College football preview capsule: Saint Vincent vs. Carnegie Mellon, Saturday, Oct. 30, 1 p.m.
NCAA Division III
Presidents’ Athletic Conference
Carnegie Mellon (5-2, 5-1 PAC) vs. Saint Vincent (4-3, 3-3 PAC)
1 p.m., Saturday, Chuck Noll Field, Unity
Series: CMU leads, 7-5-1
Last meeting: Sept. 28, 2019: CMU 49, Saint Vincent 14
About Carnegie Mellon: The Tartans have won four consecutive games and outscored their four opponents 173-20. They sit tied atop the PAC standings.
The Tartans boast the PAC’s top defense, surrendering an average of just 9.0 points and 230.0 yards per game, as their opponents have scored just five touchdowns through the first seven games.
Carnegie Mellon sophomore Tre Vasiliadis leads the conference with 709 rushing yards, averaging 6.1 per carry. Defensively, CMU’s Sean Knight leads the league with four interceptions.
CMU coach Rich Lackner plans to retire after the season.
Head coach: Rich Lackner (230-125, 26th season).
About Saint Vincent: Bearcats junior quarterback Brady Walker was named the PAC Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for a career-high 371 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s win at Waynesburg, upping his career total to 31 to tie current coach Aaron Smetanka for the most career touchdown passes in team history.
After his performance at Waynesburg, Walker also moved into second all-time in team history in career passing yards (3,358) and completions (253). He is third with 417 pass attempts. Walker has thrown for at least one touchdown in each of his 17 career games, and last week marked his 14th game with multiple touchdown passes.
Through seven games this season, Walker ranks second in the conference in passing yards (1,896) and touchdowns (16) and is third in pass efficiency (153.5) and completion percentage (59.4).
Saint Vincent defeated Waynesburg, 38-7, on Oct. 23 to end a two-game losing streak.
Molayo Irefin had 10 catches for 173 yards, the second most in a game in program history. SVC outgained Waynesburg, 480-241, in total offense and amassed 26 first downs to Waynesburg’s 11.
Head coach: Aaron Smetanka (9-12, third season).
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
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