The Rise of the Carnegie Mellon Tartans (NCAA Football 07)

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Pessimism, Confusion Surrounds Bold Leap
Never has there been an institution jump from NCAA Division III to Division I competition, until now

by Bryan Smith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist

PITTSBURGH -- This past January, when Carnegie Mellon introduced its new athletic director Daniel Corrigan, excitement filled Skibo Gymnasium.

Corrigan’s resume spoke for itself, as he created power programs at previous stops as athletic director, Mary Hardin-Baylor in Texas and Pittsburg State in Kansas. The Tartan faithful expected a quick rise in results across the department – including national championships – while maintaining the rigorous academic standards that the university was known for.

But no one – and I mean no one – expected Corrigan to make an unprecedented leap in just his first six months in charge.

So when Carnegie Mellon takes the field on Thursday, August 31 at Youngstown State in its inaugural contest as a NCAA Division I – repeat, Division One – program, it is entering uncharted territory. Never once as a Division III school made the leap to Division I competition. In fact, it’s such a rarity that the NCAA had to sign off on a waiver to allow CMU to make such a jump.

Corrigan’s Tartans, under the direction of first-year head coach John Elliott, will spend two years as a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) independent before entering the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks. That’s if the program makes it that long before tucking its tail between its legs and backtracking to Division III competition.

Come on, not even kids playing the new EA Sports NCAA Football video game would attempt something like this! We as a city have clamored for an on-campus football stadium for the University of Pittsburgh, and instead we get another Division I program? You could make a weak argument for either local FCS program Duquesne or Robert Morris to move up to FBS ball – and it would be light – but Carnegie Mellon?

Before I’m accused of being too negative, let’s take at some positives.

The potential elite high school recruits that value an education and want to go pro in something other than sports? Potential Tartans, I suppose.

The publicity that CMU has received for this mind-blowing leap? All publicity is good publicity – at least that’s what they tell me.

The Tartans’ projection of being a fringe Top 25 team in Division III prior to this? Maybe they’ll only lose by 50 to Pitt in October.

Listen, I’m sure Corrigan has done his research and has some explanation for making this move. And I can’t argue with the man’s credentials at this point, considering the work he’s done at his previous two stops and all the Athletic Director of the Year awards.

But he might have bitten off more than he can chew with this one. I’m sure there are students on campus that have dreamt of hosting programs such as Notre Dame and Penn State at Gesling Stadium, but visions often distort reality.

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Game: NCAA Football 07 / NCAA Football 08*
Console: PS2 (played on the OG PS3)
Quarter Length: 8 minutes

House Rules:

Recruiting: I can only target recruits with A-/A/A+ awareness during in and off-season cycles; I can only recruit potential student-athletes of three-star quality or below until the program has reached three-star prestige; I can not recruit potential student-athletes of five-star quality until the program has reached five-star prestige; I can only accept transfers with acceptable awareness ratings; I can not target any junior college recruits
Scheduling: My first two schedules will feature all FCS programs with a split of 4-8 home-away in the first season and 6-6 home-away in the second season, as well as a yearly rivalry game with Pitt; The rivalry with Pitt will feature primarily on its home field until CMU has reached a two-star prestige level; Once fully into FBS competition, I will schedule based on the program’s level, like being a “buy” opponent for elite programs
Players Leaving: I can not stop a player from leaving early, whether it be to the NFL Draft or by transfer; I can not cut any players unless roster limits are forced upon me
In-Season Suspensions: Length of player suspensions will be based on the game-recommended option UNLESS it is an academic violation, which in that case, the ban will be doubled the recommendation with a minimum of two games (ex. two-quarter suspension becomes two games rather than one game)
Coaching Contracts: If/when a coach is fired from his job at CMU, I will create a new coach to take over; if a coach receives an offer from a program with a higher prestige rating, they are required to take it and then I will take over CMU with a new created coach
Roster Template: I used the Academic template but will nerf everyone’s rating to 48 or below besides two offensive players and two defensive players that can have a peak rating of 56

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* Author's Note (5/7/2020): Dynasty was moved to NCAA Football 08 after the 2007 season after I mistakenly deleted the original file.

