Carnegie Mellon Drops to 2-2 in Loss to Franklin & Marshall
Stats
Sept. 24 - (LANCASTER, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon football team surrenders their first shutout since the 2003 season with a 6-0 loss to Franklin & Marshall Saturday, September 24 at Sponaugle-Williamson Field. This game lowers the Tartans to a 2-2 record and gives the Diplomats their first win of the season, moving them to an improved record of 1-2.
In the first drive of the first quarter, Franklin & Marshall was able to complete a daring fake punt attempt and converted on fourth down for a successful push down to the three yard line. They were stopped there on third down by the efforts of Nat Scarmazzi (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon McMillan) and Steve Killmeyer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon), who ended the game with three and seven tackles, respectively. The Diplomats were unable to convert a pass attempt on fourth down and were forced to give up the ball to the Tartans at the Carnegie Mellon three yard line.
The Tartans first turn down field resulted in a Tartan punt from the Carnegie Mellon nine yard line. Again, near the end of the second quarter, F&M was unable to score on a minute long drive to the 20-yard line, as their kicker missed a 41-yard field goal to end the half. The first half remained scoreless with neither team gaining significant yards against the other.
On the Tartans first possession of the second half, junior quarterback Kevin Mulkern (Springfield, Pa.) was intercepted by Ryan Sychterz to set up the Diplomats at the 48-yard line of Carnegie Mellon. Ten plays latter Kolodny hit what proved to be the winning field goal, a 31-yarder to put the Diplomats up 3-0 with 10:10 left in the third.
The score would stay that way until the 5:28 mark in the fourth quarter when Kolodny converted his second field goal on the day, this time from 22 yards out, to give F&M the 6-0 advantage. On the ensuing drive the Tartans put together a 14-play, five-minute drive. The drive ended on a scramble by senior quarterback Jarrod Highberger (Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville), who found a wide open receiver in the back of the end zone before the Diplomats freshmen defensive back, Barry Lovett, made a diving deflection to end the Tartans hope and seal the 6-0 victory for F&M.
The Tartans failed to capitalize on two potential scoring opportunities in the half, as Tartan kicker Nathaniel Greenstein (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) missed a 38-yard field goal attempt after an 11-play drive in the third quarter, which could have tied the score.
Tartan defensive back Aaron Lewis (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont)finished once again with tackles in the double digits, ending the game with a combined total of 17 tackles and a career best 11 solo. Travis Sivek (Traverse City, Mich./St. Francis) also finished well, rushing for a total of 87 yards. On the ground the Tartans out rushed the Diplomats 228 yards to 122, but the Diplomats had the slight edge on total offense 263 to 262.
Next week, Carnegie Mellon University will travel to face off against the Colorado College Tigers for a 1:00 p.m. start time.
