Football Scores 28 Unanswered to Defeat Geneva; Cline Becomes All-Time Leader for TDs Thrown

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Senior quarterback Alex Cline (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) of the Carnegie Mellon University football team became the school's all-time leader in touchdown passes after throwing four in the Tartans' 35-14 win over the visiting Golden Tornadoes of Geneva College Saturday afternoon. The Tartans, who trailed 14-7, scored 28 unanswered points to end the season with a 6-4 overall record and 5-4 in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play. Geneva concludes its season at 2-8 and 2-7.

Carnegie Mellon outgained Geneva 418-327 while Cline finished with 332 yards and four touchdowns on 33-of-47. His 33 completions was a career-best. The senior breaks Chris Dee's (1991-94) mark of 53 career touchdowns, as he ends his career with 56. Senior Karl Kumm (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) ended his Tartan career posting career-best numbers with 11 receptions for 115 yards and a score. Sophomore Alec Oshita (Torrance, Calif./Mira Costa) also turned in a career-best day with five catches for 73 yards and two touchdowns.

The defense, which forced four turnovers, was led by senior Quinn Zsido (New Windsor, N.Y./Cornwall Central) and junior Thomas Polutchko (Southborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) with 11 tackles each Zsido accounted for two fumble recoveries while Polutchko had an interception. Senior Ethan Anderson (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) recorded the Tartans fourth turnover with a fourth quarter interception.

Trewon Marshall led the Golden Tornadoes with 286 yards rushing and a score on 30 carries. Luke Lloyd rushed for 24 a yards and score Geneva's only other touchdown.

With five minutes left in the first quarter Cline connected with Oshita on a 28-yard touchdown strike to the back corner of the end zone. The point-after-attempt made the score 7-0.

Geneva needed just three plays to knot the score at 7-7. Marshall accounted for all 73 yards on the drive, including a 71-yard burst, and scored on a 1-yard run with 4:13 to play in the first quarter. The Golden Tornadoes took a 14-7 lead with 10 minutes to play in the first half on a 20-yard quarterback keeper by Lloyd.

On the Tartans ensuing possession, the Cardinal and Gray marched 75 yards on nine plays to tie the score at 14-14. Cline once again found Oshita for another dynamic touchdown, this time form 20 yards away with seven minutes showing on the clock.

Polutchko's third interception of the season led to Cline's third touchdown pass of the game, which gave the Tartans a 21-14 lead. Cline hooked up with Kumm for a 5-yard touchdown five plays following Polutchko's pick.

Cline's fourth touchdown pass of the day came five minutes into the second half when he found freshman Kris Hughes (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) on a 2-yard shovel pass to extend the lead to 28-14,

A 26-yard touchdown run by sophomore Luke Bikulege (Greer, S.C./St. Joseph's Catholic) with 4:39 to play in the third quarter pushed the lead to 35-14. The score was setup following a fumble recovery by Zsido on the Geneva 46-yard line.