It was a rollercoaster ride of a season for the football team this year, as the Jumbos endured a season of up-and-down play en route to a 4-4 record and a tie for fifth place in the NESCAC. The Jumbos' 2008 campaign concluded on Saturday when they fell to Middlebury on the road, 38-24.
Zimman Field was friendly to the Jumbos this year, as Tufts went undefeated at home for the first time since 1991. But for every success that Tufts found at home this fall, the team found itself equally at a loss on the road. The squad found itself unable to reel off any road wins as its 0-4 mark away from the Hill kept it in the middle of the conference pack all year long.
"I think everyone was a little disappointed at how this season ended up," senior tri-captain Tyson Reynoso said. "We expected to win the league, or at least finish with a winning record, so looking back on it is a little disappointing for me."
Tufts came into the season with high expectations, fresh off an exciting 5-3 mark in the 2007 season. With a loaded offensive arsenal that returned its top four receivers and three of its top four running backs, in addition to the arrival of a starting quarterback with Div. I experience via transfer, the Jumbos bolted out of the gates, racking up 54 points in their first two games.
Against Bates in its Homecoming contest on Sept. 27, Tufts simultaneously experienced one of its best offensive and defense performances of the season, thrashing the Bobcats 34-7. The Jumbos racked up 385 yards of total offense while surrendering a mere 167. But after opening up the season undefeated, Tufts hit the road, falling in consecutive games by a combined total of three points, falling to .500 by the season's midpoint.
But in their Parents' Weekend matchup with powerhouse Williams on Oct. 18, the Jumbos proved their ability to bounce back from adversity. Lost in a tailspin after the defeats to Bowdoin and Trinity, the team responded in a big way, knocking off the Ephs for the first time since 1986, 17-7.
"After a tough loss like Bowdoin, we came back with good fight and good tenacity," senior receiver David Halas said. "We never let our record damper us -- every week was another 0-0 game. I think this just came from us being so mentally tough throughout the whole year."
Perhaps Tufts' individual highlight of the season was Halas' record-breaking performance. The senior finished the year with 11 touchdown catches, good enough for a Tufts all-time mark and best in the NESCAC, and pushed his career total to 17 scoring receptions, yet another program best.
"It's the wins that I will remember the most about this season, especially the Williams game," Halas said. "Touchdowns come with both wins and losses, but I won't remember individual ones. When I look back on my career, the victories are the things that come to mind."
The season also saw the emergence of senior running back Will Forde, who broke out of his shell to finish second in the conference in rushing. After coming into the season with no 100-yard performances, Forde broke the century mark in each of the first five contests of the year, finishing with 807 yards, good enough for a 100.9 yards per game average in addition to seven trips to the end zone.
Following a 130-yard rushing performance against Williams, Forde won the Boston Globe Gold Helmet award for New England. The senior was also awarded the NESCAC Player of the Week Award for his efforts against the Ephs.
"Will definitely stepped up for us this year, which opened up holes in the passing game for me and [junior quarterback Anthony Fucillo]," Halas said. "We established our identity as a run-first team early in the season, which allowed us to open up games in the second half."
A junior transfer from Colgate, Fucillo integrated flawlessly into coach Bill Samko's offense, quickly becoming one of the best passers in the NESCAC. Tufts was second in the conference in passing efficiency, maintaining a 135.8 rating, while Fucillo averaged just under 200 yards per game through the air. It was Fucillo's stellar ability to mesh with his wideouts, rather than his natural physical abilities that gave the Jumbos that extra edge in the passing game.
"I've had a great connection with all the quarterbacks I've played with so far, but Anthony and I had a really strong relationship," Halas said. "After the first game, we jelled immediately. We knew that we had each other's back in desperate times and covered for each other."
The fall season also served as a catalyst for the elevated play of the defensive unit, led by a stellar linebacking corps and a defensive line that, although plagued with injuries early in the year, responded by posting the fourth-best scoring defense in the NESCAC. The secondary, headed by junior Tom Tassinari, racked up five interceptions on the year, three of them coming in the Jumbos' season finale at Middlebury. Sophomore corner Pat Bailey, a first-time defensive player, also finished as the team leader in return yardage and second in pass breakups.
Although it will retire a solid core of offensive talent to the gridiron in 2009, Tufts will also graduate 19 seniors, all of whom were honored on Senior Day before the team's Nov. 1 win over Colby. For those seniors, finishing their careers with a loss was tough.
"First and foremost, I'm just disappointed with the loss," Halas said. "It'll take a couple weeks to get over, but then I can start to feel satisfied with what I've accomplished. For now, though, I'm just enjoying my free time while it's still here."
