#20 Tartans Take Down Golden Tornadoes 41-7 In Home Opener

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The 20th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University football team won their home opener Saturday, at Gesling Stadium in a gritty battle against the Geneva Golden Tornadoes by a score of 41-7. Over the weekend, the Tartan community celebrated the success and impact of former head coach Rich Lackner with the inaugural naming of Richard M. Lackner Field at Gesling Stadium.

Game Information
Carnegie Mellon 41, Geneva 7
Records: Carnegie Mellon (2-0, 2-0 PAC), Geneva (0-2, 0-2 PAC)
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. (Richard M. Lackner Field at Gesling Stadium)

How it Happened

• Carnegie Mellon opened the scoring with junior quarterback Joey McGinnis IV on a 2-yard rush to cap a 14-play, 56-yard drive, taking 6:51 off the clock to put the Tartans up 7-0.
• Geneva answered with a 16-play, 75-yard drive eating 10 minutes off the clock, capped by a 1-yard 4th-down push by junior fullback David Reid to even the score at 7-7 with 7:27 in the half.
• The Tartans showed similar grit on a 12-play, 69-yard drive taking up 6:37, finished by a 2-yard touchdown rush by McGinnis to put the Tartans back on top 14-7 to close the half.
• After a scoreless third quarter marked by punts and extensive passing games, Carnegie Mellon tacked on its third touchdown on a 3-yard rush, once again behind the legs of McGinnis, following up a 15-play, 83-yard drive taking 6:03 to put the Tartans up 21-7 with 11:14 left in the game.
• An interception by Tartan graduate student linebacker Logan Young set up Carnegie Mellon for a 41-yard, 2-play quick strike, capped by a 29-yard touchdown pass from Tartan graduate student quarterback Ben Mills to senior wide receiver Dominic Voiland, widening the score to 28-7 with 9:51 left in the game.
• A fumble forced by Tartan senior linebacker Vincent Ceci and recovered by Young would set up Carnegie Mellon for a 3-play, 31-yard drive of 0:44, capped by a 29-yard touchdown strike from Mills to Voiland to open the score to 34-7 with 8:08 left in the game.
• A late-game, 36-yard Carnegie Mellon touchdown strike from senior quarterback Brady Hess to sophomore wide receiver Brendan McCullough increased their lead to 41-7.

Stats

• The Tartans outgained the Golden Tornadoes to the tune of 368-139 yards on 68 and 48 plays, respectively. The Tartans gained 262 yards through the air with 106 on the ground. The Golden Tornadoes gained 71 and 68 yards through the air and ground, respectively.
• Mills passed for 220 yards on 22-32 completions for two touchdowns and an interception.
• Voiland turned in a career day with six receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
• Tartan graduate student running back Tre Vasiliades added 75 yards on 19 carries to lead the Tartans rushing.
• Tartans graduate student linebacker Robert Coury, graduate student linebacker Thomas Coury and graduate student linebacker Logan Young led the Tartans tackling with 11, nine, and nine, respectively.
• Young tied his single-game high with nine tackles, six solo, and added an interception and fumble recovery.

Game Notes

• Carnegie Mellon leads the series against Geneva all-time with a record of 24-8-1.
• The Tartans extended their win streak to nine games, going back to September 30th, 2023, when the Tartans beat the Allegheny Gators 19-3.
• Mills moved up to second on the Tartan all-time passing yards list with his 220 yards through the air and needs 993 yards to become the all-time leader.
• Tre Vasiliades moved up to 4th on the Tartan all-time rushing yards list with his 76 yards on the ground and needs 138 to move into 3rd.
• Logan Young is now tied for sixth on the Tartan all-time interceptions list, tacking on the 11th of his career, and needs one for fifth, two for fourth and three for second all-time.
• Tartan linebacker Thomas Coury moved into sixth on the all-time tackles list and needs two to move into fifth.

Thoughts From Head Coach Ryan Larsen

• ""I give Geneva a ton of credit, in the first half they definitely condensed the game and made sure it was their brand of football being played. They are very well coached, and I know they will have a lot of success this season."
• "What made me particularly proud today was how our players just trusted their training, what we are coaching, and believing in each other - particularly in the second half. I couldn't be prouder of our execution, and it was a great example of a team win to honor Coach Lackner in such a special day as we named the field in his honor."
• "I cannot wait to get back to work on a much improved and challenging Bethany team tomorrow!"

Up Next

• The Tartans will host the Bethany Bison in Pittsburgh at Richard M. Lackner Field at Gesling Stadium on Saturday, September 21. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m.