead to 21-7.
• Carnegie pushed its lead to 28-7 before the half, as Mills and Reifer hooked up on a second 14-yard touchdown which capped off a 16-play, 98-yard drive that consumed 8:58.
• On the opening drive of the second half, DePauw marched 88 yards on 15 plays and made the score 28-14 on a 1-yard run by Gus Baumgartner.
• Vasiliadis pushed the score to 35-14 on a 54-yard run with 12:45 to play.
• On the Tigers next possession, Tartan sophomore Nolan Pitsenberger intercepted Renie and returned 45 yards for a touchdown to make the score 42-14.
• Hanna connected on a 35-yard field goal with seven minutes left on the clock to end the scoring at 45-14.

Stats

• Carnegie Mellon outgained DePauw 419-215 in total offense while the Tartans rushed for 215 yards and held the Tigers to 77 yards on the ground.
• The Tartans forced four turnovers and turned the ball over twice.
• Mills ended the day completing 16-of-23 for 204 yards and three touchdowns.
• Vasiliadis rushed for 167 yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns.
• Sophomore Ben Condemi tied a career-high with six receptions while finishing with 68 yards.
• Reifer ended the day with 82 yards on five catches and two touchdowns.
• The Tartans defense was led in tackles by junior Adrian Williams with eight. Williams also added two pass breakups.
• Junior Logan Young, senior Aryan Hegde and sophomore Nolan Pitsenberger each had interceptions for the Tartans.
• Wally Renie completed 19-of-33 for 178 yards and a touchdown for DePauw.
• Robby Ballentine hauled in nine of Renie's throws for 99 yards and a score.
• Defensively for the Tigers, Jonathan Bruder and Tommy Ryan led the way with 16 and 14 tackles, respectively.

Game Notes

• The Tartans extend their winning streak to 18 straight games, the longest active in the NCAA across all divisions.
• The 11 wins for the Tartans ties the school record for the most win in a season for the program. The other time was in 2006.
• This was the Tartans eighth appearance in the NCAA postseason (1978, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1990, 2006, 2021).
• The Tartans now have a 4-6 record in the NCAA playoffs.
• The Tartans have now won 28 straight games when leading after three quarters of play.
• Carnegie Mellon has won 15 straight games when scoring a special teams or defensive touchdown.
• Carnegie Mellon has now won 14 straight games when winning the takeaway battle.
• The Tartans have now won 12 straight contests when holding their opponent to under 300 yards of total offense.
• The 77 yards rushing by DePauw marks the eighth opponent this season that the Tartans have held under 100 yards on the ground.

Up Next

• Carnegie Mellon will play the nation's top ranked team, North Central, on Saturday, November 26 in Naperville, Illinois at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Kick is set for 12:00 p.m.