When the football team last faced Wesleyan at home in 2004, it fell to the visiting Cardinals in a 37-7 drubbing. That loss also marked the last time the Jumbos dropped their opening game of the season, a streak kept alive Saturday when Tufts came back to defeat Wesleyan 20-14 on Zimman Field.
The team totaled 272 yards on the ground, led by senior Will Forde's 133 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. As a team, the Jumbos totaled 5.1 yards per rushing attempt.
"I think the offense as a whole performed well the second half," Forde said. "All the senior offensive linemen did a really good job allowing me to get extra yards and getting movement up front. I think those are the reasons that I was able to have the day that I did."
Trailing 14-7 at the half, the Jumbos kept the ball on the ground and totaled 172 second-half rushing yards. That, combined with solid defense, gave Wesleyan only three second-half possessions, controlling the ball for only 7:21 and gaining just 59 total yards. In contrast, the Jumbos controlled the ball for 22:39 in the second half and gained 261 total yards.
"We stayed with our plan to run the ball," coach Bill Samko said. "In the end I think we just wore them out."
Forde ran for a one-yard touchdown with 11:18 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 14-14. Later on with 48 seconds left in the quarter, junior quarterback Anthony Fucillo connected on a 10-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver David Halas for what proved to be the winning points.
"It was good to be challenged in our first game," Samko said. "We were behind twice, then we take the ball with six minutes left and don't let them get it back."
A large part of the Jumbos' ability to ice the win was thanks to junior running back Darren Ferguson. Ferguson, who touched the ball only once before the fourth quarter, went for 63 yards on just six carries, including a 27-yard burst that brought Tufts to the Wesleyan 28 with only three minutes left in the game.
"I think there was a blitz on, and I cut back in the hole," Ferguson said. "A linebacker came and popped me, but I bounced off of it and just saw green in front of me."
With three more rushing attempts, the Jumbos drove all the way to the Cardinals' four-yard line before taking a knee to end the game.
"When Will's tired, we're not afraid to give the ball to [Ferguson]," Samko said. "He knows his role and is a great team guy. He's one of those guys that cares more about the team than himself individually; he just wants to play. He's a tough, tough kid — I mean that not only physically but also mentally. I've really come to trust him."
Despite controlling the game's second half, Tufts had trouble in the first. The Cardinals got on the board first, putting together a 12-play, 63-yard scoring drive on their opening possession. The drive culminated in a three-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Joe Giaimo to sophomore receiver Steve Hauser.
Once Tufts tied it up on a 30-yard Forde run with 1:18 left in the half, Wesleyan moved the ball down the field, with the help of a pass-interference call that put the Cardinals on the Jumbo 41-yard line. Seven plays later, Giaimo hit senior wideout Kevin Leamy on a four-yard touchdown pass with 18 seconds left in the half.
"Those were two great throws and catches," Samko said. "For them to have that kind of timing in the first game of the year is impressive. Both plays were well-defended by us. Sometimes you've just got to tip your hat to them."
Meanwhile, with the exception of Forde's touchdown run, the Jumbos struggled to get any offense going in the first two quarters. They were forced to punt on their first four drives, including two five-play drives and one three-and-out.
Only on their fifth possession was the team able to put the ball in the end zone. From then on the Jumbos seemed to have developed a rhythm, never having to resort to the punt for the rest of the game.
Playing in his first game as a Jumbo after transferring from Colgate, Fucillo went 11-22 for 178 yards and a touchdown. Fucillo competed with junior Tom McManama for the starting quarterback job during the preseason.
"He made plays, big ones actually," Samko said. "It was his first game with a new team. I think he played pretty well. I apologized to Tommy in front of the team because I said I would get him in the first quarter. I wanted us to get something going and didn't want to mess with our timing."
The Jumbos finished the day with 450 yards, compared to just 249 totaled by the Cardinals. Senior Stephen Black led the team with 84 receiving yards, while sophomore Steve Cusano came up with a couple of big plays himself: a 26-yard catch that brought Tufts to the Wesleyan 10 on the game-tying drive and a 16-yard catch on third-and-13 in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Pat Bailey totaled 104 yards on three kick returns, including a 57-yarder at the end of the first half. On the defensive side, senior Ryan Crisco led the team with 10 tackles and junior defensive lineman Dan Stebbins had two tackles for a loss, including a sack and a pass break-up.
Tufts will next take on the Bates Bobcats in the team's homecoming game next week. The last time the Jumbos lost their homecoming game was in 2005, when they were shut out by Trinity 7-0. Tufts has history on its side, though, as it has won every contest against the Bobcats since 1999 and has averaged more than 24 points in each game.
