SOMERVILLE, MA (September 23, 2023) -- Junior running back
Chartellis Reece finished with 178 yards and two scores, as the Tufts University offense rushed for 329 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-19 Homecoming victory against Bates College in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play from Ellis Oval Saturday evening.
The 329 yards on the ground were the most for the Jumbos marked the second time in the last three games that Tufts has hit the 300-yard mark on the ground. Tufts also rushed for 345 yards against Middlebury College in the 2022 season finale. It was also the second time in the last five meetings that the Jumbos have run for over 300 yards against Bates, also accomplishing the feat back in 2018 when the Jumbos rushed for 316 yards.
Tufts wasted no time getting things going as it scored on its first possession in front of a wet but large Homecoming crowd, as junior quarterback
Michael Berluti busted a 61-yard touchdown scamper down the left sideline at the 9:10 mark of the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. Bates (0-2) got on the board with a field goal to cap a 14-play, 70-yard drive, but the Jumbos made it a 14-3 game as
Cade Moore made an acrobatic catch in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown reception with 12:11 left in the half.
After the Jumbos forced a three-and-out on the next possession, Tufts cashed in on good field position as
Vaughn Seelicke connected from 26 yards out on a field goal to make it 17-3. The Bobcats wouldn't go quietly though, as Colton Bosselait hit Sergio Beltran for a 6-yard touchdown pass to trim the Tufts' lead to just seven at 17-10 with 48 second to go in the half.
With three timeouts in the bag, the Jumbos were able to move the ball down the field and Seelicke hit a 32-yard field goal with no time left in the half to send the game to intermission at 20-10 in favor of the host.
The Jumbos got another Seelicke field goal out of the locker room, this time from 27 yards away to up the lead to 23-10. On the ensuing possession for Bates,
Louis Timmins picked off a pass by Bosselait and four plays later Reece plunged in from 10 yards out for his first score of the game to make it 30-10 with 6:56 left in the third quarter.
Bates made it a two-score game once again with a Bosselait touchdown pass to Beltran just before the end of the third quarter to make it 30-16.
The Jumbos marched back down the field and Reece this time converted the 6-play, 75 yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run to give Tufts a 37-16 lead.
Joey Dellumo got in on the act with a one-yard touchdown rush midway through the fourth quarter to finish the scoring on the night.
Reece averaged 8.9 yards per carry on the night, as the 178 yards rushing were the most for a Jumbo running back since Chance Brady ran for 185 against Middlebury College on November 12, 2016.
Berluti was 12-for-19 through the air on the night, posting 140 passing yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 75 yards on four carries, and surpassed 5000 passing yards for his career becoming the only Jumbo quarterback every to throw for 5000 yards in a career. He now sits with 5068 yards in 18 games with the Jumbos.
Khallid Calhoun averaged nearly eight yards per carry, posting 31 yards on four carries and
Matt Crowley came off the bench in relief of Berluti to run for 20 yards on two carries. Moore finished with five catches, 51 yards and a score while
Henry Fleckner,
Ryan Doyle and
Jack Elliott each had two grabs.
Defensively,
EJ Comerford posted nine tackles including one for loss, and
Will Duncanson posted five stops as well.
Javier Rios tallied five tackles, and Timmins added four stops in addition to his pick.
Ed Iuteri also added a sack and three tackles. Seelicke was strong kicking for the Jumbos, connecting on all three of his field goals and each of his five extra points.
Bosselait finished with 162 yards and two scores for the Bobcats through the air, and Ryan Lynskey rushed for 35 yards on 11 carries. Beltran had a very solid night, catching seven balls for 127 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Jumbos will play their second of four home games in 2023 next Saturday, welcoming Williams College to Ellis Oval for a 1:30 p.m. kick-off in NESCAC play.
--JUMBOS--
