The football team had a chance this weekend to secure its first winning season since 2003. With a win over the Middlebury Panthers Saturday, the Jumbos could have finished 5-3, a respectable finish in the competitive NESCAC.
But it wasn't meant to be.
The Panthers cruised to a 10-0 win at Middlebury's Alumni Stadium, dropping the Jumbos to a final record of 4-4 and lifting the Panthers to 6-2, their first winning record in six years.
The Middlebury defense yielded just 119 total yards to the Jumbos on the day and intercepted Tufts quarterback Matt Russo three times. Russo finished 8 of 20 for 50 yards, his lowest total of the season.
The running game was better for the Jumbos, as sophomore Will Forde carried the offense with 58 yards on 16 carries, but junior Brendan Georges, the team's leading rusher, was stifled by the Panther defense, picking up just 27 yards on 12 carries.
"Things just weren't clicking well for us," said senior Steve Menty, the Jumbos' leading receiver in the game with two catches for 18 yards. "A couple bad plays killed some of our drives. It was just a frustrating game."
The game featured very little offense, with the exception of one big play in the second quarter. The Panthers got on the board with a 77-yard touchdown strike from Middlebury senior quarterback Tiger Lyon to sophomore tight end Evan Beilin.
Middlebury senior kicker Steve Hauschka added a field goal in the fourth quarter, putting the Panthers up 10-0 and putting the game out of reach. For the Jumbos, it was a frustrating end to a once-promising season. And for the 16 Tufts seniors playing Saturday, it was the final time they would compete in an organized football game.
"It was emotional to see it end," said senior center Ryan McGeary, who played both offense and defense for the Jumbos this season. "You've played with these guys for four years, and it's hard to imagine that it's over."
Senior quad-captain Chris Decembrele played a possessed final game of his decorated career. The defensive end had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery on the day, giving him 64 tackles for the season, ranking him seventh in the NESCAC.
"Since his freshman year, he has stepped in as a leader and a defensive weapon," Menty said of Decembrele. "When people pictured Tufts football the last couple years, they pictured Decembrele. His talent makes him stand out, and the way he cares about his team makes him so likeable with his coaches and teammates."
For Decembrele and the rest of the seniors, it was disappointing not to finish out their careers with a win. The members of the senior class have one winning season under their belts, as the 2003 Jumbos finished 5-3 in their freshman year, but for the rest of the team, a plus-.500 season is still just a hope, and a frustrating one.
"It was very disappointing," McGeary said of the team's finish. "I definitely thought about it during points of the game. I wish it could've ended with a win."
2006 was perhaps the Jumbos' best chance in recent years to turn out a strong finish, as the roster was loaded with talented seniors. In addition to Decembrele, the Jumbo defense had one of the league's best secondaries. Safety Bryan McDavitt, who also punted for the Jumbos, offered veteran leadership alongside senior quad-captain Brett Holm, while freshman Alex Perry had a pleasantly surprising rookie year, ending up in a tie for the NESCAC lead with four interceptions.
"We had higher expectations for this year," McGeary said. "Going 4-4 was good for the program because it's heading back in the right direction, but I hope the younger guys aren't satisfied with being .500, and work hard for next season."
Next season will be somewhat of a rebuilding year for the Jumbos. Not only does the defense lose Decembrele, McDavitt and Holm, but the offense will be without Russo, Menty and senior-quad captain Brian Schurko, a key player on the Tufts offensive line.
The Jumbos will look to stay competitive in the NESCAC with a strong running game, as both Georges and Forde are expected back. The Jumbos may have finished 4-4 in 2006, but with the talented players set to return for another year, a winning season could be just around the corner.
