After going 5-3 last season and narrowly missing out on a share of the NESCAC title, the football team returns this fall with a loaded arsenal of returning weapons. The Jumbos open their season Saturday with three of their top four running backs and all four wide receivers back for another year.
The only question is who will man the helm.
In one corner is junior Tom McManama, who went 9-for-20 last season as the backup for quarterback Matt Russo (LA '08). In the other is Anthony Fucillo, a junior transfer from Div. I Colgate who hopes to see action right away in a Tufts uniform.
When the Jumbos open their season at Zimman Field at 1 p.m. Saturday, one of the two will stand under center on the opening offensive drive. It's up to coach Bill Samko to decide which one. Has he made up his mind?
"Yep," Samko said.
With 72 hours to go, Samko remains tight-lipped about who will start. But either way, the offense will be in good hands, as indicated by both quarterbacks' performances in last Friday's scrimmage at Bowdoin.
"They played well," Samko said. "They both handled the offense well, and they managed the game quite well. They're good, and they're both going to play."
Whoever wins the job will be replacing one of the best quarterbacks Tufts has seen in a long time. Russo was one of the NESCAC's most accurate arms last season, going 145-for-261 (56 percent) for 1,528 yards. In his two years under center, he transformed the Jumbos into a more pass-oriented offensive team, and it's now up to his replacement to maintain that style.
"Russo was a good player, and he's definitely going to be missed," said senior Will Forde, who rushed for five touchdowns last year. "But between Fucillo and Tommy, I think we're going to be fine at that position. What really matters is what the offense as a whole can do, not just one guy at one position."
Forde is one of three running backs, along with senior Brad Ricketson and junior Darren Ferguson, who carried the Jumbo running game last year. The three combined for 628 of the team's 844 rushing yards, which ranked fifth in the league. But primarily, the Jumbos were a passing team under Russo, and that likely won't change.
"Did you see us play last year?" Samko said. "We broke every passing record in Tufts' history. Passing attempts, completions, touchdowns, you name it. I'm not sure how much more we can throw the thing."
The offense will be hurt at least somewhat by two losses in the front line. The graduation of center Thomas Ames (E '08) and right guard Dan Walsh (E '08) leaves a couple of holes to fill, but Samko sees enough depth in his roster to do just that.
"[Junior] Adam Wueger is back, and [senior] Geoff Kramer's back and he's a [tri-] captain this year," Samko said. "Kramer could have been all-league last year. [Juniors] A.J. Carreiro and Dan Morrison started games for us last year, too. It's a good mix. We lose guys every year."
The receiving core is still in great shape; tight end Kevin Gleason (LA '08) will be replaced by senior Max Cassidy, and the team's top four wideouts are all back in action. Seniors David Halas, Stephen Black, Az Adhanom and Ryan Gendron will all make catches — the only question is who's throwing to them.
"Whatever happens, I think that either one of us will be happy," Fucillo said. "I think he's a great quarterback and also a great person. We don't really know what will happen, so we're just trying to work as hard as we can. Whatever happens, we're both here for the same reason, and that's ultimately to win games."
While McManama has the advantage of experience with the Tufts system, having appeared briefly in six games in his first two years, Fucillo has experience of his own: He was Colgate's opening-day starter last fall, and he's adjusted quickly to the Jumbos' program.
"It really helped me having been in a college system before," Fucillo said. "Coming in as a freshman, it's always hard to learn a new system, but having experience playing in college before definitely helped."
In either event, Fucillo or McManama will be surrounded by plenty of talent. It's much the same collection that carried Tufts to a 5-1 start last season, coming within a couple of extra points of defending champion Middlebury's grasp on the NESCAC title. With so many pieces of the puzzle returning, the confidence must still be there.
"I'm not sure whether we're more confident," Forde said. "But the fact that we have a lot of returners is a good sign. It's still going to come down to us executing and taking care of business every Saturday. We have to work hard and create our own luck."
