Tufts Results

JUMBOS LOSE OPENER IN DEFENSIVE BATTLE AT WESLEYAN, 7-3

COLLEGE FOOTBALL FINAL SCORE
Wesleyan 7, Tufts 3

At Middletown, CT
Saturday, September 26, 2009

Tom Tassinari and the Jumbo D let Wesleyan into the red zone just once

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- In a defensive struggle, the Wesleyan University Cardinals opened the 2009 football season with a 7-3 victory over Tufts University as the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) began play on Saturday afternoon.

The Jumbos out-gained the Cardinals 234 total yards to 218 and had more scoring opportunities. However, Tufts missed two long field goal attempts and could not put the ball in the end zone. They were four for 16 on third down. A 10-play, 59-yard scoring drive by the hosts in the middle of the second quarter made the difference.

Tufts scored on its first possession of the season with a 32-yard field goal by sophomore Adam Auerbach (Glen Rock, NJ) at 9:08 of the first quarter. Senior quarterback Tom McManama (Wakefield, MA), starting in place of the injured Anthony Fucillo (Winthrop, MA), completed two third-down passes and junior wide out Greg Stewart (Wilmington, MA) ran for 16 yards during the drive.

When the Tufts defense forced a punt in its first act of the 2009 season, Jumbo junior Pat Bailey (Beverly, MA) returned it 31 yards to Wesleyan 40. He then rushed 11 yards to the Cardinal 29 on the first play of the drive, but the momentum stalled and Wesleyan's Justin Freres stopped Jumbo running back Darren Ferguson (North Easton, MA) on a fourth down and one play at the 20. Tufts led 3-0 after one quarter.

After the teams traded punts, Wesleyan mounted its decisive scoring drive. Taking over at their own 41, the Cardinals got 30 yards on the ground from Shea Dwyer including a five-yard touchdown run with 8:31 on the clock. Wesleyan converted two third downs during the possession, including a 30-yard pass from quarterback Blake Dubois to receiver Pete Modera. That would be more than half of Wesleyan's passing yards for the day, as they finished with a total of 55.

After taking over at their own 43 following a punt, the Jumbos drove into Wesleyan territory late in the first half. Ferguson converted a fourth and two with a four-yard rush. McManama hit senior tight end Oliver Gray (Stamford, CT) for a 17-yard gain to the Wes 28. With eight seconds left in the half, Auerbach came on for a 46-yard field goal attempt that was wide left. The Cardinals took a 7-3 lead into the break.

With all of the points already scored, each team only had one scoring chance in the second half. Late in the third, Wesleyan drove 65 yards to the Tufts 25, but Jumbo preseason All-American safety Tom Tassinari (Andover, MA) made a stop on fourth down to kill the drive. The score remained 7-3 after three.

On the next possession, Tufts went 51 yards to the Wesleyan 26. A 15-yard Wesleyan face mask penalty and a 15-yard completion to junior Billy Mahler (Milwaukee, WI) from McManama helped the cause. However, a 43-yard field goal try by Auerbach was blocked by Cardinal Lane Kirshe.

The Jumbos would get one final chance at their own 18 with 1:58 remaining. They moved to midfield, with McManama and Bailey connecting three times for 31 yards. However, Wesleyan's Pete Sugarbaker defended a pass on fourth and four, sealing the victory.

The Cardinals gained 163 yards on the ground for the afternoon, with sophomore Vince Miller carrying 23 times for 102 yards and Dwyer adding 69 yards on 14 totes. The Wesleyan pass attack was only 4 for 12 for 55 yards. Freres led the Cardinals with nine tackles, including a sack.

Junior linebacker Matt Murray (Winthrop, MA) led Tufts with 10 tackles, followed by Tassinari's nine. Sophomore linebacker Ferras Albitar (Coto de Caza, CA), sophomore linebacker Phil Artis (Bedminster, NJ) and senior DL Christopher Seufert (Whitehall, PA) all had sacks for Tufts. Ferguson's 47 yards on 14 carries led the Tufts ground game. McManama competed 13 of 33 passes for 133 yards. Bailey caught six passes for 52 yards, rushed 10 times for 29 yards, returned four punts for 32 yards and took one kickoff back for 16 yards.

