Carnegie Mellon University Tartans Vs W&J Presidents: Spoilers In The Quest For 700?
By Larry Snyder
The Tartans of Carnegie Mellon University are seeking to get back to .500 when they take on the Presidents on Saturday on the road at Washington and Jefferson.
The first meeting between these two programs came in 1906 and CMU leads the series 32-26-5. However, W&J has won three of the last four contests.
While the Tartans (0-1) are seeking their first victory this season, the Presidents (2-0) have history on their minds as a win this weekend will be the program’s 700th. W&J is 699-383-40 in 123 seasons of varsity football.
With a win, the Red and Black will become just the third D-3 team and 25th program overall in all NCAA divisions to reach 700 all-time wins. The other two NCAA D-3 programs are the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders with 729 and the Wittenberg University Tigers with 727.
When: Saturday, Sept 20
Kick Off: 1:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Cameron Stadium in Washington, Pa.
Playing Surface: Matrix Turf
Last Meeting: 1989 — CMU 17 and W&J 7
Last W&J Win at Home: 1988 — W&J 14 and CMU 6
Last CMU Win at W&J: 1982 — CMU 15 and W&J 12
W&J Radio Coverage: WJPA-AM 1450
Announcers: Bob Gregg and Mark Uriah
Streaming Audio: MSA Sports Network (http://www.msasports.net/)
Additional Streaming Audio: WRCT 88.3 FM (http://www.wrct.org/)
Live W&J Video Stream: http://washjeffsports.tv/
Weather Channel Online Forecast: Partly Cloudy with a High of 79 and 0% Chance of Rain
Seeking to delay the entry of Washington and Jefferson into the sports history books, is Carnegie Mellon head coach Rich Lackner, who is no stranger to record setting. He is the school’s all-time winningest coach with a 184-97-2 record, nine conference championships and two NCAA playoff berths.
While at the helm of the Crimson and Gray, Lackner coached CMU to its 500th victory in progam history when the Tartans defeated the University of Chicago 28-13 on Nov 5, 2011 in the Windy City.
In the season opening loss at Case Western Reserve, freshman quarterback Bryan Jangro completed 19 of 35 passes for 149 yards. His favorite target was junior wide receiver Chris Herrera, who had five catches for 56 yards.
Herrera also contributed on special teams as he had three kick returns against the Spartans for a total of 69 yards.
On defense, sophomore cornerback Jonathan Dyer had eight tackles and assisted on one more for a total of nine stops against CWR while senior free safety Eric Myers put up four stops and assisted on four more for a total of eight tackles.
For Washington and Jefferson, head coach Mike Sirianni is in his 12th season leading the Presidents. He owns a 103-24 record and the Red and Black have made 10 postseason appearances under his leadership.
W&J has posted back-to-back 50-plus point performances to start the season as they defeated the College of Wooster Fighting Scots 51-17 and the Westminster College Titans 56-21.
Leading the charge is running back Ryan Ruffing, who has scored 10 touchdowns, five per game, in the opening two victories for the Presidents. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound junior has 339 yards on 73 carries and nine scores while also catching four passes for 72 yards and one touchdown.
Sophomore starting quarterback Pete Coughlin has completed 42 of 60 passes for 461 yards, two touchdowns and one interception to begin the season. When he looks downfield, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound signal callers likes to target senior wide receiver Max Creighan, who has 130 yards on 13 receptions.
The Presidents defense has been getting the job done and is led by senior linebacker Jared Pratt, who has seven solo tackles and assisted on 10 more stops for a total of 17 tackles while junior defensive end Jon Turner has eight solo stops and assists on six more tackles for a total of 14.
The action continues in the Presidents Athletic Conference as Carnegie Mellon is back home next Saturday at Gesling Stadium to take on the Geneva College Golden Tornadoes (1-1) at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, Washington and Jefferson will take a one week break before they host the Thomas More College Saints (1-1) under the lights on Saturday, Oct 4 at 7 p.m.