For most of the football preseason, Tufts' thoughts focused on a veteran offensive line, an inefficient offense, and replacing Brian Holmes, the team's most valuable player last year.
Last week, thoughts again centered around Holmes - though not about how to survive after the star running back's graduation. Instead, the team found itself worrying about his safety. Holmes had worked in the World Trade Center until three weeks ago, when he moved back to Boston.
Holmes was fine, but the Jumbos were remained shaken by the tragedy. The team gathered last Tuesday, not to practice, but to discuss the day's events.
"This affects everybody," coach Bill Samko said. "You see the horror and the pain on television, and it affects our guys as well."
One of the main themes Samko preached to his players on Tuesday, and throughout the rest of the week, was to realize how fortunate they were.
"We always talk about this, but last week, I asked our guys to know how fortunate they are," the coach said. "Everyone here has a great opportunity, and it is a crime not to take advantage of it."
The team went back to practice on Wednesday, though time was spent each day either before or after practice to discuss issues that were still lingering. Samko recognized that his athletes' minds were diverted, and that adjustments to normal practice were crucial. Still, the coaching staff felt that it was important to return to the field swiftly.
"We have to get back out there," Samko said. "If not, they [the opponents] win...We have to stay the course in spite of adversity."
The team used last Saturday's scrimmage as a way to return to normalcy - and it did so effectively, defeating Hamilton 18-17.
"It's nice to get away and do something else for two hours," senior co-captain Scott Mittenthal said. "But no matter what, [the tragedy] is still on people's minds."
Samko was pleased with his team's performance in the scrimmage, more so by the play than the result.
"The scrimmage went okay," he said. "We stayed healthy. We showed some things, didn't show some things. We won, and you like to win every time you step out there, but that wasn't our main concern."
The win should give the team an increased level of confidence as it heads to Wesleyan for the season opener this coming Saturday. Wesleyan will present a stern challenge for a Tufts squad that believes it is stronger than the team that went 2-6 record last year.
One of those six losses came against these Cardinals, after Wesleyan intercepted a pass and returned it for a score in the final minute to win 16-7 at Tufts.
"They are always competitive," Samko said. "They have had four real good years in a row."
What makes the coaching staff's job even more complex is that the teams know relatively little about each other.
"Both teams are very different from where they were last year," Samko said. "We don't have a handle on their personnel, but we've been working on their base fronts and plays."
One player Tufts knows it has to focus on is Wesleyan quarterback Brennan Carney. The sophomore was NESCAC Rookie of the Year in 2000, throwing for 1180 yards and 12 touchdowns.
"He presents some problems," Samko said. "We gotta get up in his face, but that means we're going to have some man-to-man coverage.
"We've made progress, though. This team is right where I thought it would be at this time."
Tufts will start the opener at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
@s:Jumbos to face off against Wesleyan, Saturday
