The old adage in football is that defense wins championships. If that is the case, Tufts has a unit that could potentially lead the team to its first-ever NESCAC crown.
Anchored by senior defensive end Chris Decembrele, whose 2005 accolades include team MVP, as well as spots on the First Team All-NESCAC and the Football Writers' Division II-III All-New England Team, this year's defense should be the strength of a team that is breaking in a new quarterback on the offensive side of the ball.
The Jumbos-and the rest of the conference-will be chasing Trinity. The Bantams have captured the last four NESCAC championships and rolled over conference opponents with one of the nation's best offenses, and are in the middle of a nation-best 30-game winning streak. This year, the Bantams return three senior First Team All-NESCAC selections from 2006 in running back Gennaro Lee, linebacker Christian Allen, and defensive back Mike Soules.
Last season, the Bantams had an average margin of victory of 30 points, destroying every opponent except the Jumbos. Tufts gave a great defensive effort and shut out the high-powered Trinity offense for the final three quarters en route to a heartbreaking 7-0 defeat at the rain-soaked Ellis Oval Stadium last Homecoming.
Colby is also a team to watch. The Mules finished second in the league last year with a 7-1 record and return a host of starters, including senior quarterback Justin Smith and senior linebacker Andrew Heaney, both Second Team All-Conference selections last year.
The Jumbos' defense will be tested around the league. Despite the Bantams' dominance, Amherst and Williams are both another NESCAC championship contender; the Lord Jeffs return the league's second-best rushing defense, and the Ephs put up NESCAC's best aerial game last year.
"Ultimately, our team goal is to win the NESCAC," said senior defensive co-captain Decembrele. "That has to be the goal."
In charge of Tufts' defense is coach John Walsh. Walsh has emphasized individual roles and responsibilities, and sees the Jumbos' best chances for success if each player takes care of the task at hand.
"This is a game with 11 people with individual jobs and you have to do your job well," Walsh said. "Sometimes we tried to do too much and did not get our individual jobs done."
While it features a lot of returning talent, the defense will make consistency a priority this season. The Jumbos struggled against both the run and pass last year, with opponents averaging 190.6 yards per game in the air and 121.5 yards a game on the ground. The Jumbos were fifth in the conference in yards allowed and tied for sixth in points-per-game allowed.
The defense, like the rest of the team, started strong last season. Opponents averaged only 7.5 points per game in the team's first four outings. However, the competition got tougher, and the Jumbo defense struggled, allowing an average of 37.5 points in its next four games.
Another issue that plagued the defense last year was mental mistakes. The coaching staff worked throughout the off-season to ensure that the players would be both physically and mentally stronger this year.
"We are a very different team, and a different defense, than we were last year," Decembrele said. "We gave up a lot of big plays last year, which put us in a tough position to win games."
Although the team will flash multiple defensive looks, it will rely heavily on its 3-4 base defense, with three defensive lineman and four linebackers. This works particularly well against teams that feature intermediate routes in the passing game. When opponents go to multiple receiver sets, the Jumbos will likely have to switch things up to bring in more players in the secondary.
The experienced defensive line will be the keystone of the defense. In addition to Decembrele, the Jumbos will look to seniors Ryan Byrne, John Chapell, and Josh Haynes to shore up the line. At linebacker, juniors Adam Arsenault and Steve Albertine will look to improve on solid 20-plus tackle campaigns last season.
Senior quad-captain Brett Holm, a three-year starter, will see a lot of playing time at cornerback, while senior Bryan McDavitt and junior Nate Scott, both defensive backs, are players to watch in the secondary this season. McDavitt led the team in interceptions with two, and was second in tackles with 56 total, 34 solo. Scott showed great potential in the five games he played.
"A lot of guys are going to be coming off the bench getting a lot of time," Decembrele said. "The defense is going to be a force to be reckoned with."
