When the football team begins anew with a noon kickoff against Hamilton Saturday, the Jumbos will be hoping this season starts just like last year.
Last season's 17-0 Opening Day shutout of the Continentals propelled the team on a 3-0 tear to start the season. In contrast, Hamilton finished 2-6 last year, as the offense struggled mightily under coach Steve Stenson in his first year back after leaving the program in 1984.
After Friday's scrimmage against Bowdoin, the Jumbos feel they are ready to go when Saturday rolls around.
"Offensively, I think we are pretty happy with the way we were able to move the ball," junior wide receiver David Halas said. "We can take away the fact that we know our system is going to work, and we can put up some points. It gives us some confidence heading into the first game and gets rid of the jitters."
Tufts will need all the offense it can get against a Hamilton defense that allowed only 10.2 points a game last year, the seventh-lowest total in Div. III. The Continentals' top returnee, junior defensive end Taylor Soobitsky, earned a first-team All-NESCAC selection in 2006 after finishing third in the conference with 8.5 sacks and 34 tackles.
The Continentals' linebacking core is anchored by junior Trevor Pedrick, who finished last season with 35 tackles, and 2006 NESCAC Defensive Rookie of the Year John Lawrence, who had four sacks and 24 solo tackles last year. In the secondary, senior defensive back Matt Pittaresi returns, having led his team in tackles the last three years.
With a plethora of talent, the Continentals' defense will look to carry the team to a winning record starting Saturday. The Jumbos know that Hamilton will stack the line Saturday, as the rushing offense powered Tufts to victory last season. But coach Bill Samko's squad had 181 yards on the ground and anticipates finding similar success this weekend.
"I think we are going to attack them much like we did last year," said senior tri-captain Kevin Anderson, an All-NESCAC fullback. "They return a lot of guys and they have a good defense. We are a smash-mouth team and we are going to go at them. That's what we do - we are a power running team."
Junior tailback Will Forde should get the bulk of the carries for the Jumbos, with Anderson as his lead blocker. The Jumbos also return senior quarterback Matt Russo, who should only improve with a year of experience under his belt. When he goes to the air, Russo will look for his favorite targets, junior wideout David Halas and senior tri-captain Kevin Gleason at tight end.
The Jumbos' defense was relentless last year against Hamilton, shutting out the opposition while forcing then-sophomore quarterback Ben Saccomano into five interceptions and four sacks. The Continentals gunslinger returns as a junior, looking to improve upon a rough sophomore year. And with receiver Joe Rinaldo, who led his team with 27 catches for 304 yards last season, suiting up for his senior season, things are looking up for Saccomano.
Tufts must replace the heart of its defense after defensive lineman Chris Decembrele graduated in May, but senior tri-captain Adam Arsenault is back at linebacker after missing a year and a half with a severe ankle injury. The 2004 NESCAC Rookie of the Year is finally healthy and should fill the leadership void in the Jumbos' defense.
Junior Tyson Reynoso, who was second on the team to Decembrele in tackles last year, teams up with senior Steve Albertine to form a dynamic linebacking core.
The tandem of senior Nate Scott and sophomore Alex Perry at corner will be counted on to shut down Rinaldo and the rest of the Continentals' receivers.
With some of the more heralded conference opponents on the latter half of the schedule, Tufts has a great opportunity to make a statement on Saturday, starting the season off on a high note once again.
But since the Continentals' young lineup has had a year to mature, the Jumbos will be sure not to underestimate their opponent.
"We look at every game the same," Anderson said. "Every game is its own Super Bowl for us. There are no pushovers in this league - at any point anyone can beat anybody else. This game is as important as Trinity or Williams."
