Sept. 23, 2006

PITTSBURGH - Franklin & Marshall got behind 21-7 in the opening quarter and couldn't come back against a versatile offensive attack from Carnegie Mellon Saturday afternoon on the road, losing 34-14.

Carnegie Mellon upped its record to 4-0 with the win; the Diplomats fell to 1-2.

After Tartan Robert Gimson scored on the ground to make it 21-7, the Dips came back with a 20-play, 99-yard drive that cut the lead to 21-14 before half. The drive was culminated by a 20-yard pass from Kyle Turner to Robert Donofrio. The Dips got help from a roughing the kicker call back on the F&M 17 earlier in the drive.

The second half, unfortunately, saw the Tartan defense rise to the task as Coach John Troxell's squad couldn't get anything going.

After F&M dropped a couple of passes on its first possession of the game, Turner continued his air assault and threw a 62-yard TD strike to Bobby Freiler which cut the lead to 14-7.

The TD was the first points all year the Tartans had allowed in the opening half.

Diplomat Curtis Varner went over the 100 yard mark for the second time this season, gaining 115 yards in 25 carries. Mellon's Travis Civek gained 107 on 20 carries.