In the season finale against a team with an identical record, the Jumbos dropped a tight game to Middlebury College at home, 21-16, on Saturday.
Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Jumbos held a 16-15 lead and looked poised to stop a five-game slide and end their season with a win. But Middlebury capitalized on good field position as quarterback Tiger Lyon completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to give the Panthers the late-game lead.
With the loss, Tufts finished the season with a 2-6 record, tied for seventh place in the NESCAC with Bates. The win pushed Middlebury ahead of the Jumbos and Bobcats at 3-5.
"To be honest, it was such a well played game for both teams," junior defensive end Chris Decembrele said. "Both teams played their hearts out. We were pretty close to winning, but we made a few mistakes, and the defense let down [at the end]."
The game was tied at nine apiece until the Jumbos capitalized on an offensive lapse by Middlebury. Senior defensive end Sean Mullin recovered a fumble deep in Panther territory to set up a ten-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Casey D'Annolfo to junior receiver Steve Menty. The score put Tufts up 16-9.
After the touchdown drive, Tufts looked to have enough momentum to fend off a Panther comeback, forcing Middlebury to punt on its ensuing drive. In the last nine minutes of the game, however, the Jumbos broke down on both sides of the ball. Middlebury regained possession after a Tufts three-and-out with good field position, and scored on its second play when Lyon hooked up with senior wide receiver Cole Parlin for a 43-yard touchdown pass. Tufts managed to stay on top after blocking the extra point, 16-15, but a Middlebury comeback was already underway.
The Panthers pinned the Jumbos deep in their own territory on the kickoff when freshman return man William Forde was tackled on the Jumbos' ten-yard line. The offense was unable to put anything together and was forced to punt, giving Middlebury good field position in Tufts territory.
Four plays later, Lyon connected with senior Ryan Armstrong for what would be the game-winning touchdown. Tufts was given two more opportunities to score, but strong defensive play by the Panthers prevented a comeback.
Decembrele attributed the defensive breakdown and Middlebury's comeback in the fourth quarter to a lack of execution and concentration.
"The whole defense collapsed mentally," Decembrele said. "We played well for most of the game, but [Middlebury] was able to capitalize on a few mistakes we made in the end. In this league, good teams like Middlebury will take advantage of small mistakes and it turned out to be the deciding factor in the game. [Poor execution] has been one of our main problems all season long."
The game not only marked the last game of the season, but the last career game for the senior players on both teams. The finality on the field heightened the stakes.
"There was a little more emotion on the field," Decembrele said. "For both teams it was an emotional game. But I think we were playing just as hard as we have all season. Our underclassmen were playing for our seniors, and our seniors were playing hard because they knew it was their final game."
The first half was marked by a consistent offensive attack by Middlebury that led to a first-quarter five-yard touchdown pass from Lyon to junior tight end Jamie Staples. The Jumbos drew close on a fluke play when, with just seconds remaining in the first quarter, D'Annolfo hurled a pass that was batted down, then caught by Forde and turned into a 70-yard touchdown play. Tufts failed to capitalize on the extra point, however, and the Panthers remained on top 7-6.
In the second quarter, Middlebury pressured D'Annolfo into a safety caused by senior Tim Foley, putting the Panthers up 9-6. Tufts answered with a 21-yard field goal by junior Bryan McDavitt to tie the game at nine heading into halftime.
On offense, Tufts was led by D'Annolfo who finished with 242 yards in the air and two touchdowns. Menty, Forde, junior Brian VonAncken and freshman David Halas all contributed with receptions in the passing game. Halas finished the day with five receptions for 70 yards while Menty finished with four receptions for 61 yards. Neither team fared well in the rushing game, as Tufts finished with 81 total rushing yards, 41 of which came from senior Scott Lombardi.
On defense, Tufts was led by Decembrele's nine tackles, which included three sacks for a total loss of 29 yards. Junior Brett Holm also contributed nine tackles.
After coming out strong in the first few games of the season, the team dropped its six final games as a promising start soon fizzled.
"Of course going 2-6 is disappointing, but we had a lot of high and low points that will carry over to next season," Decembrele said. "Everyone on the team, and especially the seniors, worked hard all season long. We played some great games and we know that we're capable of winning in this league. From a defensive standpoint, we know what we have to improve on minimizing big plays and just consistently executing when it counts. It's something we didn't do against Middlebury."