Disclaimer: All material written in this dynasty report is completely fictional. All media from other sites are used for entertainment purposes only and I do not profit from its use.

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The University
Name: Carnegie Mellon University
Established: 1900
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Colors: Cardinal, Black, Grey, and White
Nickname: Tartans

Program History
First Season: 1906
All-Time Record: 510-381-26 (.570)
Undefeated Seasons: 1
- 1954 (7-0-1)
Conference Championships: 15 (4 co-championships)
- Presidents' Athletic Conference (1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1989*)
- University Athletic Association (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994*, 1995*, 1996*, 1997)
- Mid-American Conference (2012)
NCAA Postseason Record: 2-5 (.286)
NCAA Postseason Appearances: 1978, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1990
Bowl Record: 4-2 (.600)
Bowl History:
- 1938 Sugar Bowl (#1 TCU 15, #6 Carnegie Tech 7)
- 1999 ECAC Bowl (Carnegie Mellon 28, Frostburg State 10)
- 2009 Champs Sports Bowl (#14 Iowa 33, Carnegie Mellon 20)
- 2010 Motor City Bowl (Carnegie Mellon 50, Penn 10)
- 2011 International Bowl (Carnegie Mellon 49, South Florida 39)
- 2012 Motor City Bowl (Carnegie Mellon 42, Harvard 21)

Program Records
Career
Passing Yards: Justin Keyes (2007-10) - 7,308
Passing Touchdowns: Chris Dee (1991-94) - 53
Rushing Yards: Jim Manning (2007-09) - 4,623
Rushing Touchdowns: Jim Manning (2007-09) - 43
Receptions: Eddie Williams (2010-12) - 316
Receiving Yards: Eddie Williams (2010-12) - 5,211 [NCAA Record]
Receiving Touchdowns: Eddie Williams (2010-12) - 54 [NCAA Record]
Tackles: Mark Toth (2008-11) - 315
Sacks: Matt Burnsides (2009-12) - 18.0
Interceptions: Hayden Temple (2007-10) - 21
Made Field Goals: Jon Foster (2008-11) - 44
Points Scored: Eddie Williams (2010-12) - 372
Kick Return Yards: Kelvin Butler (2010-12) - 2,812
Kick Return Touchdowns: Kelvin Butler (2010-12) - 6
Punt Return Yards: Kelvin Butler (2010-12) - 1,242
Punt Return Touchdowns: Kelvin Butler (2010-12) - 5

Single-Season
Passing Yards: Kevin Wilson (2012) - 3,032
Passing Touchdowns: Kevin Wilson (2012) - 30
Rushing Yards: Jim Manning (2009) - 1,936
Rushing Touchdowns: Jim Manning (2009) - 23
Receptions: Eddie Williams (2012) - 125
Receiving Yards: Eddie Williams (2012) - 2,262 [NCAA Record]
Receiving Touchdowns: Eddie Williams (2012) - 25
Tackles: Aaron Lewis (2005) - 115
Sacks: David Brown (2010, 2011) - 15.0
Interceptions: Andy Helms (1991), Calvin Burton (2008), Todd Andriano (2009, 2010), Hayden Temple (2010), Jabari London (2012) - 7
Made Field Goals: Jon Foster (2010) - 14
Points Scored: Eddie Williams (2012) - 174
Kick Return Yards: Kelvin Butler (2011) - 1,140
Kick Return Touchdowns: Kelvin Butler (2010) - 3
Punt Return Yards: Kelvin Butler (2010) - 495
Punt Return Touchdowns: Kelvin Butler (2010) - 3

