For the first time since Oct. 2, 2004, the fans at Zimman Field had something to cheer about.
In just their first game of the season, the Jumbos accomplished a feat that eluded them through the entire 2005 season: winning at home.
The Tufts football team secured a victory at home on Saturday for the first time since dispatching Bates on Homecoming 2004, and this one came in convincing fashion. The Jumbos blanked the Hamilton Continentals, 17-0, to start the season with a win for the fifth time in six years.
Junior running back Brendan Georges and senior quarterback Matt Russo, both of whom sat out the entire 2005 season, each turned in breakout performances for the Jumbos. Meanwhile the Tufts defense terrorized sophomore quarterback Ben Saccomano in his collegiate debut, sacking him four times and picking off five passes.
Russo, starting his first organized football game since high school, turned in a solid outing, completing 13 of 18 passes for 145 yards. He threw one touchdown pass and no interceptions, proving himself to be a reliable, accurate leader of the Jumbo offense.
"He was very good," coach Bill Samko said of Russo. "He didn't turn the ball over. If he gets sacked, he gets sacked, and you can live to see another day. But I was very impressed. He always keeps his composure, so I expect him to play well."
Meanwhile, in the absence of sophomore running back Will Forde, Georges was explosive for the Jumbos, gaining 139 yards in just 15 carries. He had several huge gains, including a 68-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to finalize the 17-0 score.
"I thought he did a great job," Samko said of Georges. "He's [a major] talent, and I'm happy for him. And honestly, I'd be lying if I said I was surprised."
"[Georges] didn't play last year," Russo added. "But with [Forde] out, it was really important that he stepped up today, and he did."
Forde was one of several key players on the sidelines for Saturday's game, after an injury in a scrimmage on Friday. In addition to Forde, the team's expected starting running back, the Jumbos were also without junior quad-captain Adam Arsenault, one of the team's top linebackers.
"Adam, he's been hurt, but he's working really hard to come back," Russo said. "He's just taking it one step at a time."
As if that wasn't enough, the injuries just kept coming for the Jumbos. With 7:20 left in the first half, McDavitt picked off a pass from Saccomano and returned it 35 yards, getting deep into Hamilton territory before being hit hard by senior lineman Brian McFadden, who knocked the ball loose and took McDavitt out of the game with an ankle injury. McDavitt spent the rest of the afternoon watching from the sidelines, and his status is still uncertain.
"We don't really know about him as of right now," Russo said. "But we do know that we need him back as soon as possible. He was a big loss, absolutely."
McDavitt's interception in the second quarter was the Jumbos' third of the game. Senior quad-captain Brett Holm and junior Jourdan Cancienne each picked off a Saccomano pass in the first quarter, while freshman Alex Perry and junior Nathan Scott each had a pick in the fourth. All in all, the Jumbos made Saturday a miserable day for the Hamilton offense.
"Our defense played great," Russo said. "They gave the offense the ball with great field position all day long. I can't say I'm surprised, either. We expect that from them."
Early on in the contest, both teams were uncomfortable facing their unfamiliar opponents, and it showed through the sloppy play on both sides. Hamilton's first three drives culminated in a missed field goal attempt by junior kicker Kurtis Magee, followed by the first two interceptions, while the Jumbos' first two drives were quick three-and-out affairs.
However, the Jumbos got their acts together in a hurry, closing the first quarter with a 46-yard Russo touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver David Halas, and meanwhile, the Continentals' offense kept struggling. It was an impressive performance for the Tufts defense, one that was bound to translate to an opening day victory for the Jumbos.
"The goal is to win," Samko said. "And it's impossible to lose if you shut them out."
