Big 2nd quarter key as CMU stops W&J
PITTSBURGH – Carnegie Mellon found the end zone three times in the second quarter and used a stout defensive effort to power its way to a 27-11 victory over Washington & Jefferson in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference football game Saturday at Gesling Stadium.
The loss drops the Presidents to 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the PAC. Carnegie Mellon improves to 7-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference. The Tartans are now in the driver’s seat to claim at least a share of the PAC title and the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs with a win next week against Case Western Reserve.
CMU scored on its first offensive play when quarterback Ben Mills hit Kris Hughes for a 75-yard touchdown pass. Mills and Hughes hooked up for a 5-yard TD pass with 29 seconds left in the first half that gave the Tartans a 27-3 lead.
W&J’s only TD came in the third quarter when Andrew Wolf caught a 16-yard scoring pass from Justin Heacock. Sean Disbrow booted a 28-yard field goal in the first quarter that cut CMU’s lead to 6-3, but the Tartans scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, the first on a two-yard run by Tre Vasiliadis and the second when Thomas Coury recovered a blocked punt for a score.
The Presidents were held to only 25 rushing yards on 30 attempts. W&J quarterbacks were sacked nine times.
W&J concludes the regular season at home Saturday against Waynesburg.