Chicago Defeats Carnegie Mellon; Sets Up Battle for UAA Title Next Week
PITTSBURGH -- Dee Brizzolara scored five touchdowns and accumulated 432 all-purpose yards as Chicago defeated University Athletic Association rival Carnegie Mellon 61-22 on a record-breaking day for the Maroons Saturday at Gesling Stadium.
The win sets up a clash for the UAA title next Saturday at Stagg Field between the Maroons (7-2 overall, 2-0 UAA) and Washington (Mo.) University. Washington defeated Case Western Reserve University 14-13 in Cleveland.
Marshall Oium threw for 410 yards and a school-record six touchdowns as the Maroons' 61 points surpassed the team's previous single-game high of 57 set in 2007.
Clay Wolff scored on 17- and 30-yard receptions en route to setting Chicago career records for total touchdowns (35) and points (212).
Brizzolara scored on receptions of 31, 44, and 87 yards, an 83-yard kickoff return, and an 86-yard punt runback.
Carnegie Mellon (4-5, 0-2) opened the scoring on Jake Nardone's 44-yard run on the game's first possession.
Chicago answered with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Oium to Wolff before taking the lead for good on an Oium-to-Brizzolara 87-yard pass play. A Brizzolara 86-yard punt return gave the Maroons a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Both teams scored twice in the second quarter, as Chicago built a 34-20 halftime advantage. Carnegie Mellon sandwiched a 1-yard Justin Pratt run and a 7-yard Chris Garcia scamper around a 19-yard pass from Oium to Keigan Cisneros and a 17-yard Oium-to-Wolff touchdown pass.
Brizzolara returned the opening kickoff of the second half 83 yards for the score. He and Oium then connected on scoring plays of 31 and 44 yards later in the third quarter.
Chicago closed out the scoring with 2:27 left in the game when Jon Cotchen ran in from a yard away.
Brizzolara caught eight passes for 235 yards, while Wolff had six grabs for 107 yards as Chicago won its fifth consecutive game to match its longest winning streak in 10 years.
Jake Longtin collected three sacks on the day.
Pratt gained 107 yards on 19 carries for the Tartans, who dropped their third straight game.
Chicago hosts Washington-St. Louis next Saturday at noon.
