#19 Tartans Win 36th Annual Academic Bowl Over Case Western Reserve, 20-7

(CLEVELAND, Ohio) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team traveled to Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday night to play in the 36th Annual Academic Bowl against longtime rival Case Western Reserve University. The Tartans left Cleveland with a 20-7 victory in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) showdown to complete their undefeated regular season.

Game Information
Carnegie Mellon 20, Case Western Reserve 7
Records: Carnegie Mellon (10-0, 8-0 PAC), Case Western Reserve (6-4, 5-3 PAC)
Location: Cleveland, Ohio (DiSanto Field)

How it Happened

• After junior Logan Young recovered a fumble on the Spartans 1-yard line with 11:58 on the clock in the first quarter, freshman Joey McGinnis IV needed two tries to rush it in for the Tartan touchdown. The extra-point by graduate student Cole Hanna made the score 7-0.
• With 11:04 to play in the first half, junior signal-caller Ben Mills connected with senior Kris Hughes on a 25-yard touchdown. Hanna's point after left the score at 14-0.
• On Case Western Reserve's first possession of the second half, the Spartans marched 53 yards on 10 plays and got a 3-yard touchdown run by Aaron Filips to cap the drive and cut the score in half at 14-7 with 10:13 on the clock.
• The Spartans lined up for a 37-yard field goal with 4:22 to play in the third quarter, but a Tartan block by Young kept the score 14-7.
• Following the block, Carnegie Mellon put together a 14-play, 92-yard drive that resulted in a 12-yard touchdown strike from Mills to junior Ethan Reifer. The score was then 20-7, as the point after was not good.

Stats

• The Tartans held the slight edge in total offense 312-282.
• Mills finished the game passing for 210 yards and two touchdowns while completing 17-of-33.
• Hughes led the Cardinal and Gray's receivers with seven catches for 131 yards and a score. Sophomore Ben Condemi had five catches for 49 yards.
• Junior Tre Vasiliadis led the Tartans rushing attack with 113 yards on 26 carries.
• Junior Robert Coury headed a defense as he recorded a career-high 15 tackles, five solo, 2.5 tackles for loss of 17 yards and had 1.5 sacks.
• Junior Adrian Williams had a career-high 14 tackles, nine solo, and two pass breakups.
• The third Tartan with double-digit tackles was senior Aryan Hegde who tied a career-best with 10 and had a career-high seven solo. The senior also had a pass breakup.

Game Notes

• The Tartans extend their winning streak to 17 straight games, the longest active in the NCAA across all divisions.
• The 10-0 mark to end the regular season is the seventh time in program history that a team has gone undefeated in the regular season.
• The 10 wins match the most in a regular season in program history. The 1990 and 2006 teams both went 10-0.
• The Academic Bowl is more than a trophy, as it emphasizes a "Commitment to Academic and Athletic Excellence," with the Tartans holding a 21-15 all-time advantage.
• The Tartans claimed their ninth PAC championship and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.
• Carnegie Mellon has received its eighth NCAA postseason bid and earned back-to-back NCAA playoff berths for the first time since 1978-79.
• The Tartans have now won 27 straight games when leading after three quarters of play.
• Carnegie Mellon has now won 13 straight games when winning the takeaway battle.
• The Tartans have won now won 18 straight when the first to put points on the scoreboard.
• Kris Hughes now has 26 touchdown receptions for his career and is the all-time leader as he passed John Prather (2014-2017) record of 25.
• Hughes has 1,841 career receiving yards and moved into third all-time.
• Ben Coyne now has 9.5 sacks this season ranking sixth in a single-season for a Tartan. He needs 1.0 to move into a tie for fifth.
• Coyne ranks tied for eighth in program history with 16.5 career sacks. He needs 1.0 to move into a tie for sixth.

Thoughts From Head Coach Ryan Larsen

• "What a way to finish the regular season! Throughout the season our team has found ways to win games, and today against a tough opponent and in adverse conditions - our player rose to the occasion! I couldn't be prouder of our team, and the best part is we get another week together!"

Up Next

• Carnegie Mellon will learn Sunday, November 13 who it will play in the opening round of the 2022 NCAA Division III Football Championships when the selection committee announces the bracket at 5:00 p.m. on NCAA.com.