For Tufts alumni, Saturday was a day to come back to the alma mater and take in the sights and sounds of a home football game. For the football players themselves, however, Saturday was almost a day to come back down to earth.
Coming into Saturday's Homecoming match-up with the Bates Bobcats, the Jumbos had an unbelievable 20-game winning streak to protect, having beaten the Bobcats in every single game between the two schools since 1986.
And early in the game, that streak was in trouble.
After an early touchdown pass from junior Brandon Colon and a second-quarter field goal from sophomore Zach Demma, the Bobcats were up 9-0 in the second quarter. Despite the early deficit, the Jumbos refused to go quietly.
"We were still optimistic; you have to be," senior quad-captain Chris Decembrele said. "It's a long game, and you've got to stay up. We knew we could score."
The Jumbos would eventually come back, scoring twice before halftime and once more in the fourth quarter to seal the deal. And while Saturday was a productive day for senior quarterback Matt Russo and sophomore wide receiver David Halas, much of the credit for the comeback win should go to the Jumbos' defense, which stopped the Bobcats dead in their tracks in the second half and preserved the Tufts lead.
The Bobcats had nine drives after Demma's field goal made it a 9-0 game. Four of those drives culminated in turnovers forced by the Jumbos' defense-three of them interceptions of Colon's passes, and one a fumble that stifled the Bates attack early in the fourth quarter.
Senior quad-captain Brett Holm, junior Nathan Scott and freshman Alex Perry all recorded interceptions for the Tufts defense. All three defensive backs also had an interception last week for the Jumbos, who now easily lead the NESCAC with eight picks in their first two games.
"We have some good athletes," coach Bill Samko said of his defense. "If people are going to keep throwing the ball all over the place, we're going to get chances to make those kinds of plays."
Last week it was Ben Saccomano, a sophomore making his collegiate debut for Hamilton, who was picked apart by the Jumbo defense. But Colon, the opposing quarterback this time around, was no slouch.
"He performed well," Samko said of Colon. "Two years ago, he was the Rookie of the Year in the NESCAC. He's got good skills, and he's capable of becoming a great quarterback."
But that potential ran into a ruthless Tufts defense on Saturday. Colon completed just 44 percent of his passes, going 17 for 39. And three interceptions is never a sign of anything good. "He's a talented athlete, with great receivers, but our defensive backs did a great job stopping the pass," Decembrele said. "We've got a lot of good veteran DBs, and coach [John] Walsh, our defensive coordinator, is a great coach."