Single-Game
Passing Yards: Kevin Wilson (Jan. 5, 2012 vs. South Florida) - 392
Passing Touchdowns: Kevin Wilson (Nov. 17, 2012 at Western Michigan), Gerald Culver (Nov. 5, 2011 vs. Ohio; Sept. 8, 2012 vs. Idaho; Sept. 22, 2012 vs. Buffalo) - 5
Rushing Yards: Jim Manning (Oct. 27, 2007 vs. Villanova) - 321
Rushing Touchdowns: Jim Manning (Sept. 27, 2008 vs. Buffalo), Lawrence McIntire (Oct. 15, 2011 at Miami (Ohio)) - 4
Receptions: Eddie Williams (Sept. 24, 2011 at Buffalo) - 17
Receiving Yards: Eddie Williams (Sept. 24, 2011 at Buffalo) - 228
Receiving Touchdowns: Eddie Williams (Sept. 22, 2012 vs. Buffalo) - 5
Tackles: Aaron Lewis (Nov. 12, 2005 vs. Thiel) - 22
Sacks: Mario Williams (Sept. 15, 2012 at Pittsburgh) - 4
Interceptions: Calvin Burton (Sept. 27, 2008 vs. Buffalo) - 5 [NCAA Record]

From 1906-43, Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon played 30 times. The Panthers went 24-5-1 against the Tartans over that stretch.

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Season Preview: Tartans Enter Historic 2006 with Minimal Expectations (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Synopsis: Making the unprecedented leap from Division III to Division I FCS competition, Carnegie Mellon predictably struggled with an 1-11 record. CMU did show improvement throughout the year however, earning its lone win against Division II Shippensburg (FCS East), 27-24, followed by a pair of one-score losses at Princeton and Stephen F. Austin. One of the team's bright spots was the play of junior tailback Robert Riley, who topped the century mark in rushing yards. The Tartans also landed three foundational pieces in in-season recruiting with the signings of three-star guard Matt Fitch, outside linebacker Matt Johnson, and runningback Jim Manning.

Recaps: at Youngstown State | at Maine | at James Madison | WESTERN ILLINOIS | at Montana | at Pittsburgh
HARVARD | at Furman | SHIPPENSBURG | at Princeton | at Stephen F. Austin | RICHMOND

Season Preview: Freshmen Look to Make Impact in Carnegie Mellon’s Second FCS Season (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Synopsis: Leaning on its first recruiting class, Carnegie Mellon improved to 5-7 in its second Division I FCS season and scored three consecutive wins in October. CMU nabbed its first triumph against an equal foe in a 22-21 thriller over Indiana State, but dropped its next four games to sit at 1-5 through six. With rumors of second-year head coach John Elliott's job being in jeopardy, the Tartans topped McNeese State and Dartmouth on the road before leaning on freshman Jim Manning for a school-record 321 rushing yards in a 24-21 win over Villanova. Manning starred at tailback after taking over for incumbent starter Robert Riley, earning Sports Network FCS Freshman All-America honors after totaling 1,291 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns (10 rush, 1 kick return). A change in video game (NCAA 07 to NCAA 08) in the offseason helped CMU secure a stellar recruiting class with nine three-star prospects, and also put it in the Mid-America Conference (MAC) ahead of its first FBS season in 2009.

Recaps: at Penn | INDIANA STATE | at Pittsburgh | at Southern Illinois | RHODE ISLAND | SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE
at McNeese State | at Dartmouth | VILLANOVA | HOFSTRA | TOWSON | at Idaho State

Season Preview: Tartans Ready for FBS, MAC debut in 2008 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Synopsis: Carnegie Mellon managed two MAC wins and three wins overall in its inaugural FBS season, but also suffered eight double-digit defeats and nine overall. Sophomore cornerback Calvin Burton tied an NCAA record against Buffalo with five interceptions, helping lift the Tartans to a 45-35 triumph in their MAC debut. Two other wins came with the calendar flipping to November, including a 41-37 nailbiter against winless Duke that saw CMU benefit from a late unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. While sophomore runningback Jim Manning posted a second consecutive 1,000-yard season on the ground, the Tartans' pro style offense struggled behind second-year quarterback Justin Keyes, who threw 19 interceptions against seven touchdowns and posted a 89.5 quarterback rating. On defense, freshman middle linebacker Mark Toth was bestowed with MAC Freshman of the Year honors after amassing six interceptions and three sacks.

