Football Analysis | Gold rush: On-the-ground offense pays off for Tufts in the end

    Saturday saw the Tufts offense rush for 247 yards — their highest single-game total since 2004  — en route to a 20-14 win over the Wesleyan Cardinals. The Jumbo rushing attack was lead by senior Will Forde, who recorded 133 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Saturday's performance was by far the best game of Forde's four-year collegiate career, and the first time the senior running back cracked the century mark.
    "I think I had one 99 yard game last year, so I was pretty excited [about breaking the 100 yard mark]," Forde said.
    Down 7-0 late in the second quarter, Tufts' offense faced a key third and three in Wesleyan territory. With 1:19 seconds left, Forde took a handoff from junior quarterback Anthony Fucillo, cut to the outside and charged down the left sideline for a 30-yard touchdown.
    Trailing 14-7 at halftime, the Jumbos quickly regained momentum on the very first play of the third quarter. Sophomore return specialist Pat Bailey took the opening kickoff back 33 yards to Wesleyan's 49-yard line, leaving the door wide open for the offense. Fucillo was phenomenal on the drive, completing all three of his pass attempts, but once the Jumbos got down inside the five yard line, Forde struck again. On second and goal from the one, coach Bill Samko called Forde's number and the senior tailback plunged into the end zone for his second score of the contest. Tufts would go on to take a 20-14 lead on its next drive.
    After swapping possessions twice, the Jumbos' offense came back on the field with 5:59 left in the game. Starting at their own 16 yard line, the Jumbos had one thing on their minds: running down the clock. After running Forde into the ground for the first three and a half quarters, Samko inserted third-down back junior Darren Ferguson into the game.    
    Ferguson had only carried the ball once at that point in the game, and his fresh legs were deadly against a worn-down Wesleyan defense. Ferguson, however, attributed the success of the team's fourth quarter running game more to the Jumbo's offensive strategy than Wesleyan's fatigue.
    "The coaches have been really smart in the way they give us our rest and recovery periods," Ferguson said. "It might not have been how worn down [the Cardinals] were but rather how well conditioned we were."
    Ferguson was outstanding on the game's final drive, carrying five times for 53 yards. The highlight of the drive came on a second and one from the Jumbo 44-yard-line when Ferguson took a handoff and rumbled 27 yards downfield — a carry that essentially sealed the game for Tufts.
    "Darren is a great back," Forde said. "He's very physical, which is a nice change of pace from me. We have a great deal of confidence in him, and I look forward to watching him play the rest of the season."
    At one point, Ferguson nearly scored a touchdown but was pushed out of bounds at the four-yard line. The third-down back realized that he should have tried to stay in bounds to keep the clock moving but said that adrenaline completely took over.
    "I saw the end zone and just tried to go," Ferguson said.
    If Ferguson runs the rest of the season the way he ran in the fourth quarter, he's bound to find the end zone sooner or later, and if he and Forde can repeat their rushing feats from Saturday, Tufts will likely enjoy more victories in the future.