Following a bumpy first half of the season, Tufts football has really hit its stride. After starting 2–2 on the season, Tufts has advanced 6–2 with a decisive win at Colby College on Saturday. They now head into a home matchup against 6–2 Middlebury College.
Sophomore defensive back Ty Richardson spoke about the team’s improvement this season, specifically about his own as a younger player on the team.
“Obviously, everyone comes from high school being one of the better players on the team,” Richardson said. “When you’re a new guy coming in [to college] it’s hard, but [that’s] something you’ve got to embrace.”
Moreover, he talked about how older players and position coaches helped with his adjustment to the higher level of play and helped him find a prominent role on the team. He now starts at his position for Tufts, leads the team in interceptions and is second in passes broken up this year.
In their matchup against the Mules, the Jumbos jumped out to an early 14–0 lead. The team fired early, with a six-play drive resulting in a touchdown to open the game. Senior defensive back Louis Timmins gifted the offense another opportunity after picking off Colby quarterback Miles Drake’s first pass of the game. Within ten minutes of the game starting, the Jumbos found themselves a strong lead, before facing some difficulty on the defensive side of the ball.
After two long drives lasting 15 and 11 plays, with a Tufts fumble in between, Colby managed to find themselves a pair of touchdowns to even the score at 14. Tufts was able to come up with a nearly four-minute drive near the end of the half to regain a 21–14 lead.
Richardson commented on the defense’s struggles.
“We let them convert on too many third and fourth downs,” he remarked. “Obviously, [the coaches] weren’t too happy about it.”
Though the defense originally faced difficulty, they found a bright spot in their goal line stand at the end of the half. After an electric one-minute drill by Colby, an interception by senior defensive back Henry Ferrelli in the final seconds of the half kept Tufts up heading into the locker room. During halftime, Tufts position coaches worked on strategic defensive improvement.
Just as it had been two weeks ago, according to senior quarterback Michael Berluti, the team’s focus against Colby was consistency. And during the second half of the game, the team brought out a more consistent level of football.
During the second half, the Tufts defense saw significant improvement. Whereas the team let up crucial plays on long drives during the first half, a more disciplined defense came out in the second half and held Colby scoreless in the third quarter.
Additionally, a late third-quarter touchdown pushed the Tufts lead up to 28–14. In the fourth quarter, the team had the chance to push the lead up even more, but came up just short on a long field goal. To all but seal up the game, sophomore linebacker Riley Yaker forced and recovered a Colby fumble on the next drive.
Through the rest of the fourth quarter, Tufts played conservative football to wrap up a decisive victory. Outside of one late touchdown from Colby, the team played to a calm and comfortable end.
The November game was especially important for Berluti, who surpassed 10,000 total yards for his Tufts career. He is the only Tufts football player to ever achieve this feat.
Richardson shared some highlights from Tufts during their rout of Colby. He mentioned defensive improvement across the board. Notably, senior defensive line Dom DeCrescenzo picked up his second career sack, according to Richardson. DeCrescenzo’s position is generally one of the more underappreciated in football and to get a sack is a rare feat. Richardson cited him as an emotional leader in the locker room and indicated that his sack served as a morale boost for the entire team.
Richardson also discussed the importance of a strong home crowd going into the team’s final game of the season.
He reflected on a strong fan section at events like homecoming. “Fans have been great. Home field advantage is really a thing, for sure.”
“[It’s] great for our momentum,” Richardson added. Whether the team is looking to hold onto a lead or to catch up to another team, he noted that a strong home crowd is crucial. A strong sendoff will be important for the many seniors who will play their final game of college football against Middlebury this weekend.
Richardson emphasized the importance of never breaking as a defense against a high-powered, passing-heavy Middlebury offense. He discussed the specific importance of his role as a cornerback and of keeping the momentum in Tufts’ favor.
Tufts will be back for their final game of the season at home against Middlebury on Saturday.