Recaps: at Wisconsin | TULANE | at Pittsburgh | BUFFALO | at Central Michigan | BOWLING GREEN
MIAMI (OHIO) | at Akron | at Ohio | DUKE | at Western Michigan | NORTHERN ILLINOIS

Season Preview: Tartans Look for Consistency in Second FBS Season (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Player Feature: Jim Manning, Jr., RB - Manning ‘Runs’ Towards School and National Glory (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) [Week 12]

Synopsis: A breakout second season in FBS play saw Carnegie Mellon finish 7-7, advancing to the MAC Championship Game and Champs Sports Bowl. The dramatic turnaround was keyed by first-year offensive coordinator Jules Nottingham's spread offense, which allowed junior runningback Jim Manning to rush for a NCAA-leading 1,936 yards and 23 touchdowns as well as bump up third-year signal-caller Justin Keyes' quarterback rating by 37 points. Keyes also benefited from the emergence of Penn State transfer Kevin Cousins at wide receiver, who tallied 1,124 yards and seven touchdowns on 79 catches after missing most of the 2009 season. The defense produced three All-MAC First Team picks (Matt Burnsides, Matt Johnson, Calvin Burton) and two Second Team selections (Mark Toth, Todd Andriano), while redshirt freshman Jon Crowell earned Freshman All-America accolades as a return specialist. CMU won its last five MAC games to punch its ticket to Detroit, where it held a 24-7 halftime lead against undefeated Toledo before ultimately falling 33-27. Following its 33-20 loss to No. 14 Iowa in the Champs Sports Bowl, Tartan juniors Calvin Burton, Matt Johnson, and Jim Manning declared for the NFL Draft, with Burton and Manning going in the sixth and seventh rounds, respectively.

Recaps: at Rutgers | YALE | at Pittsburgh | at Ball State | BOWLING GREEN | at Toledo | at Western Michigan
EASTERN MICHIGAN | at Miami (Ohio) | MARYLAND | KENT STATE | BUFFALO | vs. Toledo (MAC Championship Game) | vs. Iowa (Champs Sports Bowl)

Season Preview: New Leaders Set to Emerge for Tartans in Potentially Special 2010 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Player Feature: Justin Keyes, Sr., QB - Message Boards Fuel Keyes’ Turnaround (The Tartan) [Week 9]

Synopsis: Carnegie Mellon continued its ascent to the MAC mountaintop in 2010, only to see a stunning 27-23 loss at Kent State in its penultimate regular-season contest keeping the Tartans from a return Detroit trip. CMU went 9-4 overall with all but one of its victories coming by 18+ points and had 10 players earn All-MAC honors. Senior captain Justin Keyes completed an impressive career turnaround, earning All-MAC Second Team accolades with 3,547 total yards and 39 touchdowns. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Eddie Williams was a revelation, emerging as one of the nation's best with 1,329 yards and 14 scores on 89 receptions. The defense saw junior defensive end David Brown lead the nation in sacks (15), with sophomore defensive tackle Matt Burnsides and junior cornerback Erik Sellers earning All-America Second Team nods. Freshman wide receiver Kelvin Butler won the Randy Moss Award convincingly, scoring six times on kick and punt returns. After a 50-10 drubbing of Penn in the Motor City Bowl, junior free safety Todd Andriano became the fourth player in two seasons to declare early in the NFL Draft, and was chosen in the fourth round by the Detroit Lions.

Recaps: at Duke | at Pittsburgh | at Penn State | BALL STATE | at Bowling Green | TOLEDO
WESTERN MICHIGAN | ARMY | at Eastern Michigan | MIAMI (OHIO) | at Kent State | at Buffalo | vs. Penn (Motor City Bowl)

Season Preview: Nottingham’s Tartans Named MAC Favorites (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Player Feature: Calvin Burton, CB & Matt Johnson, OLB - Burton, Johnson to Clash in Super Bowl XLVI (The Tartan) [NFL Postseason]

