Although New England is firmly entrenched in a Red Sox hangover, the show must go on for football teams across the region, and that includes the Jumbos.
Tufts will try to bounce back from a gut wrenching 10-9 home loss to Williams as it moves on to Amherst tomorrow.
The Jumbos triumphed in overtime last year, 24-17, in a win that propelled them to their 5-3 record.
At a disappointing 1-4, Tufts could add a silver lining to what has thus far been a cloudy season with a win over the Lord Jeffs (5-0), who are currently tied for first place in the NESCAC with Trinity
But unlike Trinity, Amherst has not walked over every opponent they have faced this season. Besides their triumphs over Hamilton and Wesleyan (televised on NESN last week), Amherst has gotten legitimate fights from Bowdoin, Middlebury and Colby. They are still not to be taken lightly, though, according to senior running back Steve Cincotta, who will be returning from an ankle injury that kept him out of action versus Williams.
?¬They have always played great defense, but if everyone on our side of the ball plays their role we should be able to move the ball on them,?® he said.
Moving the ball will be no small task against this defense, especially on the ground, where Amherst is yielding a measly 71 yards per game. If the running game is not gaining the desired yardage, Tufts can take comfort in a passing game, led by junior quarterback Casey D?Annolfo, which last week did not throw an interception for the first time this season. D?Annolfo was a respectable 11 for 17 for 80 yards against Williams? third ranked pass defense.
So while the pass may not have been emphasized last week, the Jumbos may have an easier time putting the ball in the air with an Amherst secondary that is sixth in the NESCAC at the moment (175.4 passing yards a game).
?¬We?ll see what they give us and we?ll probably end up taking it from there,?® Cincotta said.
Amherst senior cornerback Rob Walsh leads the NESCAC in interceptions at the moment with six, including the four he had against Bowdoin. He also has five more pass defenses than anyone in the league with 13. Whether he can keep that performance up depends on how often the Jumbos decide to throw to his side.
The Tufts defense, on the same note, will also have their hands full with a veteran offensive unit fielded by the Jeffs. Senior running back Fletcher Ladd continues to add to his legend as one of the best backs in NESCAC history as he has amassed 735 yards and five touchdowns already this season in the high octane Amherst running attack.
Not to be overlooked is four year starting quarterback Marsh Moseley, who has been efficient with the chances coach E.J. Mills has given him to throw the ball. He has thrown for an average of 132.8 yards a game, with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. But the go-to option in the game plan is still clearly for Moseley to hand the ball to Ladd, who has out-gained every other NESCAC back by 162 yards. Even harder to grasp is the fact that the yards he has personally amassed are more than those of six teams in the league. To say he is their workhorse would be quite the understatement.
But there is hope for the Jumbos fifth-ranked rushing defense, and it comes in the form of senior defensive tackle and captain Chris Lawrence (48 tackles, T-fourth), sophomore defensive end Chris Decembrele (42 tackles, six for loss) and the linebacking corps led by freshman phenom Adam Arsenault (33 tackles) and junior Mike McCann (29 take downs).
Game time at Amherst is set for 1 p.m.
