Tufts put up a dominating offensive performance Saturday, coming away with a 16-6 victory over Bowdoin and improving their record for the season to 3-0. Of the 318 total yards the offense had Saturday, all but 72 came on the ground, as the rushing attack roared back to life after a poor outing the week before versus Bates.
Six different backs carried the ball for the Jumbos, as they totaled 246 yards on 57 carries. Leading the way was sophomore Will Forde, who had 70 yards on only 12 carries, followed by junior Brendan Georges, who had 15 for 61 yards, and senior Brian Cammuso had nine carries for 49 yards. Junior Chris Guild scored on a nine-yard run in the first quarter that gave Tufts the start it needed to pull away with the victory.
"I think [the running game] started a lot of momentum for us," Guild said. "We have four running backs that go in on a rotational basis and that keeps everyone fresh, which gives us an advantage."
The fullbacks saw some increased yardage on Saturday, as juniors Kevin Anderson and Matt Gaylord combined for a total of 33 yards on 10 carries. As a whole, the running game wore down the Polar Bear defense, with Georges as the workhorse in the first half and Forde getting the bulk of the carries in the third and fourth quarters. Tufts had several long drives that worked the clock down and kept the Bowdoin defense on the field, spelling the Jumbos' own defensive unit.
All this came just a week after the Jumbos had only 68 rushing yards versus Bates and did not have a strong offensive showing overall. On Saturday, Tufts was able to run the ball to set up their passing game and did not need many big plays to get the victory.
"The offensive line was unbelievable, because last week we struggled finding a consistent running game," senior quarterback Matt Russo said. "This week we gave it to seven different guys, and when you have seven to eight guys running the ball and the offensive line can get a great push, the running game will be successful."
The offense's newfound success can be attributed to the coaching staff's decision to give multiple carries to different backs, forcing the Bowdoin defense to frequently adjust to different players and fresh legs.
"The coaches tell us this is the scheme they are trying to do, putting everyone in at different times," Guild said. "We all have a role, and having all of us working at that role helps us achieve our goals."
