MEDFORD, MA (October 18, 2022) – The Tufts University football team will look to get back into the win column on Saturday afternoon, returning to Ellis Oval to take on the Mammoths of Amherst College in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action.
Game Details
Opponent: vs. Amherst College (0-5, 0-5 NESCAC)
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2022
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Somerville, MA – Ellis Oval (
Directions)
Live Coverage:
LIVE STATS –
LIVE VIDEO
The Jumbos will be looking to shake off a tough 26-22 defeat on the road last Saturday at Wesleyan University, as Tufts rallied twice from being down but could not hold off the Cardinals in Connecticut. It was the first road loss of the season for the Jumbos but return home in hopes of upping their home mark to 2-1 on the season.
Amherst has started off 0-5 in 2022 following last weekend's 17-12 loss on the road at Colby College. The Mammoths also fell on the road back on September 24 at Hamilton College 24-10, with home losses to Middlebury College (17-6), Trinity College (20-3) and Bates College (27-23).
The series between these two teams' dates to the early 1900s, but recently Amherst has controlled the matchups with a 18-4 record since 1999. The Mammoths have won four straight in the series, including a 24-21 win in 2021, while Tufts is looking for its first home win over Amherst since 2007. The games with these two teams have been tight despite the records, as three of the last four games have been decided by one score.
The Jumbos have continued to fire on all cylinders through the air, as
Michael Berluti and his receivers are sixth in Division III in passing offense with 339.2 yards per game. Berluti is coming off a career-high 418 yards passing against Wesleyan University last weekend, while his passing efficiency number of 185.2 is first in the NESCAC and 11
th in the nation.
Much of the offensive success has come with the quick strike abilities of the air attack, as Tufts is 18
th nationally in passing yards per completion with just over 15 yards per grab. The trio of
Jaden Richardson,
Phil Lutz and
Jackson Butler has given opposing defenses fits on who to cover, as the three have combined for 13 touchdown grabs through five weeks.
Richardson is second in the NESCAC with six touchdown receptions, adding 86 yards per game on average, while Lutz is fourth in Division III with 134.6 yards receiving per game. Lutz is also seventh in the country and first in the NESCAC with 7.6 catches per game. Butler ranked 10
th in receiving yards in the conference, while his three scoring grabs are seventh-best in the league.
On the ground,
Tyler Johnson is third in the NESCAC in yards with 322 on the season. The Tufts offense is ranked second in the NESCAC in scoring with 28.0 points per game, while the 451.2 yards per game is tops in the NESCAC and 31
st in Division III. Tufts has now posted 22 or more points in all five games this year, extending a streak of at least 22 points in 10 straight games going back to last year. It is the longest stretch of that kind in program history.
Defensively, the Jumbos are fifth in scoring defense on the season, allowing 20.0 points per game.
Matty Drouillard comes in as the tackle's leader for the Jumbos, as he has made 28 stops including 17 solo tackles and five for loss.
EJ Comerford is right behind him with 36 tackles, while
Cam O'Brien has 25 tackles as well.
Louis Timmins leads the squad with two interceptions and three breakups, with
Kristian Rosario and
Victor Garza each adding three passes defended as well.
The Mammoths have been led offensively by junior quarterback Mike Piazza, who comes into the weekend 94-157 with one touchdown and five interceptions. Amherst has scored a league-low six touchdowns on the season, while its 10.4 points per game is also 10
th in the NESCAC.
Saturday's visitors are seventh in passing yards per game with 178.2, while ranking 10
th in rushing with 67.2 yards a contest. Owen Gaydos is the leading receiver for the Mammoths, as he has pulled in 20 grabs for 132 yards while Jack Roberge and Austin Pieck each have 17 catches on the season. Carson Ochsenhirt has also pulled in 14 receptions for a team-high 218 yards through the air.
On the ground, Piazza is the team's leading rusher with 163 net yards through five games while Louis Eckelkamp has 43 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown on the season. On the other side of the ball, the Amherst defensive unit has been solid, ranking sixth in scoring defense with just 21 points allowed per game.
The Mammoths have allowed only 312.8 yards per game, which ranks third in the NESCAC while its rushing and passing defenses are both fourth-best in the conference. Andy Skirzenski leads the squad with 40 total tackles which includes a team-high six for loss and two sacks and two picks. Tim Swope has also posted 25 tackles, while Ryan Monteleone is third on the squad with 24 stops, 3.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
On special teams, Conor Kennelly has made four of his five field goal attempts including a long of 38 yards against Bates. Kennelly has connected on his last four attempts following a miss of a 51-yard field goal against Middlebury in the season opener. Cam Jones is also a solid punt return specialist, ranking 32
nd in the country and second in the NESCAC with a 9.1 yards per return average.
After last week's results, Tufts currently sits two games behind Trinity College for the top spot, tied with Colby College at 3-2. Trinity has a 5-0 mark to pace the NESCAC, while Middlebury and Wesleyan are both 4-1 on the season. Bates and Hamilton are 2-3, while Bowdoin (1-4), Williams (1-4) and Amherst round out the standings.
TUFTS VS. AMHERST SERIES
Series Record (since 1998): 18-5, Amherst
Last Tufts Win: 2016, 27-10 at Amherst
Last Amherst Win: 2021, 24-21 at Amherst
Current Streak: Amherst, 4
Large Margins (since 1998): Tufts, 29-10, 2007; Amherst, 51-7, 2012
--JUMBOS--
