Tufts football made sure to avoid a repeat of their loss to Hamilton College last year at their Saturday game. The Jumbos jumped out to a 17–6 lead in the first half and held on for a 20–13 win over their NESCAC rival.
In this matchup, senior quarterback Michael Berluti emphasized the importance of playing a complete game and not “[falling] into that trap” of easing up and lacking preparedness. He noted that it “doesn’t matter if you’re playing an undefeated team or a [losing] team, the execution still needs to be high.”
Despite mentioning highs, lows and missed executions across the board, Berluti was impressed with how fired up and ready the team was going into their revenge matchup. In the end, he felt that the team stepped up when they needed to and made the necessary plays for a victory.
Berluti threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns, while senior running back Aundre Smith and sophomore running back Christian Shapiro combined for 91 yards on the ground. Sophomore receiver Matt Rios lit a fire in the Tufts crowd as he dusted the Hamilton defense for a 46-yard touchdown in the first minute of the game. Junior kicker Vaughn Seelicke contributed his own pair of field goals to the effort, including a career-high 43-yarder.
The strong support from the crowd at Ellis Oval also contributed to the Jumbos’ victory. Berluti discussed the difficulties that came with traveling and being unprepared as the away team last year, resulting in a 36–34 overtime loss against a relatively underwhelming Hamilton team. This time around, fans made all the difference in a dominant defensive showing for Tufts.
Berluti described the “jolt of energy” he and his teammates got from having a supportive crowd in attendance. Especially in the first half, with the help of an electric crowd, Tufts put up 17 points and came out with a strong lead that they ultimately held onto.
Berluti further discussed the impact of preparation and coaching on such a win: “I think our coaches do a very good job of preparing us.” Watching film about offensive strategy and execution was crucial in helping players study, learn and understand the playbook.
“Ultimately,” Berluti pointed out, “it falls on us as players.” He highlighted that the players need to be dedicated to improving to allow the team to “execute at [their] fullest and limit hesitation.” Preparation and practice ensured that the team played to their full potential on game day.
Especially on the defensive end, execution was top-notch. As a whole, the defense accumulated four sacks and forced two fumbles, and crucial stops on late fourth downs sealed a Tufts victory.
Additionally, Berluti praised Tino Lopes for his ability to adapt to a new team and to manufacture such a strong defense in his first year as defensive coordinator. His adaptability, as well as that of his teammates, serves as the cornerstone for a successful team.
Now in his fourth year as the Tufts quarterback, Berluti is familiar with the constantly shifting team dynamics of college football.
“You always have a new cast of guys,” he states. “No two teams [are] the same, no matter with returners or new guys stepping up.” With such variability, it can be a challenge for teams to adapt to a completely new environment every year, especially with such a short season.
When asked if the team had hit their stride by game six, Berluti replied, “absolutely,” but he made sure to note that there is still much for the team to work on. Though he feels that the team still hasn’t reached their full, four-quarter potential, he’s confident that there have been “flashes where we’re playing really good complementary football.” The team, in their leader’s eyes, just needs to do more of what they do best.
As a team, Berluti notes, consistency is key going into the final few games against Williams, Colby and Middlebury College. He notes that from week to week and quarter to quarter, their performance may see dips in energy, consistency and performance. For this reason, the team is most focused on playing complete games of football and on striving to be as good as they've shown they can be. To have a successful end to the season, Tufts football needs to focus on each game one at a time and to continue to learn how to play as a team.
When asked if there were any difficult opponents coming up to focus on, Berluti enforced a focus on the next game against Williams. “The team we want to focus most on right now is Williams, because they’re next. We can’t overlook anyone. … We’re just focused on the next one right now.”
Tufts will face Williams on Saturday, where the team hopes to build on an already strong foundation for their season.
