Thanks to a few superhuman efforts from junior quad-captain quarterback Alex Vetras and freshman linebacker Sam Clark, Amherst improved to 3-0 on Saturday, its best start since 2004, after taking a convincing 20-10 win over Middlebury.
Vetras and Clark, who were named the NESCAC offensive and defensive players of the week, respectively, helped solidify Amherst's spot atop the conference standings, which it shares with Trinity.
"It was our first time beating Middlebury in the four years that I have been here," senior safety and defensive captain Chris Govey said. "It was definitely a big win for us."
Though the Amherst defense faced a formidable Middlebury attack led by standout junior quarterback Donald McKillop, the Lord Jeffs were able to lock down at the proper times, primarily due to Clark's efforts.
Despite McKillop setting a new Panthers career record by connecting on 47 of his 74 pass attempts for 438 yards, he was intercepted four times by the opportunistic Amherst defense. Clark, who had been on the scout team until the previous week, picked off two of McKillop's passes — one of which he almost ran back for a touchdown, and the other of which occurred in the Lord Jeffs' own end zone.
"[Clark] had been doing some really good things, so we figured we should give him a chance," coach E.J. Mills said. "He moved up and started to practice with the top defense and just kept improving. We put him in for a series against Middlebury and he did really well. We put him in for another and he made a pick then almost ran it back. I played him pretty much for the rest of the game after that. He played with a lot of maturity."
"He is a really outstanding player," Govey added. "Turnovers can always be game-changing, and those interceptions were huge momentum swings."
Amherst's defense has been fantastic all season, holding opponents to an average of just 11.3 points per game. The Lord Jeffs defeated Bowdoin 13-12 two weeks ago with the help of multiple goal-line stands.
"They were down within our 10-yard line six different times," Mills said. "Four times we held them to field goals and twice we held them on the goal line on fourth down. It was a real defensive struggle."
But even with a strong defense, wins cannot come without offensive output. An improved passing attack has also contributed largely to the Lord Jeffs' undefeated record.
"We used to be more of a two-back, I-Formation type team," Mills said. "We have really moved towards the spread. I think we can run it well. I think we got a kid [Vetras] who can really throw it, and we have some talented receivers."
Vetras, who is in his second season as the Lord Jeffs' starter, completed 35 passes against Middlebury to break the previous Amherst mark, finishing with a 113.44 quarterback rating alongside 234 yards and two touchdowns. The junior has tossed six scores on the season against only one interception.
"Football has the tendency to evolve," Mills said. "Ten years ago, if you threw the ball 20 times in the NESCAC, that was a lot. Now, if you throw it 20, you are barely throwing it. I think the league is very current with a lot of trends both offensively and defensively."
After their win against Middlebury, the Lord Jeffs will take on lesser opponents in Wesleyan and Bates, which have a combined 1-5 record. Amherst's schedule will get significantly tougher after that, however, as it will face Tufts and Williams, both 2-1, followed by a Nov. 7 home date with Trinity, the only other undefeated team in the NESCAC.
Despite the team's success up to this point and its legitimate chance at a conference championship, Mills insists that the team take it one day at a time.
"Certainly the mantra, if you will, is ‘We need to get better every day,'" Mills said. "If we take care of business, we are certainly going to have a chance to win every game. A lot of the times you have to have things go your way, but if we can continue to remain focused and practice hard each and every day, then we are going to have a fighting chance to at least be in every game we play. That is all we can ask for."
