The nerves quickly disappeared for Johnny Lindquist. After that, it was business time.
In the senior's first collegiate start and the football team's season-opener, Lindquist nearly engineered a fourth-quarter comeback, buoyed by a lockdown defense, but fell short as Tufts lost to Hamilton 24-16 on Saturday.
Lindquist went 19-for-32 for 215 yards and a touchdown after entering this season having thrown just one collegiate pass. And with the Jumbos down eight points in the fourth quarter, Lindquist marched his team into Hamilton territory on consecutive drives. The first, a nine-play 58-yard series which began on the Tufts 6-yard line, ended on a questionable spot by the referees on fourth down. The second, which ultimately ended the game, was stymied by four straight incomplete passes from the Hamilton 20.
"When the field compresses it gets harder; we just didn't make the plays we needed," Lindquist said. "We needed a defensive stop and we got one, then we had all the confidence in the world driving down the field, but it just didn't come together at the end."
Still, the Jumbos are seeing the positives from interim head coach Jay Civetti's first game atop the program. After heading into the fourth quarter down 24-7 — the only touchdown coming on a 3-yard strike from Lindquist to junior tight end Nick Kenyon in the second quarter — the defense forced two straight three-and-outs in the fourth quarter, setting up the potential comeback that fell just short.
"It definitely brought back some memories," Lindquist said of his first start since high school. "Everything came together. You got the pre-game jitters, of course, but it's a good feeling. If you don't get those then I don't think you're ready to play."
Junior receiver Dylan Haas had four catches for a game-high 82 yards for Tufts, which had zero turnovers for the first time since Nov. 7, 2009.
"It's something for us that we stress every day," he said. "Ball security is the number-one thing. I don't think there's any team good enough that can turn the ball over and expect to win the game. It's a true testament to the staff that our focus is on protecting the football. It's a huge exclamation point for us moving forward."
What the Eck?
While Lindquist was solid in his first start, his Hamilton counterpart, junior Jordan Eck, was the star.
Eck completed 88 percent of his passes (29-for-33) for 260 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score, earning himself NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Eck threw seven interceptions in six games last season, but he was nearly perfect on Saturday, directing scoring drives of 68, 64, 48 and 92 yards. Five receivers had at least four receptions and three had at least 60 yards for Hamilton, who won its first season-opener since 1992 and beat Tufts for the first time since 1991.
"It's not a disappointment," said Civetti, who called Eck "the difference" in the game. "It's an opportunity to get better. Let's just continue to grow. We've got a young team, there's not a tremendous amount of experience out there. After the first game, I'm coming away saying, ‘We've got a chance.'"
The Jumbos planned to stop the Continentals' running game, which they did for the majority of the afternoon. Sophomore James Stanell averaged just 3.6 yards per attempt on 24 carries. For comparison, Stanell averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season.
Senior tri-captain J.T. Rinciari led the way with 11 tackles, and senior defensive lineman Nick Croteau, who converted to the position from tight end in 2010, had five tackles, 1.5 of them for a loss.
"The defense played fantastic," Civetti said. "They wanted to stop the run and stopped it. I told the team after, I'm proud to be their head coach. No one likes to lose, but we got a chance. We've got some fight in this team. That's something we can build upon."
Run, Jumbos, run
While Tufts' agenda specifically involved limiting Hamilton's output, the Jumbos' offense looked noticeably different from last season's no-huddle, spread attack.
Though the team went no-huddle at times, sophomore running back Ryan Pollock had 20 carries for 70 yards in Civetti's new, balanced offense, including a seven-yard scoring plunge in the fourth quarter that brought the Jumbos within a score.
Tufts was last in the NESCAC in rushing yardage per game last season, and passed the century mark as a team for the first time since Nov. 7, 2009. Lindquist also had 46 yards on 11 carries.
"Pollock and [sophomore Jon] Sobo are just great runners, so we trust them with the ball," Lindquist said. "The offensive line is pretty experienced, so we have a lot of faith in the running game and the ability to set a tone."
Quick hits
According to multiple tweets from Steuben Field, rock star Jon Bon Jovi was in attendance. His daughter reportedly attends Hamilton.
The Continentals' first season-opening win since 1992 could not have come at a better time for the school. Hamilton was celebrating its bicentennial throughout the weekend and announced that 3,277 people attended the game.
Senior linebacker Nick Falk, the Jumbos' leading returning tackler, did not play. The tri-captain has been nursing a high ankle sprain suffered during Tufts' scrimmage versus Bowdoin on Sept. 16. Civetti praised Falk's sideline leadership during the Hamilton game but said there is no set timetable for a return to action.
