Box Score 
BRUNSWICK, Maine - Junior running back Tyler Johnson rushed for two touchdowns and the Jumbo defense clamped down after allowing an early score paving the way for a 25-13 Tufts University Football victory at Bowdoin College on Saturday.
Tufts cemented the win with an 11-play, 87-yard scoring drive finished by a 20-yard run from freshman quarterback Michael Berluti that gave the visitors a 25-7 lead with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Senior Mike Pedrini, the three-year captain who was returning from an injury and playing for the first time since week one, carried the load on the possession with nine rushes for 48 yards and a reception. Bowdoin added a late touchdown for the 25-13 final.
The score had been tied 7-7 at the half, but Tufts came charging out of the locker room and scored two minutes into the third quarter (six plays, 75 yards). Berluti had a 29-yard completion to Philip Lutz on the left sideline, ran for 14 yards and threw to Jackson Butler for 16 yards down to the Bowdoin 3. Johnson took it in from there and Tufts led 13-7 due to a missed extra point.
Later in the third, Tufts senior defensive lineman Brendan Coughlin (pictured) snagged a pass by Bowdoin's Andrew Boel for an interception giving Tufts the ball at the Polar Bear 21. The Jumbos couldn't capitalize on that, but Coughlin had a sack and Gio Arquilla made a pass break-up on the next Bowdoin possession forcing a punt.
Jumbo freshman Aundre Smith took that punt back 46 yards, slicing through an early pack of tacklers and cutting right across the field down to the Bowdoin 22. After Berluti converted a third and one with a keeper, on the next play Lutz started in motion, turned back, then took a Berluti pass and darted to the right pylon for a 12-yard touchdown at 5:23 of the third putting Tufts ahead 19-7. A two-point attempt failed.
Late in the third, Bowdoin had a first and 10 on the Tufts 23 after a 36-yard pass from Boel to Brendan King. Senior linebacker Spencer Alligood made tackles on third and fourth down for the Jumbos, including keeping Polar Bear Colton Fahey in his grip after a pass completion to stop the hosts two yards short on fourth down.
The Polar Bears would get to the Tufts 13 on their next drive, but a pair of incomplete passes and a nice third-down tackle by Jumbo linebacker Matty Drouillard turned Bowdoin over on downs again. Tufts went on its last scoring drive from there.
After a one-yard run by King capped a three-play, 75-yard scoring drive by Bowdoin at 1:37 of the fourth, they tried an on-side kick and it was recovered for the Jumbos by Butler. Boel and Fahey had a 48-yard pass play on the Polar Bear scoring drive.
Bowdoin had taken a 7-0 lead on their second possession of the game with a 15-yard reception by Bo Millett from Boel. After that first score though, the Jumbo defense kept the Polar Bears from scoring for the next 48+ minutes. The Polar Bears missed a 21-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter.
Tufts tied the score at 7-7 late in the half. Berluti passed 14 yards to freshman Cade Moore to convert a third down, then later ran 24 yards to the Polar Bear 4 on a fourth and four play. Johnson scored from three yards out with 28 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Berluti completed 17 of 28 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 12 times for 16 yards and a score - a total affected by four Bowdoin sacks for 40 yards. Pedrini carried 21 times for 91 yards and Lutz caught a season-high 10 passes for 107 yards and a TD. Drouillard led the Jumbos with nine tackles (seven solo) and Alligood finished with eight.
For Bowdoin, Boel was 14 for 28 passing for 163 yards and a touchdown. Andre Eden pushed for 114 yards on 23 carries, while Fahey caught four balls for 59 yards. Ty Jones-Garland made 10 tackles, including 2.5 for losses with a sack (13 yards). Dan Fiore was in on eight tackles with 3 TFL's including an eight-yard sack.
The Polar Bears edged Tufts 305-296 in total yards, with similar rushing and passing totals. The Jumbos had a 32:19 to 27:41 edge in time of possession.
