PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A pair of late touchdowns allowed Carnegie Mellon to pull away for a 35-17 win over visiting Whitworth in the NCAA Division III football opener for both schools on Friday night at Gesling Stadium.
The Tartans clinched the game with a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown by Kevin Cooke with 5:44 to play.
After a scoreless first quarter, CMU broke out to a 14-0 lead in the second. Kris Hughes caught touchdown passes from Ben Mills for both scores. The first was an 18-yard completion over the middle. The second came after the Pirate special teams pinned the Tartans at the one-yard line with a punt. But Mills hit Hughes with a quick slant and after Hughes broke a tackle, he outraced the rest of the defense for a 99-yard touchdown.
Whitworth responded with an 84-yard drive for its first touchdown. Jaedyn Prewitt completed a 79-yard pass to Dillon Kuk to set up the Pirates at the 3-yard line. It took four plays, but Logan Kitselman punched in from one yard on fourth down to complete the score.
After Whitworth held CMU to a three and out, the Pirates moved into field goal territory and Alvaro Campos-Ontiveros made a 40-yard field goal as the first half clock expired to pull Whitworth within 14-10 at halftime.
The Tartans took the opening kickoff of the second half and went 72 yards for a 21-10 lead. Tre Vasiliadis completed the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run.
Whitworth got back within 21-17 at the end of the third quarter with a 79-yard drive. Prewitt hit Evan Liggett with a two-yard touchdown pass. Prewitt completed all nine of his passes on the drive, including a 21-yard completion to Jet Uechi to the two-yard line. Liggett's touchdown was the first of his career.
After an exchange of possessions, CMU took a two-score advantage when Vasiliadis ran in from 11-yards out with just under eight minutes to play. Mills set up the score with a 47-yard completion to Ben Condemi.
Cooke put the game away with his interception return on the next Pirate drive.
The Tartans outgained the Pirates 485-456, but limited Whitworth to -3 yards net rushing.
Prewitt completed 34 of 47 passes for 404 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Ryan Blair played the final offensive series and went 7-10 for 55 yards. Liggett caught eight passes for 110 yards, while Riley Morrison had eight grabs for 45 yards. Kuk caught seven balls for 149 yards. Ryan Black was the leading rusher with 12 yards on five carries.
Vasiliadis ran for 152 yards and two scores on 28 attempts. Mills completed 15 of 32 passes for 354 yards. Hughes caught six of those passes for 190 yards. Condemi caught five for 131.
Dylan Ventress led Whitworth with eight tackles, while Patrick Serrano and Derrick Platt had six each. Justin Gies had the Pirates' only sack and Whitworth did not get any turnovers.
The Pirates will host NAIA Eastern Oregon next Saturday at 1:00 at the Pine Bowl in the 2022 home opener.
