Football | Notebook: Seniors prepare for one last shot

To say the odds will be stacked against the Jumbos when they step onto Zimman Field to face the Middlebury Panthers tomorrow (12:30 p.m.) would be an understatement. Tufts has lost 30 consecutive games and is coming off arguably its worst performance of the season, a 37-0 shellacking at Colby. Middlebury is 6-1 and could win a share of the NESCAC title.

But the Jumbos have something to play for in the season finale: their pride. The players and coaches see a program on the brink of recovery. A good effort against the Panthers would set the tone for continued improvement and show outsiders that this team is serious about competing.

“Our backs are against the wall,” fifth-year receiver Nick Kenyon, the Jumbos’ lone player who has experienced multiple victories, said. “There would be nothing better than sending us out with a win.”

The game carries special meaning for the nine seniors who have stuck it out to the end: Kenyon, tri-captains Sean Harrington and Connor Glazier, Nate Marchand, Nash Simpson, Cord Deal, Jon Sobo, Ryan Pollock and Matt Johnson. (Simpson and Deal were each away from the program for a year; Johnson has not played this season due to a torn pectoral muscle.)

In 2010, the Class of 2014 was 21 deep. Now, after four, frustrating years, nine remain.

“A lot of their friends either aren’t here at school or are somewhere on campus, but they’re not out here with us,” head coach Jay Civetti said. “This group of guys [has gone] through their college career with one win, and still come out and fight, still come out and push every day.”

While the results have yet to show on the field, the seniors have watched Tufts football undergo a major culture change during their time here. In many ways, they have also helped spark that change.

“The amount of progress we’ve made is unbelievable,” Kenyon said. “When I first came in here, football was treated very lightly. Guys weren’t nearly as committed. But coach Civetti has done an amazing job in making the program respectable on campus.”

Regardless of what happens tomorrow, the seniors know they have made their mark.

“All I wanted to do my senior year was to leave this program better than it was when I came into it my freshman year,” Harrington said. “I can definitely say that’s happened.”

This year especially, Harrington has helped establish the program’s legitimacy, keeping the Jumbos focused on the field and encouraging a more demanding offseason regimen. Sooner than later, he believes his hard work will pay dividends.

“Whether it’s this game or it’s next season, when we get that first win ... it’s gonna be like that [work] wasn’t for nothing. Those four years weren’t for nothing.”

QB battle, again

Tomorrow’s starting quarterback will either be freshman Alex Snyder, who has started the last three games and was a game-time decision last week due to an undisclosed illness, or junior Jack Doll, who started the first four games and returned Monday from a tear in his left (non-throwing) labrum.

Civetti had not yet named a starter at press time.

The battle presents a dilemma between a fresh face in Snyder, who threw four touchdowns against Williams but has had trouble since, and a more experienced player in Doll, who had his moments early in the season but also made some critical mistakes. “I think any time there’s competition, that’s a good sign,” Civetti said. “That shows that Jack’s come back and he’s hungry. Is he injured? Yeah, [but] it’s his off-throwing arm. I’m just glad he’s able to come back and compete.”

Civetti also has high expectations for the freshman from Colorado with a rocket-arm.

“Alex had a great Williams game, had an OK Amherst game, and whether you want to use the sickness as an excuse or not [against Colby], we need him to step up and make plays,” Civetti said.

Foote-ball

Tufts’ biggest concern tomorrow will be Middlebury’s senior quarterback McCallum Foote, who leads the NESCAC in passing yards per game (337.6) and touchdown passes (19), both by large margins.

Civetti suggested Foote may be the best quarterback in all of Div. III. His skill set has affected the team’s preparation during the week.

“We changed a little bit how we practiced this week so we could get some extra looks in, because obviously McCallum Foote provides some different challenges,” Civetti said.

Middlebury is first in the conference in passing and last in rushing. At Amherst, Foote threw a mind-boggling 84 times, completing 54 passes and throwing five interceptions while amassing 459 yards. Middlebury lost that game, 37-16.12