As the football season wraps up, a sense of urgency is setting in for the Jumbos to finish their campaign on a winning note. The team has dropped its last three games and has played far below players' and coaches' expectations. Sitting at 2-3 on the season and fading amidst the mediocre of the NESCAC, the Jumbos hope to get back on the right foot as they take on Amherst College on Saturday. A victory tomorrow would put the Jumbos in a good position to finish the season with a winning record.
"There is definitely more urgency this week; there's more intensity [in the locker room]," senior quarterback Casey D'Annolfo said. "We've been preparing all week and watching a lot of tapes. If we lose we'll be 2-4, but if we win we'd have a chance to have a winning season."
Amherst will be no easy hurdle for the Jumbos. The Lord Jeffs are currently ranked second in the league and boast some of the best stats in the NESCAC on both sides of the ball. The team ranks first in almost every major offensive and defensive category including total offense, total defense, passing defense and rushing offense. Their special teams also rank among the best.
Tufts might have some leverage in this game. The Jumbos have matched up well with Amherst in the past. Last year, Tufts upended a previously undefeated Amherst squad 10-3. In 2003 the Jumbos prevailed 24-17 in overtime and in 2002 Amherst edged Tufts 27-24 in OT. The Lord Jeffs' only loss came at the hands of Trinity, who Tufts matched up well against on Homecoming Weekend two weeks ago.
We're anxious to get out there on Saturday," D'Annolfo said. "We know they're a good team overall, but we've played them pretty well the last few years. They have a solid defense, and hopefully we'll be able to pick them apart [on offense]."
Although the defense has been stellar for most of the season, the offense has been the Achilles Heel for the Jumbos in their last three games. Tufts has put up dismal numbers in its last three losses and hasn't been able to execute or capitalize on key drives and scoring opportunities.
The team will look to establish its running game early. The Jumbos have tweaked a few things in their offensive game plan to try and improve the passing game. The team has simplified its playbook to make it easier to focus and get to the level of play it demonstrated it was capable of at the beginning of the season, according to the coaching staff.
"We need to get the swagger back we had in the Wesleyan game and throughout the Bates game," offensive coordinator Michael Daly said. "We need to simplify and make simple plays. We need consistency and persistence."
An important part of any offense in football is the quarterback position. Although D'Annolfo had a solid start to the season, he'll be the first to admit he's struggled at the helm as of late. D'Annolfo is only one player within the team, but coaches are trying to address his situation and help him get back to the level he played at in the season's first two games.
"[D'Annolfo] is focused on the same things our offense is: consistency and persistence," Daly said. "If anything, Casey needs to do less. I think he is taking too much of the offensive problems on his shoulders and trying to do too much.
"I need to relax. I've been thinking about too much and not executing," D'Annolfo said.
Despite the setbacks, the Jumbos are trying to put the troubles in the past and are focusing on tomorrow's game with a positive, business-as-usual attitude.
"All the games are important, regardless of what has happened or will happen," Daly said. "Amherst is the only team that can beat us on Saturday, and our players are working extremely hard to do the things necessary to win."
The Jumbos will kick off at the Ellis Oval on Saturday with game time set for 1 p.m.
