Tufts hits the road against Williams

With the 23-3 loss against Trinity last week, this week's game at Williams can make or break the football team's season. A win over the 2-2 Ephs would make Tufts 4-1 with its toughest remaining game a home contest against Amherst the following week. However, a loss would be reminiscent of last year, when the Jumbos went 3-0 to start the season, but lost their last five contests.

Tufts hasn't beat Williams since 1986, but then again, Williams is rarely 2-2.

For Tufts to win, it has to create defensive turnovers and jumpstart the rushing game that carried the Jumbos to their first three victories. Against Trinity, the Jumbos didn't cause any turnovers and only rushed for 36 yards as a team.

As for the Jumbos offense, junior starting running back Steve Cincotta, who missed the Trinity game due to a sprained ankle, is listed as day-to-day.

"[Cincotta] is our running back," offensive coordinator Mike Daly said. "He knows when he's ready to come back, he's welcome back."

However, if Cincotta (29.3 rushing attempts per game) plays, he will probably not carry the ball as much as he has in the past. Also available at running back is sophomore Scott Lombardi, who carried the ball 15 times for 40 yards in Cincotta's absence.

Senior quad-captain and wide receiver Tim Mack also rushed the ball three times last week, but had a net total of zero yards. However, Daly says Mack has been getting plays at running back since preseason practices. He also just wants to get Mack the ball because he feels he is one of the best athletes on the team and also possesses a great deal of football knowledge by knowing where everybody else on the field is.

"[Mack] could probably coach the offense better than me at this point," Daly said.

Regardless of whom the running back is, that player must avoid Williams senior tri-captain Graham Goldwasser. Goldwasser currently leads the NESCAC with 60 total tackles and has two sacks on top of that. To put that number in perspective, Tufts' leading tackler, sophomore Zack Dumas, has 37.

However, the Ephs' defense on the whole is not as dominant as it has been in the past, according to Daly. The stats back up Daly's claims, as Williams' defense ranks in the middle of the pack when compared to fellow NESCAC teams.

From Tufts' defensive perspective, the team has to key in on the Ephs senior tri-captain and reigning back-to-back player of the year Joe Reardon. According to defensive coordinator John Walsh, Reardon started off the season not in his true form, but rebounded to throw for 293 yards in Williams' 35-25 win at Middlebury.

Regardless, Walsh says he will stick with the team's "50" defense, which features five down lineman, with the ends playing somewhat of an outside linebacker role, and two linebackers. The defense also features a standard of four defensive backs.

"We want to take away the run and force them to throw the ball in third and second and long situations," Walsh said.

Walsh believes Williams has two quality tight ends, but its top receiver is senior Jamaal Mobley.

The defense is focused on forcing turnovers this week and while Reardon is a quality quarterback, throwing interceptions is not out of the question.

Senior cornerback Mark Tilki has been "Mr. Everything" for the Tufts defense this year. Although a defensive player and return specialist, Tilki is second on the team in scoring with 18 points. He also leads the team in interceptions with three. However, Walsh remains realistic when stating that one defender can't stop the opposition.

"One person can't shut down an offense," Walsh said.

At the other corner, freshman Brian Rowe draws another start due to junior Donavan Brown's injury. A quality game from Rowe is imperative for a win, as Reardon is sure to try and pick on the freshman.

On offense, junior Jason Casey and sophomore Casey D'Annolfo are still splitting time at quarterback to give Williams multiple looks.

"Both quarterbacks are separate from each other," Daly said. "Both will continue to play and get reps. It makes defenses prepare for two guys and two different styles."

Williams enters the game in a fifth place tie in the NESCAC standings after back-to-back losses to Trinity and Bates in the second and third week of the season. Tufts is in a three-way tie for second place. The last time Tufts went 7-1 was during the 1998 season, when its only loss was to Williams.