Carnegie Mellon Football Opens 2007 Campaign at Rochester

Aug. 29 – (PITTSBURGH, Pa) – The 2006 defending University Athletic Association (UAA) Champions, Carnegie Mellon University, open their 2007 season Saturday, September 1, as they head north to play host, University of Rochester.  The Tartans will look to build on their school record season a year ago after finishing 2006 with an 11-1 mark and a trip to their seventh appearance in the NCAA playoffs. 

This marks the twentieth time the two teams will meet, as the Tartans hold the all-time edge, 11-8. The teams first met in 1943 with Rochester winning 16-0.  Rochester won the first five meetings before the Tartans won 11 of the next 12. After the Tartans had won nine straight games (1993-2001) the Yellowjackets have won the last two meetings including a 21-9 victory the last time the two teams met in 2003, the last year Rochester played football in the UAA.

“Since we played Rochester last, they are in a different league with a different coach,” comments head coach Rich Lackner.  “It is just like any other non-conference game for us and we are approaching it as a challenge. They had a good record last season (7-4) and have a fine football team.” 

Offensively, the Tartans return eight starters including seven who made the All-UAA Team.  The Cardinal and Gray will be headed by senior fullback, preseason All-America, Travis Sivek (Traverse City, Mich./St. Francis), last year’s UAA Offensive Player of the Year.  Sivek will enter the campaign as the school’s all-time leading rusher (3,067 total yards) after becoming the second back in the program’s history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.  He finished the 2006 season with 1,326 yards, ranking first in a single season, and 14 touchdowns.  Fellow senior running back, Robert Gimson (Palm Beach Gardens., Fla./The Benjamin School) also returns.  Gimson also broke the 1,000 yard barrier a year ago finishing with 1,059.  A strong offensive line returns for the Tartans as they lose one starter from a front that blocked for two 1,000-yard running backs, first ever in school history, with an eighth ranked rushing attack that averaged 260.6 yards a game.

“I feel good about our returning vets that have great experience; you can say they [Travis and Robert] are well traveled.  They have been to war and battle, but last year was last year and this is a whole new year with a lot of new opponents on the schedule,” stated Lackner.  “It gives us confidence going into the season that we have potential to be a good strong running attack again whether we are or not is up to those guys.”

Junior quarterbackDoug Facemyer (Eastlake, Ohio Eastlake North) has appeared in 16 games in his first two seasons including eight starts.  He was 36-of-69 for 470 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions a year ago.  He stepped in halfway through last season to continue to lead the Tartans to their best season ever in school history.  His main returning target will be preseason All-American tight end, junior Derek Wisnieski (Indiana, Pa.).  Wisnieski had 13 receptions for 259 yards and three touchdowns.  Carnegie Mellon will look upon senior Jeremy Doo (Cambridge, Mass. Phillips Exeter Academy) and sophomore Brendan Howe (Grosse Pointe, Mich. Grosse Point South) to replace two four year starters at the wide out position.

Defensively, the Tartans return six solid starters including five who made All-UAA.  Senior defensive lineman Michael Reggie (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep), a preseason All-America pick, will look to head a powerful front.  The 6-2, 250 lb. lineman finished 2006 with 11.5 tackles for a loss including 4.5 sacks for 29 yards.  The secondary will be led by senior corner Jon Scholl (Coraopolis, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic).  Scholl finished second on the team in tackles (88) last season while recording two interceptions.  Other key returnees will be senior linebackers Trent Sisson (Novi, Mich.) and Jonathan Bodnar (Cheswick, Pa./Deer Lakes), along with junior defensive lineman Clay Crites (Tuscarawas, Ohio/Indian Valley).

There will be some new faces on defense heading into the season as well.  Junior Jim Sands (Windham, Ohio) will look to step into the starting inside linebacker position along with sophomore Stanley Onyimba (Columbia, Md./Altholto).  “Sands has had a good camp and Sisson and Bodnar have a lot of playing experience at the outside linebacker spot,” said Lackner.  “Our secondary will have some new faces with players that have been in the program for a couple of years as they are stepping up and there are some freshmen that have made an impact in camp.”

Also returning for the Tartans is senior punter Matt Adams (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Scioto).  Adams had 19 punts inside the 20-yard line and an average of 36.7 yards per punt in 2006 to earn First Team All-UAA honors. Newcomers Elliot Carnevale (Greenville, S.C..JL Mann Academy) and Colin Marks (Washington Crossing, Pa./Council Rock North) will battle to replace four-time All-UAA kicker Nathaniel Greenstein.

Rochester, finished 7-4 overall and played in the ECAC Northwest Championship Game last season.  The Yellowjackets rushed for 1,701 yards (154.6 ypg.) and scored 19 touchdowns. Senior Matt Bielecki ran for a single-season record 1,390 yards and scored 14 of the Yellowjackets 19 rushing touchdowns.  Rochester returns their top five receivers from a year ago headed by senior preseason All-America, J.J. Vanderstyne (85 catches, 1,128 yards, 11 TDs).  Sophomore Zach Ingoldsby caught 24 balls for an 11.6-yard average, while Bielecki had 19 catches (6.9 avg., 1 TD).

Lackner added, “Rochester returns some great receivers, but they also return a great running back. We will look for a very balanced attack from them.”

The Yellowjacket defense is led by senior corner Andy Rape who topped the club in solo tackles (53) a year ago. He also had nine assists. Senior safety Jim Milks had 45 solo stops and 23 assists, while fellow junior safety Matt Stack had 47 tackles and 10 assists. The returning sack leader is sophomore defensive tackle Graig Baxter with four sacks for 22 yards in losses. The Yellowjacket pass defense recorded 11 interceptions.

Kickoff is slated for 12:00 p.m. at Edwin Fauver Stadium in Rochester, N.Y.