After two convincing road victories, the football team continued to dominate on Saturday at its home opener, defeating the Bowdoin Polar Bears 34-0.
Tufts amassed four rushing touchdowns - three from junior running back Keven Kelley -and a recovered punt in the end zone, but it was the defensive shutout that played the biggest role in the win. "We wanted the shutout last week," sophomore defensive lineman Caleb Hudak said. "As a defense you always want to shut out, so it was nice to get it this week."
For Bowdoin, which drops to 0-3 on the season, it was the second straight week the team failed to score, falling to Amherst a week ago 35-0. And while the Polar Bears did not offer much of a challenge to the Jumbos, Tufts looked impressive in most aspects of the game.
The defense did not allow Bowdoin to move the ball on pivotal plays. The Polar Bears had 164 yards of total offense, 98 in the first half, but on numerous occasions, sacks or deflections on third downs stalled Bowdoin drives. The defense forced three fumbles, had one interception, and three sacks.
"We like to blitz, and we brought a lot of people today," Hudak said. "But we still need to get better at putting pressure with just four guys."
While offense and defense get the majority of media attention, it was the special teams that scored the game-winning touchdown. With 1:21 left in the first quarter and Bowdoin punting from its own end zone, sophomore corner back Mark Tilki blocked the kick. Freshman cornerback Donovan Brown recovered the ball in the end zone, and Tufts was up 7-0.
From the way Bowdoin moved the ball in the first half, combined with Tufts' inability to sustain a drive - Tufts' first three possessions produced three punts and a fumble - it didn't look like Brown's touchdown would be enough for the win. But the defense held, and the running game kicked in.
.Following a Tilki interception return to the Bowdoin 20-yard line, Kelley scored the first of his three touchdowns to put the Jumbos up 14-0 and cap the scoring in the first half.
Tufts took over in the second half, thanks to a stingy defense and a running game that capitalized on Bowdoin mistakes. Kelley scored twice more, from two and one yard out, and senior running back Renato DePaolis scampered in from 17 yards, pushing the final to 34-0.
"Our offensive line is experienced and it creates a lot of holes," Kelley said. But Bowdoin senior linebacker J.P. Hernandez offered a different explanation: "He's a tough guy to take down," Hernandez said of the 220-lb Kelley. "He's a big guy."
Kelley has six touchdowns on the season, four more than Tufts' running backs had all of last year. But the best comparison with last year, when the team went 2-6, is total points. The 34 the team put up Saturday brings Tufts to 100 on the year, ten more than the Jumbos scored in all eight games last season.
While Tufts put up impressive numbers again, the offense, and specifically the passing game, was inefficient. Sporadic rain and high winds made throwing the ball difficult, and Tufts rarely tried, especially in the first half. Junior quarterback Scott Treacy completed one pass for nine yards on the day in only six attempts. That completion, to sophomore tight end Ryan Pappi, was Tufts' first in the game and came with 10:56 left in the third quarter.
"It's tough to throw the ball when it's wet," senior co-captain guard Mike Willey said. "The passing game will pick up."
With over seven minutes left in the third quarter and Tufts up 27-0, Treacy was taken out of the game to avoid injury. In his place came freshman Steve Pizzotti, who was slightly more effective throwing the ball. Though he played against Bowdoin's second team, Pizzotti was 2-4 for 22 yards. He also threw what appeared to be a touchdown pass to senior running back Renato DePaolis, though the play was called back due to holding.
While Tufts gained only 31 yards passing, the running game picked up the slack. Tufts is the leading rushing team in the NESCAC, and while it gained 208 yards on the ground, down from its first two games, the team ran for four touchdowns. For coach Bill Samko, that's good enough. "Yards are yards," Samko said. "Points are points."
Tufts must pick up both its offensive and defensive execution for the rest of the season. The first three games came against lesser foes and while Tufts played well in all three, players on both sides of the ball know that improvements must be made.
"This is a game we should have won," Hudak said. "We have to work on stopping the run game. Trinity has a great running game. They have two strong backs."
The offense echoed the sentiments of the defense. "The first three games were easy," Kelley said. "When we get into the meat of the schedule, we have to turn it up."
The meat of the schedule includes Trinity next week, followed by a road game at Williams (3-0), and the Homecoming game against undefeated Amherst. "The competition picks up now, but we just have to keep the running game going, and make sure the passing game is there," Willey said.
