Playoff Football Returns To Gesling Stadium

Nov. 15 - (PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Carnegie Mellon will host their first ever playoff game at Gesling Stadium this Saturday at 12 p.m. when the Tartans (10-0) battle the Millsaps College Majors (7-3) in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.

The Tartans, winners of the University Athletic Association (UAA), will appear in their first NCAA playoff game since 1990’s 17-7 loss to eventual national runner-up Lycoming College. Millsaps, who won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) by reeling off seven straight victories to close out their regular season, return to the postseason for the first time since 1975.

The first ever meeting between the two schools will feature two very different styles of offense, both among the elite units in all of Division III.

Led by the UAA's leading rusher, junior Travis Sivek (Traverse City, Mich./St. Francis), the Tartans steamrolled opposing defenses by racking up 272 yards per game on the ground. That rushing dominance allowed a big-play passing attack to develop as the offense completed nearly 60% of its passes for 16.4 yards per completion and 10 touchdowns.

The Majors are almost the mirror opposite of Carnegie Mellon’s "run-first, pass-second" philosophy. Quarterback Juan Joseph directs an offense that ranks 19th in the nation with 260 pass yards per game. Millsaps spreads the ball around through the air, (nine different receivers have caught touchdown passes) while effectively mixing in the run as Tyson Roy has compiled 696 yards and six touchdowns in their pass-heavy system.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Majors and Tartans have also experienced very different fortunes.

Preseason All-America defensive back Aaron Lewis (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont) anchors a group that surrendered more than one score just three times all season and allowed 8.2 points per contest, third best in Division III. With a conference-best five interceptions from Lewis, the Tartans led the UAA with a plus-eleven in the turnover differential.

Millsaps allowed 20.2 points and 368 yards per game, but their knack for creating big plays helped guide the team to their first conference title in 31 years. After allowing 126 points in their first three games, the Majors gelled and yielded an average of 11 points over their final seven contests.

While a great deal of their points came from Joseph and their passing attack, defense and special teams helped the Majors become the 22nd highest scoring team in the nation. Eleven touchdowns (seven defensive, four special teams) contributed to their 33 points per game average.

While neither roster has players with collegiate post-season experience, the coaching staffs do. Tartans head coach, Rich Lackner, will be making his sixth appearance as a player or coach, while Mike DuBose of Millsaps has been to a playoff game with the University of Alabama numerous times before.