Tufts' winning streak ends at two

On Saturday, Tufts traveled to Bowdoin to play its first away game of the season. The Jumbos had high hopes entering the game, as they looked to continue their improbable run at an undefeated season. But the Bowdoin Polar Bears, behind a strong rushing attack, were able to halt the Jumbos' winning streak at two, defeating them 33-20.

The home team received the ball to start the game, and immediately drove down and scored. Sophomore running back Tyler Grant had eight carries for 24 yards and a one-yard touchdown on this opening drive.

Grant was the game’s most valuable player, running the ball a whopping 43 times for 208 yards and four touchdowns in what was one of the best rushing games of the season for any NESCAC player.

After a quick three-and-out on their first possession, the Jumbos had a textbook second drive of the game. Sophomore running back Chance Brady carried the ball five times for 42 yards, while senior quarterback Jack Doll was 3-3 with 28 yards. Due to the missed two-point conversion by Bowdoin, Brady’s 15-yard touchdown run put Tufts in front with just over three minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

But the Jumbos' 7-6 lead was short-lived, as the Polar Bears easily moved the ball downfield in a drive that took just three minutes and 10 seconds. Grant continued to pound the ball for Bowdoin, adding four more carries for 41 yards and his second touchdown of the contest.

The scoring barrage continued on Tufts’ very next drive, beginning with a 60-yard kickoff return by senior running back Zack Trause, who was eventually taken down at Bowdoin's 36-yard line. Down 13-7 with great field position, Doll completed a 26-yard dart to sophomore wide receiver Ben Berey on a 2nd-and-10. After a holding call pushed the Jumbos back, Doll found Trause for an 18-yard completion. The senior running back was then able to run it in from two yards out to give Tufts a 14-13 lead in the 2nd quarter.

Once again, Bowdoin immediately answered back. Grant carried the ball four more times and ran for his third touchdown of the half on this possession. His 12-yard score would not have been possible, however, were it not for senior quarterback Mac Caputi’s 11-yard scramble on 3rd-and-10 on the Jumbos 38-yard line.

The Polar Bears seemed likely to enter the half with a 20-14 lead, but with less than two minutes to play Doll began leading his squad down the field. Starting from his own 25, Doll found Berey for a 29-yard grab and then hit senior wide receiver Greg Lanzillo for a 16-yard gain. In the final minute of the half, the Jumbos had the ball on the Polar Bears' 30, down by six points. Tufts seemed destined to take the lead, but on 2nd-and-10, Doll was intercepted by sophomore linebacker Bjorn Halverson at the 23.

Despite the anticlimactic end to the first half, the determined Tufts squad, led by Doll, came out of the half as strong as ever. The senior quarterback completed passes to Trause, junior wide receiver Jack Cooleen and Lanzillo to bring the Jumbos into Polar Bear territory. A costly pass interference call allowed Tufts to move even closer to the home team’s end zone. On 2nd-and-5 at the Bowdoin 14, Trause was able to slide by the Bowdoin defense for his second touchdown of the day. The score was then tied at 20 after a missed extra point.

The scoreboard did not read 20-20 for very long, however, as the Caputi-Grant combination was able to lead the home team down the field once again, culminating in a 30-yard field goal. The lead that Bowdoin gained on this play would not be relinquished for the rest of the game.

Tufts struggled to move the ball late in the game, with its succeeding four drives all ending in punts. The Jumbos were unable to make it past the Polar Bears' 45-yard line until the final play of the game.

“We missed tackles and we lacked the necessary effort," coach Jay Civetti said. "We had a few decent individual efforts on the offensive side of the ball, but that’s it. We can’t win as individuals. We win and lose as a team. The loss was really hard, but we’ll watch plenty of film and digest it all this week."

On a positive note, Tufts continued to keep the game close throughout the third and most of the fourth quarter, thanks to the defensive unit's strong play. Bowdoin, however, continued pounding its workhorse, Grant, until he eventually broke past an exhausted Tufts defense for a 42-yard touchdown. The 33-20 victory was the Polar Bears' first of the year, after they were blown out twice to open the season.

The Jumbos' offense managed to put up 430 total yards, 349 of which came from the arm of Doll. What really hurt Tufts was its inability to halt the bruising Bowdoin rushing attack. The Polar Bears ran the ball 66 times for 254 yards, and were able to completely control the clock throughout the second half. The home team dominated the time of possession category, 63.8 to 36.2 percent. Fatigue definitely seemed to play a factor in the Jumbos' run-stopping struggles.

Despite the loss, Tufts still has a winning record, and will attempt to improve to 3-1 as it travels to Hartford next weekend to face Trinity.