Carnegie Mellon Football Reclaims Academic Bowl Trophy in 23-20 Win Over Case Western Reserve On Last Play

Oct. 29 - (PITTSBURGH, Pa.) In the 20th annual Academic Bowl between the Carnegie Mellon Tartans and the Case Western Reserve Spartans, the Tartans emerged victorious after a three-year losing streak, defeating the Spartans 23-20 on the last play of the game. Junior place kicker Nathaniel Greenstein (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Dobbs Ferry) hit a career long 41-yard field goal to lift the Tartans past visiting Case Western Reserve. In the bowl’s history, Carnegie Mellon reigns over CWRU, 14-6. The win evens the Tartans record at 4-4, 1-2 UAA and drops Case Western to 3-5, 0-2.

From early in the first quarter, CWRU held the Tartans to a short-lived deficit, a theme that would occur repeatedly throughout the game. With 10:38 on the clock, the Spartans scored their first touchdown on a 39-yard pass to Angelo Mirando, but missed the extra point, proving to be costly later on. Carnegie Mellon would later answer this touchdown near the end of the first quarter with 3:33 left on the clock with a 1-yard run by Travis Sivek (Traverse City, MI/Traverse City), making the score 7-6 at the end of the first.

Case Western started the second quarter with a missed field goal, placing the ball in the Tartan’s possession on the Tartans 20-yard line. Greenstein added to the Tartans lead with a 27-yard field goal on an 11 play, 70-yard drive, taking 5:22 off the clock.

After fruitless drives from both teams, Carnegie Mellon seized the ball from the Spartans on an interception by Nat Scarmazzi (Canonsburg, PA/Canon McMillian), at the Case Western 43-yard line. The Carnegie Mellon drive would start at their own 33-yard line, but three plays later, Tartan freshman quarterback Doug Facemeyer (Eastlake, OH/Eastlake North) was intercepted by John Tiemeier who would run the ball back for a touchdown giving the Spartans the 13-10 advantage. Carnegie Mellon rebounded quickly and drove down the field with 2:06 left to play, ending the half with a successful attempt by Greenstein from the 25. The Tartans broke to the locker room with the score tied.

Case Western recovered a muffed punt early in the third quarter setting them up on the Tartans 20-yard line. On a second and ten from the 13-yard line Scarmazzi once again intercepted the Spartan quarterback, this time in the end zone. With CWRU unable to capitalize on the initial turnover, the score remained 13-13 at the end of the third quarter.

On their second drive of the fourth quarter, the Spartans took the ball down the field with a quick five play, 41-yard drive resulting in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Angelo Marando to Marshaun Minter, giving Case the 20-13 lead with just under nine-minutes to play. With the pressure on, the Tartans took control of the game and in a nearly eight minute drive, scored a touchdown on a 4-yard run by Sivek with 1:27 to play, knotting the score at 20.

The Carnegie Mellon defense took control of the field and stopped CWRU on a three-and-out drive, forcing the Spartans to punt. The Tartans punt returner, Adam Bowland (Oak Hill, W.Va./Oak Hill), took the 40-yard punt and returned it 19 yards to the Case Western 49-yard line setting the Tartans up for the winning drive with 39 ticks left.

Sivek’s 18-yard and five-yard runs set the Tartans on the Case Western 24-yard line giving Greenstein enough time to kick the game winner for the Tartans first win in three games.

Sivek finished with a career high 196 yards on 31 carries and two touchdowns. The sophomore started the game as the 11th all-time leading rusher for Carnegie Mellon (with 1,353 career yards) and ended as the 7th with 1,549 yards. Facemeyer, in his first start, ended with 72 passing yards while completing seven of his 12 pass attempts.

Leading the way for the defense was junior defensive back Aaron Lewis (Englewood, OH/Northmont), who ended with 11 total tackles (six solo) and Scarmazzi with two interceptions and three tackles. Senior defensive lineman Mike Burnside (Noxen, Pa./Tunkhannock) finished the afternoon with four tackles, two sacks and five quarterback hurries.

Carnegie Mellon will travel to Bethany College for a 1:00 pm kickoff next Saturday, November 5.