Heading into the 2009 season, the Tufts football team knew it was going to have to find a way to replace last year's offensive stars. But a 7-3 loss against the Wesleyan Cardinals showed that rebuilding the Jumbos' offensive unit might take some time.
After graduating leading rusher Will Forde (LA '09) and leading receiver David Halas (LA '09), the Jumbos were in search of production from some of their younger talent. Earlier in the week, offensive coordinator Jay Civetti said that throughout the offseason the coaching staff stressed the need to take advantage of opportunities. But Saturday's loss to Wesleyan seems to show that the coaching staff's message was slow to sink in.
Tufts took the opening possession of the game deep into Cardinal territory, but the Jumbos had to settle for a 32-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Adam Auerbach after failing to convert a third and six from the Wesleyan 15 yard line. The opening drive, which took just under six minutes, would be the only successful one of the game for the Tufts offense. From that point on, the Jumbos were held scoreless, and with 8:31 left in the second quarter, the Cardinals scored what proved to be the game winning touchdown.
Even with their inefficiencies on the offensive side of the ball, the Jumbos were still able to put themselves in a position to win the game. Auerbach attempted two more field goals, but failed to connect on a 46-yarder at the end of the first half and had his 43-yard attempt blocked with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. With points coming at a premium on Saturday, the Jumbos will look back at those moments as opportunities that must be taken advantage of in the future.
Though it was everyone's first time out on the field this season, all eyes were on senior quarterback Tom McManama. After last year's starter, senior quad-captain Anthony Fucillo, sustained an ankle injury during the team's scrimmage against Bowdoin, McManama was called upon to start the first game of the season. While he successfully avoided costly turnovers, McManama completed just 13 of 33 pass attempts for 133 yards, translating to a 39 percent completion rate that did not help matters on offensive drives.
"We had penalties in crucial situations, and too many mental and physical mistakes," McManama said. "It wasn't a lack of preparation; our offensive coordinator and positional coaches had us fully prepared for this game. This one was on us."
The blame, however, cannot be placed solely on McManama's shoulders, as receivers had a number of big drops and the offensive line struggled at times with both run blocking and pass protection.
The Tufts squad did exhibit some prospects for future success, though, specifically in the strength of its defensive unit. Junior linebacker Matt Murray led the way with 10 total tackles, while the team also added three sacks on the day. And even though the Jumbos surrendered 163 yards on the ground, their defense also held Wesleyan to a mere 55 yards through the air.
But despite holding the Cardinals to just a single touchdown on the day, the Tufts players still feel there is plenty of room for improvement on the defensive side of the ball.
"Our offense didn't turn the ball over, but at the same time we didn't cause any turnovers," said senior quad-captain safety Tom Tassinari, who finished with nine tackles on the day.
"Our defense needs to give the offense better field position. We had opportunities to get some interceptions and cause some turnovers and we just didn't do it."
Next week the Jumbos will travel to Bates in search of their first victory of the year, not to mention a whole lot of answers on the offensive side of the ball.
"We need to come in on Monday completely focused and ready to work," McManama said. "I know everyone on the offense took the loss personally and can't wait for a chance for redemption. I view it as a shot to our pride and expect us to come out Saturday with a vengeance and new attitude."
