The Jumbos stormed out of the gates on Saturday only to limp off the field in defeat for the fifth consecutive game.
After a dominant first-half performance gave Tufts a considerable lead, the Jumbos could not hold off the potent Colby running attack and strong defensive effort in the second half, allowing their opponents to post 21 unanswered points to win the game, 28-16. The loss puts the team at 2-5 with one game remaining on the season. Colby improved its record to 6-1.
After posting 237 yards in the first half, the Jumbos appeared to have momentum on their side heading into the third quarter. The tables turned in the second half, as Colby exploded on offense with 254 total yards, while its defense held Tufts to just 35. The biggest challenge for Tufts was containing Colby's effective running attack and execution.
"Colby's got two great running backs and a great offensive line," junior defensive end Chris Decembrele said. "Our offense played good enough to win, but we made a few mistakes on defense, which good teams are able to take advantage of."
Tufts was led by senior quarterback Casey D'Annolfo. In the strong first half, he went 7-17 with 180 yards, and threw the Jumbos' two touchdowns. But the second half was a nightmare as the quarterback was 2-12 for only five total yards, while throwing one of his two interceptions and getting sacked.
Freshman receiver David Halas had 104 yards receiving with two touchdowns, while junior Steve Menty posted three receptions for 49 yards. Senior Scott Lombardi rushed for a team leading 52 total yards.
Colby's aggressive defensive attack coupled with the Jumbos' inability to capitalize on short passing plays made it difficult for the team to retain its lead.
"We were converting a lot of big plays in the first half," D'Annolfo said. "But in the second half we couldn't connect deep, or convert in the red zone. [Colby] was blitzing a lot and I was missing some reads. We put our defense in some bad spots, and anytime the defense is on the field for a long time, it's going to be hard to win."
The Tufts defense was powerless against the run, allowing 226 yards on the ground with two Colby running backs rushing for over a 100 yards apiece. Senior Aaron Stepka ran for 117 yards and sophomore Chris Bashaw added 109 for the Mules.
The Jumbos allowed 460 total yards on offense and 25 first downs. According to players, the team's poor defense lately has been due to a lack of execution.
"We were just not executing out there on Saturday," Decembrele said. "Everyone is giving everything they have on the field, just defensively we haven't been able to put it together and perform when it counts."
Tufts got an early lead after a 34 yard field goal by junior Bryan McDavitt in the first quarter. After Colby answered with a second quarter touchdown pass, D'Annolfo hooked up with Halas on a short pass that the freshman broke wide open for a 73 yard touchdown play. D'Annolfo and Halas connected again on a 25 yard touchdown pass just before the end of the half.
The defense was led by senior Sean Mullin, who posted 13 tackles, and McDavitt, who contributed 12 tackles and one interception.
The Jumbos will play their final game of the season next weekend, when they host Middlebury. While the game has few implications on the season's outcome, the Jumbos would like to go out with a bang.
"Middlebury is a very important game, we want to end on a high note and carry [the positive attitude] over into next season," Decembrele said. "But it's most important that we win the game for the seniors. They have given a lot to the team over the last four years, and we want to win it for them."
