Tufts football entered its week four matchup against Trinity College riding high after a 25–0 shutout victory over Amherst College. The Jumbos, with a 2–1 record, looked to hand the undefeated Bantams their first loss of the season.
The game began with a strong statement from Trinity. Quarterback Zander Zebrowski led the Bantams on a clinical 10-play, 75-yard drive, capped off by a 2-yard touchdown run from running back Tyler DiNapoli. The drive showcased Trinity’s balanced attack, putting the Bantams ahead 7–0 five minutes into the game.
Tufts responded quickly, with senior quarterback Michael Berluti leading the team down the field with a series of well executed plays, highlighted by a 27-yard completion to senior receiver Henry Fleckner. The drive stalled inside the 10-yard line, but junior kicker Vaughn Seelicke converted a 21-yard field goal to make it 7–3.
The Jumbos’ defense followed up with a quick three-and-out, setting up another promising drive. However, a loss of 14 yards on a key sack knocked Tufts out of field goal range. Still, the defense continued to excel, with senior defensive back Jaylen Callender forcing a fumble at the Trinity 34-yard line. One play later, Berluti connected with senior wide receiver Cade Moore for a 34-yard touchdown, giving Tufts their first lead of the game at 10–7.
Trinity regained the lead late in the second quarter after an improvised play led to a 7-yard touchdown for wide receiver Nolan O’Brien. With less than a minute left, Berluti went to work, completing a series of clutch passes, including a 33-yard catch and run to Moore. The two connected again on a 5-yard touchdown with just nine seconds remaining, sending Tufts into halftime with a 16–14 lead.
Berluti was outstanding in the first half, completing 14 of 17 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Cade Moore was his favorite target, hauling in six catches for 116 yards and two scores by the break.
The second half took a sharp turn. Tufts’ first drive of the third quarter quickly terminated, and a blocked punt gave Trinity excellent field position at the Tufts 42-yard line. Trinity made quick work of this opportunity, as Zebrowski hit O'Brien for a 36-yard touchdown, the receiver’s second touchdown of the game. The Bantams reclaimed the lead, 21–16.
On the ensuing possession, Tufts showcased a well-orchestrated 75-yard drive. With a 21-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Jack Elliot and a successful 2-point conversion, the Jumbos made it 24–21, their final lead of the day.
Trinity dominated for the remainder of the game, scoring touchdowns on each of their next three possessions. DiNapoli added a second rushing touchdown to his stat line, while Zebrowski continued to pick apart the Tufts defense, connecting with receiver Sean Clapp for an 8-yard touchdown and taking it into the endzone himself on a 6-yard run.
In the second half, Trinity’s offense was relentless, scoring on all four of their possessions. Zebrowski finished the day 24–28 with 294 yards and three total touchdowns, adding 67 yards on the ground. DiNapoli contributed 75 rushing yards and two scores, while O’Brien led the Bantams’ receivers with five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown.
For Tufts, Berluti completed 21 of 33 passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns. Moore led all receivers with 116 yards and two touchdowns, assisted by junior wide receiver CJ Burton’s six receptions for 51 yards. Despite a decent offensive output, Tufts struggled on third downs, converting just two of nine opportunities, while Trinity went 8-for-10 on third downs and a perfect 5–5 in the red zone.
Defensively, junior linebacker Jeff Xu led the Jumbos with 10 tackles to go along with half a sack and a fumble recovery. Despite this solid individual performance, the Jumbos couldn’t find an answer for the Bantam’s well-balanced attack, particularly in the second half. In the final 30 minutes of action, Trinity maintained control of the ball for nearly 20 minutes. Senior captain and defensive back Jameer Alves explained how the defense can get back on track for next week's game.
“As a defense, we talk a lot about resetting after positive and negative plays,” Alves wrote in an email to the Daily. “When big plays happen, we need to get back to the basics of our game.”
Allowing only 167 passing yards per game, Tufts still ranks number one in the NESCAC in passing defense despite their struggles against the Trinity offense. By “focusing on those basics,” Alves believes the Tufts defense will go “back to being dominant again.”
With the loss, Tufts drops to 2–2 on the season. On Saturday, they look to bounce back as they travel to Lewiston, Maine to take on Bates College. The Bobcats' offense ranks last in the NESCAC in passing yards per game, so the Jumbos’ defense will hopefully be able to clamp down and add another tally to their win column.
