On a day when Tufts was able to quiet the NESCAC's second most potent passing attack, and completely thwart its running game, the Middlebury Panthers did the same to the Jumbos in a 10-6 win in Vermont.
Tufts, while holding Middlebury to nine yards rushing and 226 yards passing (below the Panthers' 225.9 yards per game average), had minus-eight yards rushing and 172 yards passing.
The Jumbos finished at 2-6 this fall, their worst record since 2000. The Panthers completed their fourth straight 4-4 campaign and collected their third straight win over the Jumbos.
The first scoring of the game came when Middlebury junior linebacker Coleman Hautzler forced a fumble on the Tufts seven-yard line which led to a field goal to make it 3-0 midway through the first quarter.
Later in the first, Panthers senior quarterback Mike Keenan connected with senior Mike Murray for a 28-yard scoring strike which would put them ahead 10-0. The TD pass gave Keenan 38 in his three-year career, a school record.
This venture into the end zone would prove to be Middlebury's last, though.
"If we had made adjustments earlier in the game, I think we would have had a much better shot of winning," senior quad-captain and cornerback Donavan Brown said.
Tufts threatened to cut into the lead on several occasions. At a juncture late in the third quarter, a fumble forced by the Jumbos put the ball deep in Panther territory at the 19. But offensive ineffectiveness pushed Tufts back to the 41, from where it had to punt.
Early in the fourth quarter, after the Jumbo offense had driven 30 yards to the opposing nine-yard line, a missed field goal by junior Phil Scialdoni took away any momentum the Jumbos may have been gaining with the drive.
Tufts again found itself on the Middlebury 19-yard line later in the quarter after an interception by junior linebacker Mike McCann. This time, the Jumbos were able to capitalize after junior quarterback Casey D'Annolfo (18 for 43, 172 yards) connected with sophomore Steve Menty for a 15-yard touchdown. It was the third TD grab of the season for the opportunistic Menty, who has had just 11 catches all year. The score pulled Tufts to within 10-6. But Scialdoni missed the extra point to again take some of the wind out of the Jumbos' sails.
"We didn't really start throwing the ball until the second half, but once we did we moved the ball a little better," senior wide receiver Kevin Holland said, pointing to the first half in which Tufts saw one stretch where it had minus-six yards on 18 plays on the backs of its stagnated running game.
Holland had 10 catches for 105 yards on the day, capping off a fine season in which he had 56 receptions (second in NESCAC) for 571 yards (third in NESCAC). His stats were all the more impressive considering he earned them in the second worst passing offense in the league (135.9 yards a game).
On the day, the Jumbos were zero-for-19 on third down, which resulted in sophomore punter Bryan McDavitt kicking 14 times, a NESCAC record which can be filed under dubious. McDavitt also led the way with nine tackles from his safety position.
McDavitt was just one major factor in the Jumbos' defensive performance was worthy of applause. Senior quad-captain and defensive tackle Chris Lawrence capped off his tremendous campaign with eight tackles, four of them for loss. He finished tied for seventh in the league in tackles with 72.
The Jumbos allowed Middlebury to convert on only 14 of its 18 third downs. To force 18 third downs is an achievement in itself, and the defense knew this.
"We contained their passing game and especially their running game pretty well, I thought," Brown said. "They just made some big plays on us early."
