Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
 
#18 Carnegie Mellon (5-0, 3-0) at Waynesburg (2-2, 1-1)
 
When: Saturday, Oct. 8, 1 p.m.
 
Where: Waynesburg, Pa. (John F. Wiley Stadium)
 
Live Video: https://www.pacdigitalnetwork.com/waynesburgyellowjackets/?B=438441
 
Live Audio: http://us7.maindigitalstream.com/3943/
 
Live Stats: https://waynesburgsports.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
 
Waynesburg University faces arguably its biggest test of 2022 when 18^th-ranked Carnegie Mellon comes to town for Homecoming 2022.
 
The Tartan defense is not only one of the best in the PAC, but in all of Division III. CMU comes into today ranked sixth in the country with 11 interceptions, 20^th in turnover margin, 27^th in points per game and 31^st in rushing yards allowed per game.
 
Among the slew of standout performers on the defensive side of the ball, junior preseason All-American linebacker Robert Coury stands out as the leader of the group. He comes into Saturday ranked seventh in the league in total tackles and boasts three sacks on the season.
 
One interesting caveat of the CMU defense is in the passing game. Despite leading the PAC with 11 interceptions, the Tartans have given up the most passing yards per contest (257.4).
 
Continuing with that theme of being a splashy defense, Carnegie Mellon is tops in the PAC in sacks (23) and sack yardage (152).
 
On offense, the Tartans are led by junior quarterback Ben Mills, who has thrown for 885 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions on the season. His favorite target is senior Kris Hughes, who currently ranks fifth in the PAC with 67.4 receiving yards per game. Hughes has also pulled in three touchdown catches
 
Carnegie Mellon is one of the most efficient offenses in the PAC. Despite only averaging 259.8 yards per game, which is ninth in the league, the Tartans are fourth in points per game (26.0).
 
The 2022 Tartans are proudly continuing a program tradition of strong special teams. They currently lead the PAC in net kickoff yardage average (45.7) and touchbacks (9) and rank third in net punt yardage average (34.9).
 
Saturday's showdown appears to be a classic meeting of strengths on paper. CMU's defense that has yielded the second-fewest points in the league (12.6) will look to stifle Waynesburg's offense, which has tallied 33.8 points per contest (third in the PAC). This point is hammered home when it comes to running the football. The Jackets' are third in the league in rushing yards per game (183.0), while CMU is tops in the league with just 69.0 yards allowed per contest.
 
Waynesburg senior running back Justin Flack (Derry, Pa. / Derry) enters Saturday's game ranked second in the league in rushing yards per game (105.3) and total yards rushing (421). His eight rushing touchdowns are not only tops in the league, but have him ranked seventh in all of Division III.
 
If you look up the word "efficiency" in the dictionary, you may see a picture of Waynesburg senior quarterback Tyler Raines (Columbia, Md. / Long Reach). Not only is he the only regular starting quarterback in the PAC without an interception, but he leads the conference and ranks 23^rd in the nation in passing efficiency (169.71).
 
Neither Carnegie Mellon or Waynesburg is keen on holding onto the football for long stretches. The two teams rank ninth and 10^th in terms of time of possession. The Tartans average 26:24 per contest, while the Jackets average 24:10 per game.