Football Totals 366 Yards in Setback at Grove City

(GROVE CITY, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team opened its 2013 campaign at Grove City College Saturday, September 7, and dropped a 28-10 decision to the Wolverines.  

Following a 35-yard punt by Tartan senior Thomas Healy (Easton, Mass./Thayer Academy) that pinned the Wolverines on their own 6-yard line, Grove City drove 94 yards on nine plays for the game's first score with 8:50 to play in the second quarter. Wolverine quarterback Brian Pell found senior wide out Anthony Ritchie on a 7-yard touchdown strike, making the score 7-0.

With 1:25 left on the clock in the first half, Grove City double its lead.  Steve Maskrey ran up the middle for a 6-yard score.  The touchdown capped off a 10-play, 80-yard drive following a missed field goal by the Tartans.

The Wolverines had a chance to extend their lead before the break, after the Tartans turned the ball over on downs on the Grove City 49-yard line.  On the Wolverines' first play, Pell connected with Jimmy Bailey for a 26-yard gain.  After an incomplete pass, Grove City lined up for a 41-yard field goal, but Tartan freshman Brian Khoury (Davenport, Iowa/Bettendorf) blocked the attempt as time expired in the first half.

On Carnegie Mellon's first possession of the second half, a 10-play, 43-yard drive, sophomore place kicker Connor Young (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) connected on a 42-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14-3 at the 8:43 mark of the third quarter.

Two plays into the fourth quarter, Pell extended the home teams lead to 21-3, as he scampered up the middle on a quarterback keeper for a 4-yard touchdown. Late in the fourth quarter, Pell sealed the contest with his second rushing touchdown.  The senior 1-yard run pushed the score to 28-3 with 2:46 to play.

Freshman Zach Cree (Vanderbilt, Pa./Connellsville Area) scored his first career touchdown on the Tartans next possession to cut the lead to 28-10.  Cree capped off a three-play drive with a 6-yard scoring run.

Carnegie Mellon totaled 366 yards of offense to the Wolverines 382.  Senior quarterback Rob Kalkstein (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) ended the game 14-of-27 for 158 yards. Junior Tim Swanson (Millburn, N.J.) had four receptions for 54 yards while senior wide receiver Tim Kikta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) finished with 47 yards receiving on three catches.  Senior running back Zachary Erra-Hernandez (Las Cruces, N.M./Onate) headed a backfield that rushed for 149 yards.  The senior finished with 76 yards on 16 carries.

Defensively, senior safety Jack Butler (Kennesaw, Ga./North Cobb) led the Tartans with a career-high 11 tackles while senior linebackers Akwasi Brefo (Lawrenceville, Ga./Central Gwinette) and Eric Rolfes (Cincinnati, Ohio/Madeira) each totaled 10.

Pell ended the game passing for 131 yards and a touchdown on 11-of-23 and had a game-high 98 yards rushing and two scores.  Ritchie had four catches for 64 yards and a score.  

The Tartans will host Allegheny College Saturday, September 14 with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m.