Saturday, without fanfare or fuss, the seniors on the football team will buckle their shoulder pads, snap up their chinstraps and follow their familiar morning path from Cousens Gym to Zimman Field. The trek marks the end of their tenure on the gridiron, as they head to the entrance to Ellis Oval one final time to play their last 60 minutes of collegiate football.
The 2005 season certainly hasn't been one for the ages. The Jumbos are 2-5, and after opening the season 2-0, are now riding a five-game losing streak. A victory against Middlebury would help to in part erase the past few weeks, at least in spirit, giving the underclassmen a taste of success for the off-season and the seniors one last victory before hanging up their pads for good.
"It's our final game," senior captain Patrick Magoon said. "We all know [the seniors] are going to remember our last time - this will be it for us. If we get a win that just makes it more special."
Though both teams sport matching 2-5 records, the Panthers' and Jumbos' recent paths couldn't be more different. After starting the season 0-4, Middlebury has now won two out of their last three games by a combined margin of 88-29. While these two wins came against Bates and Hamilton, both holding season records of 1-6, the Jumbos' own two victories were over Bates and Wesleyan, the latter of which has yet to win a game this season.
"Obviously, over the last three weeks they've put up some really impressive offensive numbers," Magoon said, who is third on the Jumbos in tackles (39) and also has a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception. "We know what they've done recently."
Magoon, who was named a regional academic All-American on Wednesday, and the rest of the defense will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. In the last three games, which included a 14-0 loss to undefeated Trinity, Middlebury has 41 first downs and 863 offensive yards, while averaging 4.8 yards per play. The Panthers' offense has thrown only one interception in that span.
If the Trinity loss is taken out of the picture, the Panthers have recorded 33 first downs and 774 yards and averaged an even more impressive 6.1 yards per play in their two wins.
"I actually think we're pretty evenly matched teams," coach Bill Samko said. "They've had good numbers lately but we've both beaten similar teams. [Middlebury's offense] probably passes the ball a little more than we do, and they run a good amount of option."
The Tufts offense, which has showed fleeting signs of vitality recently despite scoring few points, will be challenged with Middlebury's defense. The Panthers, who allowed 96 points in their first four games, have now allowed only 29 in their last three. The Middlebury defense, which at one point at the season found itself near the bottom of the NESCAC in points allowed, is fifth in the league, allowing an average of 17.9 points per game. Meanwhile, Tufts' defense, which three games ago had the league's second-rated defense, is now seventh, allowing an average of 18.9 points per game.
Middlebury sophomore linebacker Erik Woodring was named NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week last week. He recorded eight tackles - three of them for a loss of 20 yards - and a sack in the Panthers' 45-8 win over Hamilton.
"We're not going to drastically alter our offense for this game," Samko said. "We ran 24 plays in practice on Tuesday, and another 24 plays on Wednesday, and so within 48 plays we're really not going to change the way we approach them offensively. [Middlebury has] gotten a lot better defensively, though. They run well, but our size is probably a little better."
The kickoff is set for 11:45 a.m. at Zimman Field.
