The Amherst football team dismantled the Tufts defense Saturday, running for 269 yards on the day and coming away with a 24-6 victory at Amherst's Pratt Field.
Freshman Aaron Rauh and sophomore Eric NeSmith each broke the century mark, with Rauh running for 133 yards and NeSmith picking up 113.
The Lord Jeffs and Jumbos battled it out in terrible weather conditions, with heavy rain and gusting winds dictating play. The weather forced both teams to rely heavily on their running games, as throwing the ball effectively became nearly impossible.
Despite the lopsided score, the Jumbos moved the ball on the ground well, especially in the first half. Sophomore Will Forde led all Jumbo rushers with 72 yards on 15 carries, including a seven-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter that gave Tufts its only lead of the game. Forde's first touchdown of the season put the Jumbos up 6-0, but the score would stay that way after freshman Oliver Snider missed the extra point, and the Jumbos would not score again.
"Early in the game, we were having our way with [Amherst]," junior fullback Kevin Anderson said. "Will and [senior running back Brian Cammuso] were both hitting the holes and picking up positive yardage."
The momentum shifted toward Amherst late in the first half after a controversial fumble recovery on what was perhaps the strangest play of the year.
After an Amherst punt was illegally touched by an Amherst player, Tufts senior quad-captain Brett Holm was flagged for illegally kicking the ball, which offset the Amherst penalty. The penalties canceled out, and because Amherst had recovered the loose ball, the Lord Jeffs were awarded possession on the Jumbo 28-yard-line.
"It was a confusing play," senior quad-captain Chris Decembrele said. "We all thought it would be our ball because of the illegal touch, but I guess the rules are stated differently."
The confusing turnover proved to be crucial in giving Amherst their first lead of the game. A few plays later, Amherst senior quarterback Nick Kehoe snuck into the end-zone from one yard out, putting Amherst ahead for good with a 10-6 lead going into the locker room at halftime.
The second half was all Amherst. Tufts senior quarterback Matt Russo was ineffective in the harsh weather conditions and made only five completions on the day for 75 yards. With the Tufts passing game struggling, the Amherst defense adjusted, loading its defensive line with eight or nine players up front for a selection of plays.
"They kept putting nine guys in the box against us," said Anderson, who picked up 21 yards on three carries for the afternoon. "They were geared towards stopping the run in the second half."
Amherst pulled away in the second half with a pair of touchdowns, one coming on a Kehoe 25-yard connection with senior All-NESCAC receiver Mark Hannon. That score made it a 24-6 game, icing the possibility of a Jumbo comeback.
For the Jumbos, the loss was their third straight, dropping them to 3-3, while Amherst won its fourth straight game. The past three weeks have been a tough stretch for Tufts, which has played arguably the three best teams in the NESCAC in three consecutive weekends. Amherst now sits tied for second place with a 5-1 record, but has yet to face the conference's two top squads, Trinity and Williams.
Next up for the Jumbos are the Colby Mules, who defeated Bates 10-7 in a quadruple-overtime affair in Lewiston Saturday. While Colby on paper is the least talented team the Jumbos have faced in four weeks, the Jumbos will not be underestimating their opponent when they arrive in Medford on Saturday.
"Colby has a good football tradition," Decembrele said. "They've beaten us the last two years and they are coming off a big win."
The game will be the last home game for the Tufts seniors, and they will be looking to walk off Zimman Field for the last time with a victory.
"You always want to win your last home game," said Decembrele, who has carried the Jumbo defense, leading the team in tackles the last two seasons. "It's just the right way for the seniors to finish out their four years of hard work."
