Sometimes in football, numbers tell the story. Saturday's game between Tufts and Amherst was a case in point. The Jumbos forced six turnovers and the Lord Jeffs forced none. But the Jumbos had just 116 yards of total offense, while the Lord Jeffs had 515. In the end, the numbers added up to a 17-7 Amherst win.
It was a sloppy game affected by strong winds in Somerville that gusted toward the College Avenue end of the field, spelling trouble for punters and passers alike. The Jumbos' defense came up with one big play after the next to keep it close - the score was 7-7 at halftime - but the offense had no answers.
"I was very encouraged by our defense," head coach Jay Civetti said. "I was frustrated by some of the tackling inconsistencies, but to be plus-six on the day is significant. I think the offense needs to hold up their end of the bargain and needs to capitalize."
Freshman Willie Holmquist punted on 13 of the Jumbos' 14 possessions, finishing with 437 yards and falling one attempt shy of the school record set by Bryan McDavitt (LA '07) in 2004.
Meanwhile, Tufts allowed its fewest total points against the Lord Jeffs since 2009, which is hard to fathom considering the way the Jeffs moved the ball all afternoon. They racked up 34 first downs, out-rushed Tufts in total yardage 268-7 and were 11-for-21 on third down conversions. But they turned it over six times, including five in Tufts' territory and three in the red zone.
"Going into the game, [Civetti] said we needed 'GAP' plays, which he had never mentioned before: game-altering plays," sophomore Ricky Antonellis, who had an interception in his first career start Saturday, said. "Against a team as good as Amherst, you need plays to change momentum, and I think our defense definitely gave us a chance."
In the first quarter, with the wind blowing in their favor, the Lord Jeffs began three consecutive drives inside the 50. The results were a missed field goal, an interception in the end zone by freshman Mike Stearns and a lost fumble.
Amherst finally broke through at the start of the second when freshman quarterback Alex Berluti snuck into the end zone on 4th-and-goal to cap a 56-yard drive.
On the Lord Jeffs' next possession, Antonellis picked off Berluti at the Jumbos' 5-yard line and returned it to midfield. Then, after the Jumbos went three-and-out, Amherst sophomore Kenny Adinkra lost a fumble that sophomore Pat Williams recovered at the Jeffs' 30-yard line. It was the Jeffs' fourth and final turnover of the half.
With just over a minute left in the second quarter, freshman quarterback Alex Snyder, starting his second career game, led the Jumbos' lone scoring drive. He completed first-down passes to juniors Zack Trause and Greg Lanzillo, and a pair of face mask calls gave Tufts 1st-and-goal with a yard to go. Trause punched it in and the game was tied, 7-7, with 16 seconds on the clock.
The 30-yard drive was the Jumbos' longest of the day. Thanks to the wind, every inch was difficult to come by on Saturday.
"The wind had a drastic impact on the opportunities that the offense had to be efficient," Civetti said. "[It's tough] when you play a great defense, and [Snyder's] strength is being able to throw the ball, and you get 30-plus mile an hour gusts. But that's part of the game. You've got to be able to execute regardless of the environment."
In the second half, Tufts traveled just 40 yards on six possessions. But the Lord Jeffs, the heavy favorite entering the game, did not make things easy for themselves. On Amherst's first drive of the third quarter, junior quarterback Max Lippe, who split time with Berluti, had his pass tipped at the line and intercepted by junior James Brao on 3rd-and-goal.
Later in the third, Amherst senior Phillip Nwosu overcame swirling winds to hit a 33-yard field goal. But as the fourth quarter began, the Jeffs lost yet another fumble deep in Tufts' territory. The Jumbos, trailing 10-7, were still very much alive.
And yet, with their young quarterback battling the wind and a stalwart Amherst defense, a comeback was not in the cards for Tufts. The Jeffs got the ball back and drove 62 yards, more than half of which were picked up on a screen pass to sophomore Jackson McGonagle, and Lippe scored from the goal line with 8:29 remaining. Amherst led, 17-7. The Jeffs got a stop, ran out the clock and won by that score.
"The defense had a ton of 'GAP' plays, and that really got them rolling, and everyone could feel the excitement," sophomore receiver Xavier Frey said. "We just did not transfer that excitement into the offense. We didn't have any plays to get us going."
On the bright side, the Jumbos hung in there for three-plus quarters against one of the top teams in the league. But they still lost by 10 points.
"We didn't do what we needed to do to win the game, and that's what eats me up," Civetti said. "Does it say good things about where we're going? Yes. But does it say good things about where we are? No."
Snyder finished 15-of-31 for 109 yards and was sacked seven times, bringing his sack total to 15 in his first two starts. The other side of the coin is that he's yet to throw a pick.12
