MIDDLETOWN, CT (October 15, 2022) -- The Tufts University football team rallied from down 13-0 at the half to take the lead twice in the second half, but the Jumbos couldn't hold on as Wesleyan University outlasted Tufts 26-22 in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play from Corwin Stadium.
The second half was an exciting one, as the Jumbos punched through for their first points on a 35-yard touchdown pass from
Michael Berluti to
Jackson Butler to make it 13-7. After a stop defensively, Tufts took its first lead of the game at 1:19 of the third quarter on a Berluti 15-yard hook up with
Jaden Richardson.
That would set up a wild fourth quarter as Wesleyan went back on top with a 12-yard touchdown pass with 11:23 to go in regulation. Tufts wasted no time regaining its edge, as
Jackson Butler took a short out, broke a tackle and rumbled 74 yards to paydirt to make the score 22-19 Jumbos.
Wesleyan got the ball back at 10:20 of the fourth quarter and went 79 yards over nine plays before Owen Brickley scored on a nine-yard run to make it 26-22. Both teams forced punts on their next two possessions, as Tufts got the ball back with 56 seconds to go at its own 45-yard line.
Berluti hit Butler on a 37-yard completion on the first play of the drive and it looked like Butler made another play on the sideline but the catch inside the 5-yard line of Wesleyan was deemed incomplete. Wesleyan would finish off the game with back-to-back sacks as the clock clicked down to zero.
The Jumbos moved the ball on a number of drives in the first half, but couldn't put any points on the board as Wesleyan (4-1, 4-1 NESCAC) opened the scoring at 12:51 of the second quarter on a 16-yard touchdown pass.
Wesleyan would take advantage of a Tufts (3-2, 3-2 NESCAC) turnover midway through the quarter, scoring from a yard out on a touchdown pass from David Estevez to Logan Tomlinson for a 13-0 lead.
Berluti went 22-for-36 for a new career-high 416 yards passing, adding three touchdowns and an interception.
Tyler Johnson chalked up 65 yards on the ground on 13 carries, while Butler had a monster game with six grabs for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
Phil Lutz added five catches for 132 yards, and Richardson led Tufts players with seven receptions for 73 yards.
Defensively,
Matty Drouillard led the squad with 11 tackles including two for loss, while
Kristian Rosario finished with six stops, two tackles for loss and a sack.
Javier Rios also had six tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and
EJ Comerford added five tackles, 0.5 sacks and a hurry.
The Jumbos averaged 8.4 yards per play on the night, including nearly 19 yards per completion. Wesleyan's Niko Candido completed 10-of-15 for 200 yards and two scores, while Estevez added 187 yards and one touchdown. Tomlinson also finished with nine catches for 171 yards and a score in the win.
Tufts is back in action next Saturday, October 22 as it hosts Amherst College inside Ellis Oval in Somerville, MA.
--JUMBOS--
