Guya Records Career-High 11 Tackles in Heartbreaking Defeat to Washington U.

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team opened its 2013 University Athletic Association (UAA) schedule Saturday, November 2 against Washington University in St. Louis at Gesling Stadium. The Tartans dropped a 9-7 decision on a 45-yard field goal with eight seconds to play by Bears' kicker Alex Hallwachs. Carnegie Mellon is now 3-5, 0-1 while the Bears move to 6-2, 1-0.

Washington's defensive back Quincy Marting setup the Bears' first score of the game as he picked off Tartan senior quarterback Rob Kalkstein (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) two plays into the contest.  Six plays later, Cody Raterman found a hole in the middle of the line and marched 17 yards for the score.  The extra-point went wide left of the upright making the score 6-0 at the 11:42 mark of the first quarter.

Carnegie Mellon grabbed a 7-6 lead with 11:45 remaining in the first half, as Kalkstein capped off an 11-play, 72-yard drive that took nearly five minutes off the clock with a 7-yard touchdown strike to senior tight end Bryce Pardoe (Muncy, Pa./East Lycoming). On the drive, senior running back Zachary Erra-Hernandez (Las Cruces, N.M./Onate) accounted for 50 yards on six carries.

Early in the fourth quarter, Washington was driving for the go-ahead score as it had the ball on the Carnegie Mellon 20-yard line.  On third down, Tartan junior linebacker Alexander D'Angelo (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/St. Edward) sacked Bears' quarterback Eric Daginella, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Carnegie Mellon's senior defensive lineman Ryan Jok (Novi, Mich.) to end the Washington threat.

Two Bears' possessions later, they were once again driving for the go-ahead score, but another forced turnover by the Tartans put a halt to any score.  This time, sophomore safety Malcolm Guya (Whitehall Pa.) forced a fumble that was recovered by senior linebacker Akwasi Brefo (Lawrenceville, Ga./Central Gwinette).

After holding the Tartans to a three-and-out and a punt, Washington got the ball back with 50 ticks left in the fourth quarter, and put together an eight-play, 22-yard drive to setup the winning field goal.

Washington held the edge in total offense with 245 yards while the Tartans had 208, but outgained the Bears on the ground 123-111. Leading the Tartans on the ground was Erra-Hernandez with 68 yards.  Kalkstein finished with 85 yards on 14-of-22 passing and one touchdown.  

Ratermann led the Bears with 58 yards rushing and a touchdown while Austin Smestad totaled 43 yards on the ground.  Daginella was 17-of-32 for 123 yards for the Bears in the win.  Hank Childs was his favorite target on the day, catching 10 passes for 68 yards.

Defensively, Carnegie Mellon forced four turnovers and was led by Guya's career-best 11 tackles.  The sophomore added a forced fumble and two pass breakups.  Senior inside linebacker Eric Rolfes (Cincinnati, Ohio/Madeira) recorded nine tackles while Jok tallied a career-high eight including a half sack for a loss of two yards. Senior Liam McGrath (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) totaled seven tackles and recorded his ninth career interception in the setback which ties him for ninth on the Tartans' all-time list.  

The Bears were led on defense by Peter Lowery with nine tackles and Nelson Nwumeh with eight and a forced fumble.

The Tartans will return to action next Saturday, November 9, when they head to Chicago to take on the University of Chicago Maroons in a 12:00 pm CT contest.