Football routs Colby in second shutout of season

Tufts hosted Colby on Saturday for its final home game this season. The Jumbos came away victorious in the seniors’ final game in their careers at Ellis Oval, staying undefeated at home for this season. The 48–0 shutout of the Mules brought the Jumbos’ record to 6–2, placing them in third place in the NESCAC behind only the Amherst Mammoths and the Trinity Bantams, both with a 7–1 record.

Prior to the game, the Jumbos honored all of the senior members of the football program, including 23 players and three student assistants. If the Jumbos finish their season with a win this weekend against the Middlebury Panthers, they will tie the class of 1982 for the most wins by a single class in the modern era, at 25 wins.

Tufts' Coach Jay Civetti talked about how important it was for the seniors to end their careers at home with a win.

“That was one of my goals coming into the season for those kids,” Civetti said. “I take a great deal of pride in making sure that every kid that gives us everything that they’ve got and stays committed like they have. I want to do everything I can to put them in a position to be successful for the last game.”

In their win over the Mules, the Jumbos dominated both sides of the ball throughout the wet and windy afternoon, totaling 488 yards while allowing the Mules to gain just 124 yards of total offense. Tufts' offense found equal success both running and passing the football as it threw for 223 yards on 24 attempts while rushing for 265 yards on 58 tries. The offensive attack was led by senior quarterback and co-captain Ryan McDonald, who threw for all of Tufts’ 223 yards and scored four touchdowns -- two through the air and two on the ground.

Tufts looked to gain momentum right away as they elected to receive the opening kickoff, a decision that would quickly pay off. In the ensuing drive, the Jumbos drove 91 yards down the field in 14 plays ending in a six-yard touchdown rush for McDonald.

The Jumbos' quarterback commented on the quick score which would lead to a total team performance.

“Emotions were flying high," McDonald said. "All the seniors really wanted to do their best for their team, and it really just came down to us starting fast on offense, and having a great day on defense.”

Immediately following the touchdown, the Jumbo defense was given the first opportunity to put their dominance on display. After two short gains for the Mules on their first two plays of the drive, first-year quarterback Matt Hersch was sacked by junior linebacker Stephen Timmins on 3rd-and-6, forcing the Mules to punt the ball, the first of their six punts throughout the contest. Tufts then doubled its lead late in the first quarter as junior fullback Winton Blount caught his first touchdown of the season.

Defensively, the Jumbos were led in tackles by junior linebacker and co-captain Greg Holt with eight. Senior linebacker Jack Duffy was right behind Holt with six tackles, the most of Duffy’s career. En route to their second defensive shutout of the season, the powerful front seven for the Jumbos allowed Colby’s senior running back Jake Schwern, who is second in rushing yards per game in the NESCAC, only 67 yards on the ground.

Duffy spoke on his last game at Ellis Oval.

“It was a pretty cool experience,” Duffy said. “One last time at home with all my best friends out there, all the seniors, it was really awesome.”

Tufts' offense continued to find success as the game went on, while their stern defense limited Colby to just under five minutes of time on the field in the second quarter. Tufts found the back of the end zone three different times in the quarter -- twice on the ground and once through the air.

After sophomore kicker Matt Alswanger’s 39-yard field goal attempt fell short with 49 seconds remaining in the second quarter, it seemed that Tufts’ scoring in the first half would finish at 28 points. However, with 35 seconds remaining, a Hersch pass was tipped at the line and intercepted by senior defensive lineman Nmesoma Nwafor. Nwafor made the diving catch after his own pass deflection for the first interception of his career.

After the Jumbos got the ball back, it took them only three plays to score again as McDonald found senior wide receiver Dan de Leon in the corner of the end zone for an 18-yard completion to end the half, giving the Jumbos a 35–0 lead heading into the locker room.

The second half of play saw relatively little scoring as Tufts added 13 points in the third and fourth quarters. The Jumbos' defense continued to dominate, forcing two punts and two turnovers on downs. In Colby’s five possessions in the half, they were limited to only 99 total yards.

McDonald, senior running back Dom Borelli and sophomore running back Mike Pedrini sat out the majority of the second half. The Jumbos obviously felt comfortable resting some of their offensive starters with a 35-point lead. The scores in the second half came on rushing touchdowns by senior quarterback Ryan Hagfeldt and junior running back Jay Tyler, who saw the field in place of their resting teammates.

Tufts will conclude their season on Nov. 10 when they face the Middlebury Panthers (5–3) in Middlebury, Vt. The Jumbos will look to match their 2016 win total with 7 wins. They are also one game out of first place, and could finish the season tied for the best overall record in the conference with a win, and losses from both Trinity and Amherst.