Sep 02, 2022
(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team opened its 2022 season at home against Whitworth University on Friday and came away with a 35-17 victory in first-year Head Coach Ryan Larsen's debut.
Game Information
Carnegie Mellon 35, Whitworth 17
Records: Carnegie Mellon (1-0), Whitworth (0-1)
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. (Gesling Stadium)
How it Happened
- Junior Ben Mills connected with senior Kris Hughes on an 18-yard touchdown two minutes into the second quarter to make the score 7-0.
- The tandem on Mills and Hughes struck again seven minutes later on a school-record 99-yard catch and run to double the Tartans lead.
- Whitworth's Logan Kitselman plunged in from a yard out to cut the Tartans lead to 14-7 with two minutes to play in the first half.
- As time expired in the first half, Alvaro Campos-Ontiveros connected on a 40-yard field goal to make the score 14-10.
- The Tartans marched down the field to start the second half and with 12:48 on the clock, junior Tre Vasiliadis scored on 12-yard run to extend the Tartans lead to 21-10.
- In the closing seconds of the third quarter the Pirates cut Carnegie Mellon's lead to one score when Jaedyn Prewitt found Evan Liggett for a 22-yard strike. The touchdown made the score 21-17 heading into the fourth quarter.
- Vasiliadis struck again, this time for an 11-yard touchdown run with 7:24 to play expand the lead to 28-17.
- On the ensuing possession after Vasiliadis's second score, junior Kevin Cooke scored on a 43-yard interception return to close the scoring at 35-17.
Stats
- Carnegie Mellon outgained Whitworth 485-456 yard of total offense.
- The Tartans defense held Whitworth to -3 yards rushing.
- Mills ended with a career-high 354 yards on 15-of-32 and threw two touchdowns.
- Hughes recorded a career-high with 190 receiving yards on six receptions and two score.
- Sophomore Ben Condemi turned in a career performance with highs of five catches and 131 yards
- Vasiliadis recorded his sixth 100-yard rushing game when he carried the ball for 152 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns.
- Graduate student Cole Hanna converted all five point-after-attempts in his Tartan debut.
- Junior Adrian Williams recorded a career-high 11 tackles, including 10 solo.
- Senior Aryan Hegde along with juniors Robert Coury and Thomas Coury all ended with eight tackles while the Coury brothers each tabbed a solo sack.
Game Notes
- Head Coach Ryan Larsen records his first career victory.
- Carnegie Mellon improves to 68-43-3 all-time in season openers.
- Mills to Hughes 99-yard touchdown is the longest touchdown pass in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PA) since September 20, 1975.
- It marked the fourth time in school history that two Tartan receivers recorded 100 yards in a game.
- Hughes moved into second all-time with 22 touchdown receptions for his career. He needs three more to move into a tie for first (John Prather).
- The Tartans have now won 20 straight games when leading after three quarters of play.
- The Tartans defense held the Pirates to -3 yards rushing and are now 17-3 over the last five seasons when holding their opponent to less than 100 yards on the ground. The school record for rushing yards allowed is -14 against Hiram in 2005.
Up Next
- Carnegie Mellon will travel to Troy, New York, to play the Engineers of RPI. Kick is set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 10.