The football team had high hopes coming into the 2006 season. The powerhouse Trinity Bantams looked vulnerable, NESCAC seemed ready to crown a new champion, and after two straight 2-6 seasons, the Jumbos had their sights set on a top-tier finish.
But even the best laid plans can go awry, and despite jumping out to a 3-0 start, three straight losses sent the Jumbos to the middle of the pack. After losing 10-0 to Middlebury on Saturday, the team finished with a mediocre 4-4 record, a sizeable improvement over back-to-back 2-6 seasons but enough for just fifth in the conference standings.
"I don't know if you're happy when you're .500," coach Bill Samko said. "Certainly we made improvements on the last couple years - we doubled our win total. I think we could've probably got one more win in there, [but] we just didn't make any plays Saturday."
The Oct. 14 showdown with the Bantams, Tufts' 1000th game in its history, was undoubtedly the turning point of the season for the Jumbos. A physical Bantams team manhandled the Jumbos, 17-7, and handed the team its first loss of the season, sending the Jumbos on a three-game losing streak.
"If you look at the way the league shook down, the first three teams we played ended up at the bottom of the league," Samko said. "The four games we should've won, we won. I thought there were consistent effort levels the entire season, and I'm not disappointed at all with how the guys played."
At the time of the Trinity game, Tufts was ranked No. 8 in New England, but Oct. 14 marked the beginning of a three-game stretch versus the top tier of the NESCAC - Trinity, Williams, and Amherst - which was ultimately Tufts' downfall.
"I would say 3-0 is 3-0," senior defensive lineman Chris Decembrele said "It doesn't really matter where your wins come from as long as you win the game. This team, this senior class, never got down. We still believed in every single game we could win. We knew what we were in for facing Trinity, Williams and Amherst."
But that belief fell short against a wealth of talent across the league, and most players feel that this year's team underperformed.
"We are definitely disappointed on how we finished this year," senior quad-captain Brian Schurko said. "If you watched any of the games, it was the little things that made the difference, which was really frustrating."
Costly turnovers led to much of the Jumbos' second-half woes. After a nearly flawless first three starts, quarterback Matt Russo threw 11 interceptions over the next five games. In the four losses, Tufts was minus seven in turnover differential.
This season cannot be seen as a total disappointment though, as the Jumbos finished with their best record since 2003. Although Tufts will lose a lot of talent, it has a core of underclassmen that made a name for itself this season.
The tandem of junior Brendan Georges and sophomore Will Forde at running back sparked the offense for much of the season. Sophomore wide receiver David Halas had a breakout campaign, with four touchdown catches in the Jumbos' first three games; however, injuries kept him out of the lineup for much of the second half, costing the Jumbos a key playmaker on offense.
On defense, senior defensive end Decembrele finished the season with 64 total tackles (9.5 for losses), leading a group of talented underclassmen. Sophomore linebacker Tyson Reynoso notched 49 total tackles, setting himself up to take over Decembrele's position at the helm of the defensive squad next year. Freshman Alex Perry led the team with four interceptions and should anchor the secondary next season along with junior Nate Scott.
Another key piece of the offensive puzzle will stay in place with senior quarterback Matt Russo's decision to use his final year of eligibility to return next season. After sitting out his junior year with mononucleosis, Russo will once again steer the Tufts offense, giving the Jumbos some consistency at the quarterback position, something they have lacked in recent seasons.
"We have a lot of guys coming back, and I hope we will all be better," Samko said. "We have a great chance to improve. This is a fairly young team. There are some holes to fill. Decembrele graduates and John Chappell had a good season and Ryan Byrne [did as well], so losing those guys will hurt. Fortunately Matt Russo is going to come back for another year."
This year also saw the crowning of a new NESCAC champion. Next year, the conference will be chasing Williams, which capped off an undefeated season with a 37-7 drubbing of rival Amherst on Saturday. The Ephs will return arguably the best player in the NESCAC, junior quarterback Pat Lucey, who will try to lead his team to another championship in his senior season.
The Jumbos have some major holes to fill on the offensive and defensive line, but with so much returning talent, the team is optimistic yet again.
"In our minds the offseason has already begun, and it's time to prepare for next fall," Halas said. "I'd say we have a strong group coming back with good experience, so we have high hopes for next season."
