WATERVILLE, ME (November 5, 2022) -- Senior
Tyler Johnson rushed for two scores while classmate
Phil Lutz caught a pair of scores as the Tufts University football squad finished its 2022 road schedule with an emphatic 35-7 win over host Colby College in play from Seaverns Field Saturday.
Tufts (5-3, 5-3 New England Small College Athletic Conference) clinched a winning season with the victory on Saturday, as the squad played one of its best games on both sides of the ball. The Jumbos converted 10 of its 14 third-down chances Saturday, while scoring on all five of its red zone chances. Defensively, the Jumbos held Colby (4-4, 4-4 NESCAC) to only 252 yards of total offense.
After the first four possessions of the game ended in a punt, Tufts got the ball at the Colby 9-yard line after a fumbled punt by the Mules. The Jumbos needed only three plays to get on the board, as
Tyler Johnson pushed in from a yard away to take a 7-0 lead.
The Jumbos doubled their lead with 5:22 left in the first half, as sophomore
Michael Berluti connected with
Phil Lutz for six yards out to make it 14-0. Colby answered with a 9-play, 80-yard drive to make it 14-7 at halftime as Keon Smart scored from a yard out.
After the intermission, Tufts got the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 71 yards on 13 plays over 7:06 of the third quarter before Berluti and Lutz connected once again from 13 yards out to make it 21-7. On the ensuing Colby drive,
Jack Racine picked off a Matt Hersch pass from Colby and the Jumbos turned the interception into points as Johnson scored another rushing touchdown to make it 28-7 at 11:05 of the fourth quarter.
Berluti would finish the scoring with 50 seconds to play, as he broke a 20-yard rushing touchdown to complete a 12-play, 80 yard drive. It was another strong day for Berluti, as he threw for 199 yards on 20-of-26 passing with two touchdowns. He also rushed for 43 yards on six carries.
Lutz pulled in 11 catches on the day for 116 yards and two scores, as he eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the sixth time this season. Johnson pulled in four grabs for 28 yards, adding 77 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.
Jaden Richardson and
Jackson Butler each added a pair of catches as well, and
Aundre Smith rushed six times for 35 yards.
The Jumbos were a force defensively on Saturday, as
EJ Comerford finished with six tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass breakup.
Javier Rios was also active with six stops, three for loss and two sacks.
Drew Guida added five tackles along with 1.5 sacks on the day, and
Kristian Rosario added four stops.
Tufts posted seven sacks on the day, a season-high and the most in a game since before 1999. The Jumbos led the first down battle 21-14, while allowoing just two rushing first downs on the day. Hersch was 17-for-30 for 219 and an interception, while Smart finished with 51 yards on 12 attempts on the ground.
The 2022 season will come to a close on Saturday, November 12 at home in Ellis Oval next weekend, hosting Middlebury College at 12:30 p.m. for Senior Day.
--JUMBOS--
