Tufts faces undefeated Trinity

After suffering its first loss of the season on the road against Bowdoin, Tufts will attempt to rebound against one of the powerhouses of the NESCAC, Trinity College.

The Bantams finished the 2013 season with a 6-2 record, leading the conference in points scored with 259 (32.3 per game), and look even better this season. They currently stand at an unblemished 3-0, allowing just 14 total points through their first three games.

Offensively, the Bantams rely heavily on senior running back Chudi Iregbulum. This year, he has rushed for 302 yards and has seven touchdowns (six rushing, one receiving) so far. The team has also worked sophomore running back Gus Ackley into the rotation. He has added 142 yards on the ground on just 19 carries.

The staple of the Bantams' undefeated record, however, is its defense. Trinity opened the season by allowing just seven points to Colby, and then followed up that performance by shutting out Williams. In the team's third game, Trinity held Hamilton to just a single touchdown. The team’s linebackers are among the best in the NESCAC, led by seniors Tom Szymanski and Michael Weatherby as well as junior Frank Leyva.

The most daunting aspect of Trinity’s defense is that it is equally dominant in stopping the pass and the run. The Bantams' defense has allowed just 76.7 rushing yards per game, making them first in the conference by a whopping 27.6-yard margin.

Tufts’ offensive success is predicated on its ability to run the football. The Jumbos are second in the NESCAC in rushing touchdowns with six, behind only the Bantams’ eight. In order to beat Trinity, Tufts will have to rely heavily on its offensive line to open up lanes for senior running back Zack Trause and sophomore running back Chance Brady.

In the team’s loss to Bowdoin Trause scored two touchdowns, but only ran for 30 yards, while Brady scored once, but could only muster 48 yards in his injury-shortened effort. If the Jumbos want to improve to 3-1, they will need Brady to perform like he did in the team's week 2 victory over Bates, in which the sophomore rushed for 98 yards on 19 carries.

“There was plenty that we did right [against Bowdoin], but there is still a lot that we can build on," senior quarterback Jack Doll said. "The entire team still has room to grow, and we all have places where we can improve, but we, as a team, have had success this season, and I know that we have the ability to compete at a very high level."

While Tufts has run the ball reasonably well through three games, the most important factor for the offense's success has been Doll's improved quarterback play.

In five games last season, Doll threw for 1,037 yards, one touchdown and eight interceptions. But in 2014, the quarterback has looked like a completely different player. Through the first three weeks of this season, Doll has been possibly the NESCAC’s best signal-caller. He leads the conference in passing yards (729) and completion percentage (72.3%), and perhaps his most impressive feat is the fact that he has thrown just one interception in 101 passing attempts.

Doll is not the only Tufts player who has been filling up the stat sheet. Sophomore wide receiver Ben Berey leads the NESCAC in receptions (26), Trause is tied for the league-lead in total touchdowns (7), sophomore cornerback Mike Stearns leads the conference in total tackles (45) and junior defensive end Evan Anthony is second in sacks (2.5). The players’ statistics along with the team’s record show just how much Tufts has improved since last season.

Although the 13-point loss to Bowdoin ended Tufts’ chances at an undefeated record, the team is still very confident as it moves toward the midway point of the season.

Winning a game in Hartford, however, has proven to be virtually impossible for every team in the NESCAC, as the Bantams have won an incredible 52 straight home games dating back to 2001.

“[At 2-1], we can absolutely compete," coach Jay Civetti said. "The team should be excited, but also disappointed [that we’re not 3-0]. We really just need to get back to the basics and play like we did in the first two weeks. We have as tough a challenge as any [this weekend]."