WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Oct. 8) – The Waynesburg University football team faced a tall task for homecoming when undefeated Carnegie Mellon came to John F. Wiley Stadium on Saturday. Cheered on by a raucous crowd of alumni, current students, friends and family, the Yellow Jackets gave the number-18 team in the country all it could handle. Unfortunately, a late touchdown from CMU allowed it to escape Waynesburg with a 27-20 win.
 
After a scoreless first quarter, Carnegie Mellon (6-0, 4-0) appeared to take control of the contest with touchdowns on back-to-back drives that made the score 13-0 with just over 3:10 left to play until halftime. However, Waynesburg's big play offense was finally able to break through against the stifling Tartan defense and answer the visitors' challenge. Senior quarterback Tyler Raines (Columbia, Md. / Long Reach) got things going with a 21-yard catch-and-run to senior running back Justin Flack (Derry, Pa. / Derry). Raines capped a brief two-play touchdown drive by hitting sophomore wide receiver Dakota Romantino (Charleroi, Pa. / Charleroi) for a 52-yard scoring pass that got the host squad on the board.
 
Junior kicker Keegan Raabe (Tyrone, Pa. / Tyrone) tacked on the extra point to make the score 13-7 with 2:25 showing on the second-quarter clock.
 
The Jacket defense matched the offense's production by forcing Carnegie Mellon into a punting situation. A sack by senior Tyler Metzger (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) and freshman Emanuel Myers (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brashear) played a big role in getting the Orange and Black the ball back.
 
Another big pass play to Romantino put the Jackets at the Tartan two-yard-line. A Flack run moved the ball halfway to the goal line, but the Jackets couldn't seal the deal and had to settle for an 18-yard field goal from Raabe that made the score 13-10, which was also the score when the two teams broke for halftime.
 
After scoring 10-straight points to end the first half, Waynesburg kept things rolling in the third quarter. The opening drive of the half saw the Jackets piece together a 12-play, 56-yard drive that ended with Raabe's second field goal of the day, this one coming from 26 yards out. After Raabe's seventh point of the day, Waynesburg had completed its comeback to tie the score at 13-13.
 
CMU answered Waynesburg's challenge in a big way with a 10-play, 98-yard drive that ended with the Tartans' third touchdown of the day that made the score 20-13.
 
The Jackets had one more big play in their bag and they used it on the ensuing possession. Facing a third-and-six on his own 27, Raines hit Romantino for 73-yard touchdown pass that provided the bulk of the yardage on a five-play, 90-yard drive. Raabe's final made kick of the day tied the score at 20-20.
 
The next four possessions belonged to the defenses, with neither team able to break the tie over that stretch. With time winding down and overtime looming, Carnegie Mellon was able to come up with one more scoring drive that not only gave it the game-winning points, but melted away more than half of a quarter's worth play time.
 
The Tartans orchestrated a marathon 16-play, 83-yard drive that lasted 7:35 and ended in the Waynesburg end zone. Not only did the visitors go up 27-20, but they left the Jackets with just over a minute left to mount another comeback. Waynesburg got as far as the CMU 40, but an interception effectively ended the homecoming thriller.
 
Romantino exploded for his best game of the season and also set the mark for most receiving yards in a game by any player in the PAC this year. He hauled in a game-high six catches for 213 yards and the two scores.
 
Romantino was the number-one target for Raines, who completed 16-of-31 passes for 274 yards.
 
Sophomore running back Hunter Cameron (Armagh, Pa. / United) paced the Jackets on the ground game with 13 carries for 51 yards.
 
Myers had easily his best game as a collegiate player to pace the Waynesburg defense. Not only did he log half a sack, but he tied for the game high with 11 total tackles, tied for the team lead with six solo stops and had a tackle for loss.
 
Sophomores Brennan Boron (St. Mary's, W.Va. / St. Mary's) and Isaac Huey (Klymer, Pa. / Purchase Line) tallied nine and eight tackles, respectively, while freshman cornerback Rickey Pharr (Washington, D.C. / Howard D. Woodson) logged seven total stops, six of which were of the solo variety.
 
Waynesburg is back in action on Saturday, Oct. 15, with a road trip to Bethany. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.