Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Friday, March 29, 2024

Football wins defensive battle against Wesleyan

IMG_1976
Senior running back Dom Borelli evades defenders en route to a 28-yard touchdown reception in Tufts' 16–13 victory over Wesleyan on Sept. 22.

In just the second night game in Ellis Oval’s existence, Tufts came out on top, 16–13, in a defensive battle with Wesleyan (1–1). The Jumbos’ victory in their 2018 home opener gives them a 2–0 record, as they join just three other NESCAC teams with an undefeated record.

Tufts only put points on the board in a strong second quarter, but that was all it would need as the defense kept Wesleyan out of the end zone for most of the second half. The Cardinals amassed a total of 334 yards of offense in over 36 minutes of possession compared to the Jumbos’ 217 yards in less than 24 minutes with the football.

Both teams were led by their senior quarterbacks in the air and on the ground. Wesleyan co-captain Mark Piccirillo completed 18 passes for 189 yards, while running for 78 of the visitors' 145 rushing yards on 14 carries. Meanwhile, co-captain Ryan McDonald led the Jumbos' offense for a second straight week, throwing for 167 yards (15-for-28) and running for 23 more on 16 carries.

On the other side of the ball, the Jumbos were dominant when the Cardinals were within striking distance of the end zone, allowing just one touchdown and forcing four field goal attempts. Junior linebacker and co-captain Greg Holt led the team in tackles for the second straight week, as he recorded 12 tackles against the Cardinals. Sophomore defensive back Michael Mughetto totaled seven tackles himself, two of which went for a loss.

It looked as if the Jumbos were off to a hot start after junior running back Andrew Sanders returned the opening kickoff 40 yards. However, the offense managed just two yards on the ensuing drive, and Tufts was forced to punt. Both offenses struggled to find a rhythm throughout the first quarter.

Wesleyan looked as if it would find the end zone first early in the second quarter, but Tufts' defense was relentless. The Cardinals had a first-and-goal opportunity at the Jumbos' 7-yard line thanks to a holding penalty, but they lost seven yards on the following three plays.Sophomore kicker Patrick Wolff converted from 31 yards out to open the scoring just five seconds into the second quarter.

Tufts got on the board a short while later when it was gifted great field position. Sophomore wide receiver Bryce Adam returned a punt 20 yards to Wesleyan’s 26-yard line with 11:12 left in the half.Despite a three-and-out for the Jumbos, sophomore kicker Matt Alswanger drilled a 41-yard field goal to tie the game at three.

The momentum shifted in Tufts’ favor on the very next play, when Wesleyan first-year wide receiver Connor Gregoire fumbled the kickoff, with the recovery by Tufts sophomore linebacker John DeLuca at the Wesleyan 11-yard line. One play later, McDonald found junior tight end Jack Donohue in the back of the end zone for his first passing touchdown of the season, giving Tufts a 10–3 lead.

After a quick three-and-out for Wesleyan, Tufts got the ball back with 8:45 remaining in the second quarter.It took McDonald just under three minutes to lead the offense 66 yards down the field for a touchdown that gave the Jumbos a 16–3 lead (Alswanger's extra point attempt was unsuccessful). Wolff converted a 39-yard field goal with 3:30 to go in the first half to cut the hosts' lead to 10 points.

Wesleyan opened the second half with newfound energy, taking just over four minutes to go 73 yards for a touchdown that closed the score to 16–13. On the first play of the following drive, McDonald’s pass was intercepted, giving Wesleyan the ball on Tufts’ 45-yard line.

The Jumbos’ defense then took over to preserve the victory. On the ensuing drive, Wesleyan managed just two yards and was forced to punt. McDonald was thrilled with the way the defense performed against a tough Wesleyan offense.

“Our defense is legit,” he said. “They kept us in that game the entire night. They played out of their minds. It’s really a testament to how hard our coaches have worked and how hard our defensive guys have worked all offseason [and] all preseason to get to where they’ve become very good.”

The Cardinals got the ball back with 7:27 left in the third quarter and quickly marched into the red zone. Facing fourth-and-1 on Tufts' 6-yard line, the visitors elected to go for it. However, the Jumbos' defense swarmed to sophomore running back Sean Penney and stopped the Simsbury, Conn. native short of the line, as the Cardinals came away empty-handed.

Wesleyan's next drive ended on a similar note. The Cardinals drove down to the Jumbos' 5-yard line, where the hosts showed their strength again. After consecutive rushing attempts advanced the Cardinals just two yards, they stuck to the ground game on the third down. However, a bobbled snap allowed the defense to wrap up Wesleyan first-year wide receiver David Estevez for a 6-yard loss. Wolff's 27-yard field goal attempt missed wide left, giving the ball back to the Jumbos.

The Cardinals had two more opportunities with the football, the first of which resulted in a three-and-out. Down 16–13, Wesleyan got the ball back with 2:13 remaining. After a couple of completions and a penalty, the Cardinals found themselves with a first down at the Tufts 27-yard line, needing only a field goal to tie the game. The Jumbos' secondary applied tight coverage, which allowed Mughetto to bring down Piccirillo for a loss of nine yards.

The Cardinals gained seven yards on their next two plays to set up a 46-yard field goal attempt for Wolff with 46 seconds remaining. The Tarrytown, N.Y. native's effort missed, and Tufts took over to seal the victory.

Coach Jay Civetti was pleased with the way his defense executed throughout the game.

“It just took a couple of guys just really sticking to the game plan, doing their job and forcing things back to the support part of the defense,” he said. “I think, overall, our defense just was well-prepared. I think [assistant] coach [Kevin] Farr and the staff, [assistant] coach [Randy] Wright, [assistant] coach [Kenn] Jones and [assistant] coach [Matt] Leotti just really put our guys in a good position to succeed.”

The Jumbos will return to Ellis Oval on Sept. 29 for their Homecoming game against the winless Bates Bobcats (0–2), as they look to improve their record to 3–0.