A different look, but a similar result.
The football team didn't turn the ball over for the first time all season and quarterback Casey D'Annolfo passed for his second highest yard total of the year. Yet neither statistic was nearly enough to result in a Tufts win as Amherst bludgeoned the Jumbos 37-6. The win gave the Lord Jeffs their fifth straight victory, upping their record to 5-1 and handing the Jumbos their fourth straight loss for a 2-4 mark.
"We thought we could win this game if we played our game," freshman wide receiver David Halas, who finished the day with two receptions for 51 yards, said. "They had a good team last year, too. We thought that maybe we could repeat [our victory over Amherst last year], but we didn't."
Not much could stop Amherst, who hardly seemed to notice the heavy snowfall which started at kickoff and continued throughout the game, blanketing Zimman Field with a slushy layer by the second half. The Lord Jeffs sported both an impressive air and ground offensive at Tufts' expense, rushing for 233 yards and three touchdowns, passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns, and nailing a 40 yard field goal.
The Jumbos never got their own offense to click, rushing for just 88 yards on 38 carries while passing for 173 yards but no touchdowns. For his part, D'Annolfo displayed impressive poise. He managed to make accurate throws while avoiding interceptions, rolled out of pressure while breaking tackles, and often threw the ball out of bounds to avoid costly potential sacks. D'Annolfo finished the day 8-for-24 with 171 yards and Tufts' lone touchdown, a one yard quarterback sneak over the top of a pile on the goal-line.
It wasn't enough to match the dominating Lord Jeffs.
Amherst senior Ngai Otieno, the league's leading rusher with 615 yards on the year, continued his impressive season with a 90-yard, one-touchdown afternoon. Even this impressive performance was bested by rookie Eric NeSmith, who outdid his older teammate by chalking up 92 yards as well as a touchdown of his own.
Lord Jeff quarterback Nick Kehoe was also commanding, completing 11 of 17 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. His lone blemish came on a fade down the Jumbos' sideline when Tufts senior defensive back Tunjie Williams made an impressive leaping play in the Jumbo endzone to intercept the ball and prevent another Amherst touchdown.
"They're one of the better offenses we've faced all season," said junior defensive end Chris Decembrele, who finished the day with a team-high 11 tackles and 0.5 sacks. "They have a very well balanced offense, with a lot of big playmakers."
The previously unflappable Jumbo defense showed considerable weakness for the second straight week. The team has given up 74 points in its past two games, after allowing just 30 points in its first four. The usual suspects were strong for the Jumbos, with both Decembrele and junior defensive back Bryan McDavitt leading the team in tackles and together combining for a sack, but neither individually could fend off Amherst's offensive onslaught.
The defense's biggest deficiency was its inability to curb big plays, as Otieno broke Amhersts' second play from scrimmage for a 59 yard touchdown run, and Kehoe found junior receiver Mark Hannon for a 65 yard touchdown bomb to open the second half. NeSmith also had a 46 yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
"On the big plays that they made, we just had mental lapses," Decembrele said. "Good teams take advantages of our mistakes."
The Jumbos have their work cut out for them if they're to finish the season with a .500 mark. With two games remaining, they will need to win both in order to even their record at 4-4. The first hurdle is a game next week at Colby, who sports an impressive 5-1 record and will be holding Senior Day for its final home game.
Tufts will finish the season at home against Middlebury, who stands at 1-5 but has beaten the Jumbos in their previous three meetings.