Synopsis: Carnegie Mellon kept its place amongst the upper tier of the MAC, bouncing back from an 0-3 start to go 8-2 over the final 10 games. However, a 7-1 league mark wasn't enough to return to Detroit as the Tartans' Week 7 loss to Miami (Ohio) kept them from the MAC Championship Game, with Kent State completing an undefeated season. Under first-year head coach Jules Nottingham, CMU finished with an 8-5 overall record and saw 11 players collect All-MAC accolades, with three earning Associated Press All-America recognition. Senior linebacker Mark Toth was one of two First Team picks, concluding his career with 90 tackles (16 for loss), six sacks, six interceptions, five forced fumbles, and two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Kelvin Butler repeated as the Randy Moss Award winner, scoring twice on kick returns and once on a punt return. Redshirt sophomore Eddie Williams finished as the runner-up to the Fred Biletnikoff Award, earning Second Team All-America plaudits following a 102-catch, 1,620-yard, 15-touchdown campaign. Williams led the nation in receiving yards, while senior defensive end David Brown again paced all players with 15 sacks. After losing Justin Keyes to graduation, the quarterback position had its ups and downs with both junior Kevin Wilson and sophomore Gerald Culver seeing significant time. The Tartans closed the season with a wild 49-39 victory over South Florida in the International Bowl, one that saw Wilson emerge as the front-runner for the 2012 starting position after throwing for a school-record 392 yards and a pair of scores.

Recaps: PENN | at Nebraska | at Pittsburgh | at Buffalo | CENTRAL MICHIGAN | at Bowling Green | at Miami (Ohio)
AKRON | MICHIGAN STATE | OHIO | WESTERN MICHIGAN | at Northern Illinois | vs. South Florida (International Bowl)

Season Preview: 2012 NCAA FBS Football Season Preview - Carnegie Mellon (Athlon Sports)
Player Feature: Eddie Williams, R-Jr., WR - The Most Interesting Man in College Sports (Sports Illustrated) [Week 9]

Synopsis: Carnegie Mellon catapulted itself into college football's elite in 2012, winning its first MAC title following a perfect league campaign and 34-28 triumph over Eastern Michigan in the MAC Championship Game, and by securing a No. 21 national ranking after posting a 13-1 overall record. Under second-year head coach Jules Nottingham, the Tartans won 13 straight games following a season-opening 52-31 defeat at No. 25 West Virginia, with the average margin of victory being by 23.5 points. That stretch included the program's first victory over rival Pitt since returning to NCAA Division I competition, and a 42-21 pasting of Harvard and former head coach John Elliott in the Motor City Bowl. Redshirt junior wide receiver Eddie Williams became the first mid-major player to win the Heisman Trophy since BYU's Ty Detmer in 1990, as he compiled 125 receptions, 2,262 receiving yards (a NCAA FBS single-season record), and 29 total touchdowns (25 receiving, 4 rushing), and concluded his career with NCAA FBS career standards in receiving yards (5,211) and receiving touchdowns (54). CMU in total had six Associated Press All-America honorees, with Williams making the First Team, senior defensive tackle Matt Burnsides, freshman cornerback Robert Wall, and junior wide receiver Kelvin Butler making the Second Team, and Wall, defensive tackle Mario Williams, and kicker Joseph Love appearing on the Freshman Team. Butler, despite a late-season knee injury, made it 3-for-3 on Randy Moss Award victories, and Williams followed up his 2011 runner-up finish for the Fred Biletnikoff Award with a 2012 win. Despite rumors swirling concerning Nottingham's future in the final weeks of the season, Carnegie Mellon will take the next step forward as a program as it is set to join the Big Ten Conference as a football-only member beginning in the 2013 campaign.

Recaps: at #25 West Virginia | IDAHO | at Pittsburgh | BUFFALO | at Central Michigan | BOWLING GREEN | MIAMI (OHIO)
at Akron | at Ohio | NAVY | at Western Michigan | NORTHERN ILLINOIS | vs. Eastern Michigan (MAC Championship Game) | vs. Harvard (Motor City Bowl)

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Pre-Dynasty Players (21 total, 8 drafted): Pro Football Reference

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* denotes NCAA Division I FBS single-season record.

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* denotes NFL single-season record.

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Extra for now.