LATROBE, Pa. (Oct. 26) – The Saint Vincent football team dropped a 69-7 decision to Carnegie Mellon University in Presidents' Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon at Chuck Noll Field.
 
With the game tied at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, the visiting Tartans (6-1) erupted for 31 unanswered second-quarter points and continued to pull away over the second half.
 
The Tartans scored the game's first touchdown midway through the first quarter, but the Bearcats answered right back on the ensuing trip.
 
The big play of the scoring drive came on third-and-11, when sophomore quarterback Lance Bender, making his first career start under center, completed a 40-yard pass to sophomore Austin Wells. A roughing-the-passer call on CMU added 15 yards to the play, setting up first down inside the CMU 25. Bender then hooked up with sophomore Keegan O'Brien for a 12-yard gain to advance the ball to the CMU 12, and another penalty on the Tartans advanced the ball to the 5-yardline. Junior Brandon Saint-Preux would then close out the drive with a five-yard rushing touchdown, with senior Adam Koscielicki's extra point tying the game at 7 with 5:18 left in the opening stanza.
 
The Bearcats were unable to sustain the early momentum on offense, as the Tartans picked off three interceptions, while also blocking a punt in the end zone, to open up a 38-7 halftime lead, and would continue to add on over the game's final 30 minutes.
 
Saint-Preux led Saint Vincent with 24 rushing yards on five carries, while Wells, O'Brien, sophomore Chris Downs and senior Brian Boyd each made one reception apiece.

Senior linebacker Wiley Purry and freshman defensive back David Simouang shared the SVC team lead with eight tackles apiece, with Simouang also breaking up a pass. Freshman linebacker Nathan Parker made seven stops, while senior safety KeShawn Davis made five tackles and broke up a pair of passes.
 
Carnegie Mellon, ranked No. 18 in the most recent D3Football.com national poll, was led by quarterback Ben Mills, who completed 23 of 35 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns. CMU's Tre Vasiliadis ran for a game-high 72 yards on 10 carries, and Will Bouma ran for 67 yards and three touchdowns.
 
The Tartans outgained the Bearcats 569-67 in total offense, while amassing 31 first downs to the Bearcats' five.
 
Saint Vincent will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 2, playing its final road bout of the 2024 season, a 1 p.m. kickoff at Thiel College.
 
NOTES: Prior to the game, Saint Vincent College commemorated the 75th anniversary of the 1949 squad's undefeated season, which culminated with a 7-6 win in the 1950 Tangerine Bowl. A number of relatives of the 1949 team's players and coaches were recognized in an on-field ceremony… at halftime, Saint Vincent College recognized its 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame class, including Jenna Moon, C'07 (women's lacrosse), Shelley Muto, C'04 (women's soccer), Victor O'Korn, C'75 (wrestling), Chansler Poole, C'14 (cross country/track and field), Ron Spinosi, C'79 (men's basketball), Dillon Stith, C'14 (men's basketball) and Kip Watkins, C'05 (baseball).