I went to the game yesterday.  BD is absolutely right about the officiating.  It was horrible.  That said, Wesley was clearly the better team and would've won regardless of the officiating.  They were bigger, stronger and faster.  Comparing them to the Millsaps team we saw last week, they certainly deserve their #3 ranking and the MHB game should be quite a show.  I didn't hear any of the cat calls from the stands and didn't notice any poor sportsmanship.  Wesley hosted the game well as far as I could tell and deserved to win.

You ought to give CMU a little credit.  The team did just shut out a playoff caliber offense and is third in the nation in scoring defense.  Not saying we'll win, but I wouldn't expect Wesley to go out there and put up points like they did against the rest of the competition.  Should be a hard fought game and if CMU can get the running game going, I think we've got a real shot.

BD- I saw that Mulkern dressed and actually took part in warm ups on Saturday.  Do you know if there's any chance he plays this weekend?  I had assumed his season/career was over, but that may not be the case if he's taking part in warm ups. 

MacLeod- I looked at their stats and I agree with you...I'm confused.  The capsule says they run a pro set, which I interpret as being either a variation on the I or a single back set, but  the diversity of their running game doesn't seem to agree with that.  They've got 4 or 5 guys listed as tailbacks with 100+ yards on the season.  Based on the rather limited info on the roster, I'd say they may have a thunder and lightning kind of 2 back set.  Their leading rusher is so small (5-9 160) that you would want to get him the ball in space, so my guess is that they run a 2 WR, 1 TE, 2 RB set, with the wrinkle that they usually do it out of the shotgun.  Like the CMU wing T, you don't know which back is going to get the ball on a given play and they probably run a lot of play action off of fake draws. 

As I finished typing this I realized another possible explanation (partly why CMU has so many different RB with respectable yardage as well)...they blow out a lot of teams and get their second string in.  So I guess take what I said with a grain of salt.

Great game for CMU.  It took all of the first half to get the running game going, but once they started splitting Gimson and Sivek evenly they were tough to stop.  I expected our defense to be tough, but I don't think anyone expected 3 INT and a shut out.  Very impressive showing. 

Already posted this on the UAA page, but I'll post it here as well:

I just finished setting up the field with the baseball team.  Field looks great and it's a beautiful day ~45 degrees.  Weather shouldn't be a factor.  Coaches tell me that Mike DuBose was impressed with the field and thinks the campus is nice.  Welcome KMack and let's go Tartans!!

I just finished setting up the field with the baseball team.  Field looks great and it's a beautiful day ~45 degrees.  Weather shouldn't be a factor.  Coaches tell me that Mike DuBose was impressed with the field and thinks the campus is nice.  Welcome KMack and let's go Tartans!!

I'm working at the game and I can tell you that ticket sales are at the gate.  There will be plenty of standing room only on the visitors side, so you shouldn't worry. 

Oh no...I got that...hence the contract comment.  But, the 30 straight non-losing seasons was the athletic department's claim to fame when I toured here (now a junior).

Yes, the faculty are up in arms about the rumors of the 10 year, $10 million contract extension that we're going to give Rich Lackner.  I know that we haven't made the playoffs in a while, but the athletic department does brag about having something like 30 straight years without a losing season. 

The stat that Bob mentioned more or less proves the point.  By the fourth quarter we almost always have the second string in, which is why the point differential isn't quite as ridiculous for that quarter.

BDTartan posts a lot (we're the CMU Tartans) and I follow along but don't get into the discussion too much.  We're not exactly a sports school, but there is still a fair amount of excitement regarding the game this weekend.

While I'm here, I'll make a point that I've wanted to make for a while.  CMU gets a bad rap on these boards because of the schedule.  We haven't played a tough schedule, but we've physically dominated every team we've played except for Wash U.  I listened to the broadcast of the Thiel game and the score doesn't indicate the one sidedness of it.  We controlled the ball and ate up clock for 3 and a half quarters.  A late two minute drill drive down 14 accounted for Thiel's only points.  Also, it hasn't been brought up anywhere that I've seen, but CMU not only is undefeated, but hasn't trailed a single minute all season.  I know that some of this is luck (who gets the ball first), but it's also indicative of how one sided the games have been (with the exception of Wash U, which was close the whole way).

As for the wing-t, I know that it is outdated by D1A standards where the linebackers are too fast, but CMU makes it work for D3.  It takes a strong O line, a bruising but quick fullback, and at least one fast wing back, all of which we have.  It isn't gimicky or anything like that.  It's all about ball control.  Keep the defense off the field, avoid turnovers and grind out yards.  Also works well in Western PA where the rainy and cold Octobers and Novembers can make passing tough.

Bracket for us makes no sense at all.  WJ was ranked higher than CNU before this weekend, and now they're playing at CNU?  Dickinson is obviously the 8 seed in the bracket, playing at Wesley.  Theoretically, that makes CMU #4.  Why are we playing Milsaps?  Did the figure airfare to Pittsburgh would be cheaper than Norfolk (CNU)?  Seems like you've got a normal bracket if it's Milsaps at CNU and WJ at CMU. 

Yup, and with the Trinity loss, we should be the #4 seed in the South.

Well, you were basically right about Thiel's "bend-don't-break" defense, but CMU's defense didn't even bend until Thiel went into the two minute drill.  Looks like a WJ-CMU matchup next weekend.

Way to go CMU!!  Maybe now the critics will shut up about the wimpy schedule.  14-7 in a game that sounded like CMU dominated physically.  Travis Sivek breaks the all time rushing record...as a junior.