Box Score WATERVILLE, Maine – Graduate receiver Frank Roche entered the Tufts University football record book while catching eight passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns helping the Jumbos finish their road schedule with a 35-10 victory at Colby College on Saturday afternoon.
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| Tyler Johnson had Tufts' first 100-yard kickoff return for a tocuhdown in 43 years today. |
Roche set a new single-season record for receiving yards with 886 through eight games, eclipsing the previous mark of 855 set by Jon Troy in 1999. This was the second straight week that Roche caught three touchdown passes, which also ties a Tufts record held by many. He had three touchdowns last week at home against Hamilton. For the season Roche has eight touchdowns to go with the 886 yards on 39 receptions.
Despite Roche's record-setting performance, the biggest play of the day came from freshman Tyler Johnson who returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. The 100-yard return ties the Tufts record held by Daryl Brown against Williams College from 1976. Johnson's score today is the first kickoff return for a touchdown by a Tufts player since 2015.
Adding to the record-breaking day for the Jumbos was the five extra points booted by junior kicker Matt Alswanger giving him 81 for his career. That surpassed the previous mark of 79 held by Chris Wild from 1988-91.
Tufts (4-4) also received 101 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries by junior co-captain Mike Pedrini. The Jumbos totaled 464 yards, with 267 passing and 197 rushing. They hit on 71 percent of their third-down attempts (10 for 14).
Colby (1-7) was led by a game-high 10 tackles from junior linebacker Marcus Bullard. The Mules' defense also forced and recovered a pair of Tufts fumbles.
Tufts got started on the right foot today with a 10-play, 76-yard drive for a touchdown on a one-yard run by Pedrini at 10:42 of the first quarter. Pedrini ran eight times for 71 yards on the drive, including a 27-yard gain on a fourth and one play down to the Colby one-yard line.
The host Mules answered with a long drive of their own, a 16-play possession chewing up 8:17 of clock that earned a first and goal at the Tuts six. However, the Jumbo defense held and Colby had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Moises Celaya. Then Johnson took the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to the house and the turn-around led to a 14-3 Tufts advantage with 2:01 on the first-quarter clock.
The Jumbos fumbled away their next possession with Colby's Nick Hall forcing it and George Eisenhauer recovering at the Mule 25. However, the Jumbo defense forced Colby to a second straight three-and-out.
Tufts senior QB Jacob Carroll (14 for 19, 236 yards, 3 TDs) and Roche had their first scoring connection on the next drive. Their 53-yard touchdown put Tufts up 21-3 with 9:14 to play in the first half.
A shared sack by Jumbos Jovan Nenadovic and Stephen Timmons started the next Colby possession that eventually led to a punt. The Jumbos took over at their own eight-yard line and went 92 yards on 11 plays culminating with an 11-yard Roche-from-Carroll score putting the visitors up 28-3 with 56 seconds left in the second quarter. Alswanger's extra point was the record-breaker.
On Colby's second possession of the third quarter, the Mules drove to Tufts' 16 yard line thanks to a 38-yard completion from sophomore quarterback Matt Hersch to junior WR Rory Glavin. However, Jumbo junior Michael Mughetto intercepted Hersch on the next play to stop the drive. The Jumbos gave it right back though with another fumble forced by Colby's Harrison Vedrani and recovered by Justin Masella at the Tufts 32.
That led to the Mules' only touchdown of the game. After converting a fourth and 10 with a 14-yard pass to junior tight end Ethan Smith, Hersch threw 18 yards for a score to senior WR Jack O'Brien. That pulled the hosts within 28-10 with a minute left in the third.
Tufts stymied any Colby momentum by taking the ball late in the third and turning it into their final touchdown early in the fourth. Carroll passed 30 yards to Roche and Tufts led 35-10.
Timmins paced the Jumbos with seven stops overall, while Nenadovic was credited with five tackles including two for losses. The Jumbos limited Colby to 42 yards rushing on 22 attempts. Junior receiver OJ Armstrong caught six more passes for 55 yards while freshman quarterback Trevon Woodson was five for five passing for 31 yards and ran 10 times for 55 yards.
Hersch finished 14 of 30 for 195 yards for Colby, sending four balls for 75 yards to Glavin. Hall had nine tackles and senior CJ Hassan made eight including an 11-yard sack for Colby.
Tufts celebrates Seniors Day next week in their season-finale at home against Middlebury College, who clinched at least a share of the NESCAC championship with their 14-7 win over Hamilton today. Colby finishes its season against Bowdoin next Saturday with an opportunity to win the annual C-B-B championship.
