West Indy News

Carnegie Mellon Tops Tigers in NCAA First Round

DePauw forced a fumble on the game's opening kickoff and took a 7-0 lead, but host Carnegie Mellon knocked the Tigers out of the NCAA Division III Football Championship with a 45-14 first-round victory.

DePauw finished its season at 9-2, while the Tartans, ranked 19th by D3football.com  and 15th in the coaches' poll, advanced to the second round and moved to 11-0. The win was also the Carnegie Mellon's 18th straight which is the longest current streak on all levels of NCAA football.

The Tigers' Andrew Word forced a fumble on the opening kickoff of the game and Dane Young recovered at the Tartans' 29-yard line. DePauw needed six plays to become the first team to score a first-quarter touchdown against Carnegie Mellon this season when Wally Renie tossed a 15-yard score to Robby Ballentine in the back corner of the end zone just 2:41 into the game.

The hosts responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that included a fourth-down conversion and culminated in Ben Mills' 4-yard scoring pass to Kris Hughes. 

DePauw turned the ball back over to the Tartans on the ensuing kickoff and, four plays later, Tre Vasiliadis scored on a 4-yard run to give Carnegie Mellon its first lead of the game at 14-7.

The Carnegie Mellon defense recorded a three-and-out and the offense converted on a third-straight possession as Mills completed a 14-yard scoring pass to Ethan Reifer to make it 21-7 with 13:06 left in the half.

DePauw was forced to punt after another three-and-out, but on the first play of the Tartans' next drive, Jonathan Bruder picked off Mills at the DePauw 27 and returned it to midfield. The interception was Bruder's third career pick with each ocurring in an NCAA postseason game.

The Tigers were unable to capitalize after a 9-yard sack on first down, an incomplete pass and a 13-yard pass from Renie to Drew Moore on third down and Jack Drake's punt was downed at the Carnegie Mellon 2.

The Tartans methodically drove down the field, converting four third downs with Mills teaming with Reifer for a 14-yard score with 1:04 remaining in the half which capped a 16-play, 98-yard series that took 8:58.

DePauw opened the second half with a 15-play, 88-yard possession that ended with Gus Baumgartner's 1-yard run and trimmed the Tartans' lead to 28-14.

DePauw's defense then recorded its first three-and-out of the game, but the hosts downed Casey Jaeb's punt just inside the goal line. The Tigers picked up three first downs, but were forced to punt after reaching midfield. 

On its next possession, Carnegie Mellon was faced with a third-and-nine from its own 26. DePauw defensive back Tommy Ryan stepped in front of Hughes and nearly picked off  Mills' pass with a clear path to the end zone. DePauw's offense couldn't capitalize following the Tartans' punt and the hosts made it 35-14 after Vasiliadi scored on a 54-yard run with 12:48 left in the game.

Carnegie Mellon's Nolan Pitsenberger pushed the lead to 42-14 just 46 seconds later with a pick-six that covered 45 yards. Cole Hanna's 35-yard field goal with 7:18 remaining wrapped up the scoring.

Renie rushed for a team-high 32 yards and completed 19-of-33 passes for 178 yards with one touchdowns and three interceptions. Ballentine caught nine for 99 yards and a score, while Trey Shaw hauled in six for 42 yards.

Vasiliadis rushed for 167 yards on 29 carries, while Mills completed 16-of-23 passes for 204 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Ben Condemi caught six for 68 yards with Reifer making five grabs for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Bruder paced DePauw with 16 tackles and Ryan added 14. Adrian Williams led Carnegie Mellon with eight tackles.

The Tartans outgained DePauw, 419-255, including 215-77 on the ground.

NOTES
- DePauw established a new single-season point total by scoring 414 which topped the previous mark of 404 in 10 games in 2015.
- Joseph Sullivan's 46 successful point-after kicks broke the DePauw single-season record 45 by Marko Adams in 2015 and 2016.
- DePauw finished with nine wins for the second-straight year and fifth time in school history. This marks the first time its happened in back-to-back seasons 

Original source can be found here.