Tufts' football team picked up its first win of the season at Bates on Saturday, riding a stifling defense to a 15-7 victory. While the victory was a good starting point for the 1-1 Jumbos, a tough test awaits them in their first home game, as the Bowdoin Polar Bears come to town looking to get back in the win column after a heartbreaking 13-12 loss to Amherst.
With a draw-worthy matchup between the Bowdoin pass attack, which is ranked second in the conference at 345.5 yards per game, and the Jumbos' league-leading pass defense, which has ceded just 113.0 yards per contest, the difference-maker Saturday could very well be the Jumbos' cellar-dwelling passing game.
The Jumbos have only managed 122.5 yards per game through the air, putting them last in the conference. This is clearly connected to the meager 18 total points they have scored in their first two games. However, senior quarterback Tom McManama feels that these numbers are simply a matter of circumstance.
"The weather had a factor in it," McManama said. "We only threw twelve times because the conditions were awful in the first half."
McManama, who will start again this week as senior quarterback Anthony Fucillo continues to nurse an ankle injury, is confident that the team will continue to improve.
"We still have some guys injured, inexperienced guys playing," McManama said. "I think [the offense] is on the right track."
If the Jumbo's passing game is going to make a statement, Saturday's game would be the perfect time for it. The Polar Bears have done a good job stopping the run, but are near the bottom of the conference in allowing 294 yards a game through the air. If the Jumbos' vaunted defense falters against Polar Bear senior quarterback Oliver Kell, it will be up to McManama and his receivers to go play-for-play with Bowdoin.
Junior wide receiver Pat Bailey, who has 10 catches for 141 yards including a big 71 yard touchdown last week, will be essential to the success of this plan. While the rest of the squad has a combined nine catches and 104 yards, McManama says he feels comfortable spreading the ball out this week.
"I'm just going through my progressions," McManama said. "[Bailey's] usually my check down, so I've been going to him. He's a proven playmaker. If he's covered, I'll look elsewhere."
The Jumbos have gotten off to a sloppy start, but a homecoming win at Ellis Oval against a strong Bowdoin side could go a long way in solidifying Tufts as one of the top teams in the NESCAC this season, and a good passing game could be the key to doing so on Saturday.
