Cline Breaks Passing Record as Tartans Defeat Bethany, 17-14

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Senior quarterback Alex Cline (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) of the Carnegie Mellon University football team set the school's career passing yard mark as the Tartans defeated Bethany 17-14 in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play. Carnegie Mellon evens its mark at 3-3 overall and 2-3 in PAC play while Bethany moves to 3-4 and 3-3.

Cline surpassed Rob Kalkstein's (2010-13) mark of 5,519 yards passing. The senior signal caller now has 5,746 yards for his career after throwing for 268 yards and a touchdown. Senior Karl Kumm (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) recorded his first carer 100-yard receiving game, as the senior caught six passes for 111 yards. Freshman Kris Hughes (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) recorded 89 yards receiving on three catches and a touchdown. Senior Rory Hubbard (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) led the Tartans rushing attack with 84 yards and touchdown on 22 carries.

Junior Quinn Gaughan (Elmhurst, Ill./York Community) led the Tartans defense with 14 tackles, 10 solo, and added a sack for a loss of 10 yards. Sophomore Mason Tolliver (Sylmar, Calif./Crespi) finished the game with seven tackles and an interception.

Carlin Bason accounted for 290 yards of offense for the Bison. Bason passed for 198 yards and two touchdowns while he rushed for 92 yards. Raewon Wright led the Bison with four receptions for 58 yards and two scores.

After a scoreless first quarter, Carnegie Mellon's freshman placekicker Brandon Nguyen (Maitland, Fla./Lake Highland Preparatory) capped off a 10-play, 51-yard drive with a 33-yard field five minutes into the second quarter to give the Tartans a 3-0 lead.

Late in the second quarter, Bethany capitalized on a block field goal by Bison Daniel Gibson that gave the home team the ball at midfield. Six-plays later, Bason connect with Wright on a 14-yard touchdown strike to make the score 7-3 at the half.

Carnegie Mellon retook the lead on a 1-yard run by Hubbard in the closing seconds of the third quarter. The score completed a 10-play, 71-yard drive to push the score to 10-7. On the Cardinal and Gray's next possession, the lead was extended to 17-7 when Cline hooked-up with Hughes on a 50-yard touchdown reception.

With 2:47 left in the contest, Bethany cut the deficit to 17-14 when the tandem of Bason and Wright struck again. Bason scrambled in the backfield before finding Wright for the 30-yard score. Bethany had one last chance, but its eight-play drive came to a halt when the Bison were unable to convert on a fourth-down-and-14 from their own 43-yard line.

Carnegie Mellon will travel to Greenville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, October 20 for a 1:00 p.m. kick against Thiel College.