Unstoppable force, meet immovable object

For a Tufts football team, this is as big as it gets. The undefeated, defending champion Williams Ephs will travel to Tufts to take on the Jumbos this Saturday, in front of a large Parents' Weekend crowd.

The Ephs are currently tied with Amherst atop the NESCAC standings at 4-0, and are searching for their second consecutive perfect season, the sixth in school history. Tufts, meanwhile, is tied for third at 3-1 after dropping its first game of the season last weekend, 13-12 to Trinity.

"It should be a good game," coach Bill Samko said. "Most of the guys are pissed because they let one get away (last week). But I don't think that anybody's down."

The game will be a case of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object, as Williams will bring its top ranked offensive attack against the Jumbos' top ranked defense. The Ephs have proven to be an offensive powerhouse, but if any team matches up well with them it may be Tufts.

"They're a tough team to match up with," Samko said. "But our defense has been playing pretty well. We'll definitely have to play well to win."

The biggest challenge for the Tufts defense will be stopping Williams' air attack, which is lead by quarterback Joe Reardon, who is averaging 228 yards per game so far this season, with eight touchdown passes and just three picks. His primary target has been wide receiver Ryan Friend, who has 35 catches (three for touchdowns) for 415 yards this season, for an average of 103 yards per game.

Reardon has not gone solely to Friend however, as seven different Ephs have touchdown receptions this season. Among those with a touchdown catch is Williams' unique weapon Scott Farley, who has played considerable amounts on both sides of the ball this season. Farley leads the team in scoring as its place kicker and punter, is second on the team in punt returns, fourth on the team in receiving, and leads the team with two interceptions.

"They've got some good players," Samko said. "(Reardon) was player of the year last year, and he's just damn good."

But if Williams doesn't kill you in the air, they may well run you to death. The team has averaged 147 yards per game on the ground thus far, but does not have a standout running back, as only one player averages more than 60 yards per game on the ground.

Williams is far and away the NESCAC leader in total offense, as the team combines for more than 426 yards per game, nearly 70 more yards per game than second place Amherst. Tufts however, leads the league in defense by a similar margin, allowing just 182 yards per game. Second place Trinity allows over 241 yards per game.

The Jumbos are also the top ranked team in scoring defense, but perhaps more importantly for this weekend, is the top ranked team in pass defense as well. Tufts backfield of senior tri-captain Evan Zupancic and juniors Drew Blewett, Jorge Rodriguez and Mark Tilki, along with solid pressure from the defensive line have only allowed opponents to throw for an average of 111 yards per game, just two touchdowns, and have intercepted the ball 12 times. If there is a backfield in the NESCAC to neutralize the Ephs passing attack, it appears to be that of the Jumbos.

Williams is coming off of a thrilling come from behind win last week against Middlebury, where the Ephs scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes, including the game winner with 55 seconds to play, to secure the 27-24 victory. While Williams will likely be riding the momentum from that win, the Jumbos will be looking to get back on track following their frustrating loss last week, which may give them an added motivation.

"Will it help? I don't know. I would have rather won the game," Samko said. "But they're beatable. I think everyone's human. You just line up and you play and you take it from there."

Williams may be beatable, but history is not on Tufts' side. The last time the Jumbos beat a team from Williams was in 1986 in a 33-3 rout. The teams tied 14-14 in 1988 (before the advent of overtime) and again 10-10 in 1992. The Ephs have won every game since.