It's no secret that the offense has played a pivotal role in the Tufts football team's success so far. The unit has racked up 863 yards on the ground in three games and averaged 355 total yards per contest as the squad has steamrolled its way to a 3-0 record. Junior running back Keven Kelley is the top rusher in the NESCAC with 137.7 yards a game, while teammate Chuck McGraw ranks tenth at 62.3. The tandem has also combined for seven of the Jumbos' 17 total touchdowns. Junior quarterback Scott Treacy is the fifth-rated passer in the conference (103.6), along with four touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns.
But what is hiding behind all those numbers is the play of the Jumbo special teams unit, which has produced several big plays of its own in the team's first three games. Special teams can officially be credited with two touchdowns to date, but long kick returns, blocked kicks, and fumble recoveries have set up several other scores and also created scoring opportunities that ultimately failed. Aside from that, big tackles on kickoffs and deep punts have resulted in poor starting position for opponents, making Tufts defense's job that much easier.
"In all three games this year, I really thought that special teams has set the tone," coach Bill Samko said. "We try to make that an emphasis." we say that you'll win championships if you have great special teams play. And fortunately, we've had great special teams play."
The story was no different against Bowdoin this past weekend, as a big special teams play jump-started the Tufts offense and accounted for what proved to be the game's winning touchdown. Near the end of a slow first quarter in which the Jumbo offense looked dormant, Tufts sophomore Mark Tilki blocked a punt and sent the ball rolling into the end zone. Freshman Donavan Brown then fell on the loose ball to put the Jumbos on the scoreboard and give them a lead they would not relinquish all afternoon, en route to the 34-0 victory.
In total, Tufts has blocked three kicks this season. Aside from Tilki's punt block, the Jumbos blocked a field goal against Wesleyan on Sept. 22 and another punt a week later at Bates on Sept. 29. Graduate linebacker Everett Dickerson has been credited with two of the blocks.
"In three games, we've had nine big plays out of our special teams," Samko said. "I think those guys are unsung a lot. But they do a great job, and I really do believe its set the tone all year for what we're doing."
In the season opener at Wesleyan, it was the kickoff teams and punter Howie Rock who stepped up to give the Jumbos the boost they needed to knock of the Cardinals, 35-20. Brown took the game's opening kickoff back 26 yards before being brought down near midfield. An eight play, 52-yard drive ensued as they Jumbos jumped out to a 7-0 lead.
Tufts also made several important tackles on its own kickoffs to pin the Cardinals deep in their own territory. "Down at Wesleyan, we tackled them four or five times inside the 25-yard line on kickoffs," Samko said. "On the opening kickoff we ran it back to the 50 yard line, which gave us great field position and we scored there."
Rock averaged 41.5 punts on five kicks for the day, including 67-yarder in the second quarter that pushed Wesleyan back to its own nine yard line. The Tufts defense then took over and forced a Cardinal punt, which the Jumbos turned into an ideal starting position for another scoring drive - the Cardinal 38-yard line.
Rock currently leads the conference in punting with an average of 37.2 yards on 14 punts.
Last weekend at Bates, punt returner Evan Zupancic made the day's biggest play on special teams. With his team already up 14-0, Zupancic returned a Bobcat punt 60 yards to paydirt to give Tufts a 20-0 lead with 9:21 left in the half. Less than four minutes later, the Jumbos would score again and put the game out of reach.
And had it not been for a Bates interception, a special teams fumble recovery would have lead to more points for the visitors. After its first touchdown with 8:45 in the first quarter, Tufts marched down the field and recovered the ensuing kickoff on the Bobcat 18. But shortly thereafter, the scoring chance was thwarted when Treacy was picked off by Bates sophomore linebacker Pat Foley.
"You have to take advantage of your opportunities when you get them," Samko said. "I don't think we did a real good job of that up at Bates. We threw two interceptions in their end and missed a field goal. When you play against better teams, there's no way that you're going to win when you make mistakes like that."
Tufts will certainly need to take advantage of any and all scoring opportunities created by special teams play this coming Saturday against Trinity. The Jumbos will look to their special teams to create opportunities once again against Trinity, which is 2-1 this year and has beaten Tufts in each of their last three meetings and in eight of the last nine.
"Traditionally, they're always strong," Samko said. "It's always a challenge."
But if the Jumbos' special teams unit maintains its high-level play as the season progresses, Tufts could not only knock off Trinity next week, but Samko could also make a strong pitch to amend the old sports adage, "Offense wins games, defense wins championships." That is, if the Jumbos are still atop the NESCAC come mid-November.
"We say that you'll win championships if you have great special teams play," he said. "And fortunately, we've had great special teams play [so far]."