The game featured no turnovers, but 16 punts. The three points are the fewest by Tufts since they were shut out by Middlebury in the last game of the 2006 season.

JUMBOS EARN 24TH CONSECUTIVE VICTORY AGAINST BATES, 15-7 IN LEWISTON

COLLEGE FOOTBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 15, Bates 7

At Lewiston, ME
Saturday, October 3, 2009

Game Statistics

Pat Bailey ...

LEWISTON, Me. -- The Tufts University football team won 15-7 at Bates College on Saturday before a Parents & Family Weekend crowd of 1,200, using a bend-but-don't-break defense and a time-consuming offense to salt away the Jumbos' first win of the season. Tufts evens its record to 1-1, while Bates falls to 0-2. The win is the 24th in a row for Tufts against the Bobcats, a streak that dates back to 1986.

The Tufts defense did not allow a touchdown. Bates' lone score came on Cam Evans' interception and 12-yard return in the second quarter, which pushed Bates ahead 7-3, after Tufts got on the board first with a 35-yard field goal by Adam Auerbach (Glen Rock, NJ).

Tufts senior Andrew Elfman (Wellesley, MA) blocked a Bates punt early in the game and it was recovered by junior Brian Danshaw (Colleyville, TX), but the Jumbos couldn't turn that into points. After the defense forced a three-and-out, the Jumbo offense took over at their own 43. Junior tailback Pat Bailey (Beverly, MA) had 28 yards rushing on the drive and Auerbach capped it with the field goal. The first quarter ended 3-0.

The Bates touchdown on the short interception return came at 9:57 of the second quarter after Tufts had stopped the Bobcats on fourth down from the 11-yard line. The Jumbos regained the lead on the next possession with an 11-yard pass from senior quarterback Tom McManama (Wakefield, MA) to sophomore tight end Nick Croteau (Pepperell, MA), making it 9-7 after a failed point-after attempt. Thirty-one yards rushing by freshman Mike Howell (Phoenixville, PA), a Bates pass interference penalty and a 15-yard run by Jumbo senior Tim Puopolo (Wenham, MA) helped the cause. The Tufts defense stopped Bates again deep in Jumbo territory late in the half and the game went to halftime with Tufts up 9-7.

Bates possessed the ball for over nine minutes of the third quarter, but scored no points to show for it as the Jumbo D buckled down. Tufts extended its lead early in the fourth quarter, as McManama, under heavy pressure from three Bates pass-rushers, flung the ball across the field, over the outstretched arms of Bates safety Kyle McAllister, and into the hands of junior Pat Bailey (Beverly, MA), who scampered the rest of the 71 yards to the end zone, putting the Jumbos on top 15-7 with 12:07 left in the game. Tufts took the ball over two more times in the game and kept the ball on the ground and the game clock running, removing 6:46 and 3:01 off the clock. The Jumbos finished the game with 168 rushing yards on 41 attempts.

Bailey rushed 18 times for 67 yards and caught four passes for 89 yards and the score. McManama completed six of 12 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Junior linebacker Matt Murray (Winthrop, MA) and senior safety Tom Tassinari (Andover, MA) shared the Jumbos' team lead in tackles with 11 apiece.

Ryan Katon completed 14 of 30 passes for 152 yards for Bates. Tom Beaton rushed eight times for 63 yards in a revived Bobcat rushing attack (39 carries, 133 yards. Matt Gregg led Bates receivers with eight receptions for 91 yards. Myles Walker had 12 tackles for the Bobcats, including three for a loss. Ted Durkin and Brett McAllister had 11 tackles apiece.

Bates outgained Tufts in total offense, 304 yards to 280, and notched 19 first downs to the Jumbos' 13.

Tufts will host Bowdoin next Saturday (Oct. 10) in its home opener at 1:00 pm. Bates travels to Williams College for its first road game next Saturday.