MEDFORD, MA (October 13, 2022) – The Tufts University football team returns to the road on Saturday evening, traveling to Middletown, Connecticut to take on Wesleyan University for a 6 p.m. kickoff against the Cardinals in a pivotal New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) match-up.
Game Details
Opponent: at Wesleyan (3-1, 3-1 NESCAC)
Date: Saturday, October 15, 2022
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Middletown, CT – Corwin Stadium (
Directions)
Live Coverage:
LIVE STATS –
LIVE VIDEO
Tufts comes into Saturday's contest with a 3-1 record after knocking off Bowdoin College 31-13 on Homecoming 2022 in front of a raucous crowd of over 4,000 fans at Ellis Oval. The 3-1 start for the Jumbos was its best since 2018 when Tufts went 4-0 en route to a 7-2 record that season.
The Cardinals are also 3-1 on the season as they enter off a 31-14 win over Colby College last weekend. Wesleyan also has wins over Bates College (41-10) and Hamilton College (49-14), with it's lone defeat coming on the road at Middlebury College (24-10) on September 24.
These two teams have played one of the most competitive series in NESCAC history, as the record favors Wesleyan but only by a tiny margin. The Cardinals hold a slight 25-24-2 record all-time dating back to 1892, while the longest winning streak by each team is only five contests. The last five games have been decided by less than one score including last year's 36-35 win for Wesleyan in Somerville.
The Jumbos come into the weekend with the NESCAC's top passing offense, as Tufts is averaging 320 yards through the air on the season. The 320 yards per game is also good for 15
th best in the nation, while its 14.38 yards per completion is also tops in the league.
Much of that passing has been done by sophomore quarterback
Michael Berluti, who leads the conference in completion percentage with a 72.9 clip through four games. Berluti is also tops in the NESCAC in passing yards with 313.8 per game, which is sixth-best in Division III football. The signal caller ranks first in seven different passing categories, including touchdowns as he's tossed 10 on the season.
His weapons have been outstanding as well, as
Phil Lutz is fourth nationally in receiving yards per game with 135.2, adding four touchdown receptions.
Jaden Richardson leads the team with five touchdowns on the season, adding 89.2 yards receiving which is third in the NESCAC. On the ground,
Tyler Johnson is coming off a solid performance with 99 yards on the ground with one rushing touchdown. Johnson has three rushing TDs this year, as the Jumbo ground attack is fourth in the league with 121.8 yards per game.
Defensively, the Jumbos have taken advantage of opportunities to earn takeaways, as Tufts has the second-best turnover margin in the NESCAC with seven takeaways. The Jumbos are fourth in the league in scoring defense with 18.0 points allowed per game, while also generating nearly six tackles for loss per game.
Louis Timmins is tied for first in the conference for interceptions with two and is fifth with four passes defensed.
EJ Comerford is coming off a NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week honor last week against Bowdoin, as the junior posted five total spots including a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery and pass break-up.
Cam O'Brien added five stops against the Polar Bears as well.
The Cardinals come into Saturday's game with the NESCAC's top scoring offense with just under 33 points scored per game. The balance on offense for the Cardinals is evident as they have the league's second-best passing game with 288.0 yards per game, while adding the NESCAC's third-best rushing total with 128.8 yards a contest. In addition, Wesleyan is averaging 33:32 minutes of possession, which ranks second in the NESCAC and 20
th nationally.
The Cardinals have split up the quarterback reps this season, with David Estevez leading a three-person group that have played extensively. Estevez is 47-for-72 this season with six touchdown passes, third-most in the conference. Logan Tomlinson is the go-to receiver for Wesleyan, as he is fifth in the league with 81.2 yards per game while pulling in seven grabs a contest. Five players have at least nine catches this season, while Chase Wilson has nine grabs for three scores.
The carries for the Cardinals have also been divided to a large group, as five players have over 16 carries led by Estevez and his 30 attempts. Owen Brickley has 29 carries for 109 yards, while Aidan McDonald has 105 yards on the ground.
Wesleyan's defense has been strong this year and is looking to take the ball away, leading the NESCAC with eight turnovers gained in 2022. The Cardinals also get after the quarterback, tops in the conference in sacks with 2.75 per contest. Saturday's hosts also pace the league in fumbles recovered with five. Wesleyan has allowed only 53 first downs all season, fourth fewest in the country.
Defensively, Nick Helbig leads the way with five sacks, ninth-best in the nation. Helbig has forced a fumble per game, which is best in all of Division III, while Jake Edwards is sixth in the league with eight tackles per game and 32 on the season. Danny Banks and Chris Guttman anchor the secondary, as the two both rank in the top five in the NESCAC in passes defended.
On special teams, Daniel Yoon has connected on four field goals in 2022, the most of any kicker in the NESCAC.
Saturday's contest at Wesleyan will be its only night game of the season, while the Jumbos will be playing in the evening for the second consecutive weekend. Wesleyan holds a 16-11-1 record in Middletown.
TUFTS VS. WESLEYAN SERIES
Series Record: 25-24-2
First Game: 1892, Tufts 16-10
Last Tufts Win: 2018, 16-13
Last Wesleyan Win: 2021, 36-35
Current Streak: Wesleyan, 2 games
Large Margins: Tufts, 42-16, 1982; Wesleyan, 52-9, 2013
--JUMBOS--
