MEDFORD, MA (October 19, 2023) -- The Tufts University football team will look to extend its winning streak to five games on Saturday afternoon, as the Jumbos travel west to take on Amherst College at 1 p.m. in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action. The Jumbos are coming off a 49-14 thrashing of Wesleyan University last Saturday, as Tufts tallied touchdowns on its first five drives in rolling to its fourth straight win. Tufts also upped its home record to 3-0 on the season with the victory over Wesleyan.
Game Details
Opponent: at Amherst College (2-3, 2-3 NESCAC)
Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Amherst, MA – Pratt Field at Lehrman Stadium (
Directions)
Weather: Rain, High 50s, Chance of Rain: 90%, Wind: NW 10-15
Live Coverage:
LIVE STATS –
LIVE VIDEO
Mammoths vs. Jumbos All-Time
The Jumbos are 20-45-2 against Amherst College since 1954, but its been domination by Saturday's hosts in the series over the last 15 years. Tufts has won just once in the series since 2007, when the Jumbos earned a 27-10 road win back in 2016. Last year, Amherst kicked a last-second field goal to upset the Jumbos 20-17 in Somerville, while Tufts is 11-23-2 over the last 70 years against Amherst on the road.
A Look At The Jumbos
Tufts comes into Saturday's game looking to extend it's four-game winner streak that started with a Homecoming victory over Bates College back on September 21. The four-game winning streak is the longest for the Jumbos since finishing the 2021 season on a four-game winning stretch. The last time the Jumbos won five in a row was over 2016 and 2017 campaigns, while the last time Tufts won five or more in a single season was when it finished the 1986 season with seven straight victories.
The Jumbos have been able to do a lot on the offensive end, but much of it has come because of the play from the offensive line. Tufts ranks first in all of Division III in sacks allowed in 2023, allowing only one on the season. That has enabled the playmakers to be on their best, as the Jumbos are second in the NESCAC in total offense with 423.4 yards per game. That includes the league's second-best rushing offense with over 173 yards per game. The Blue and Brown are also doing a great job of holding onto the ball, as they've turned the ball over only four times which is eighth-best nationally. Tufts also has been disciplined, taking just 22 penalties all season which leads the NESCAC and is the eighth-fewest in the nation.
Individually, junior quarterback
Michael Berluti continues to rack up the yardage and touchdowns, as he is first in the NESCAC in passing scores with 13. He is averaging 240.4 yards per game through the air, while his 299.2 yards of total offense is best in the league and 29th in Division III. His weapons have been just as good, as his two top targets of
Cade Moore and
Jaden Richardson are littered on the leader boards. Richardson is eighth in the country in receiving touchdowns with 10, while his 509 yards through five games is best in the league. Moore also has three touchdowns this season, including two against Wesleyan, while his 4.4 catches per game are 13th in the NESCAC.
On the ground,
Chartellis Reece is third in the NESCAC in rushing with 403 yards this season, while
Aundre Smith had his best game last Saturday with 54 yards on just five carries.
Defensively,
Shane Reiner is coming off a monster game of nine tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble. The defense is averaging 6.4 tackles for loss, third-most in the conference, while the passing defense leads the NESCAC with just 169.0 yards allowed per game. The defense is also been stingy on third and fourth downs, allowing only 33.8 percent success on third downs while holding teams to a 20 percent completion rate on fourth downs.
Louis Timmins is third in the conference in pass breakups with 1.4 per game, and
Suleiman Abuaqel is third in the league in sacks with five.
A Look At The Mammoths
Amherst College is coming off a tough 19-16 loss to Colby College at home last weekend, as Chris Tzoumakas of Colby connected on a game-winning field goal with three seconds left to give the Mules the win. Amherst led 9-0 late in the second quarter, but Thomas Keeling scored from two yards out to make it 9-7 at the halftime intermission. Jack Cox connected with Carter Jung from 60 yards out to make it 16-7 Mammoths in the third quarter, but Colby made it 16-14 with a Locksley Burke run in the fourth setting up the game-winning FG for Colby. Amherst committed a safety on the final play of the game to make it 19-16.
The Mammoths have relied on their defense this year, coming in ranked sixth in scoring defense allowing 21.6 points per game. Amherst is allowing just 303.0 yards a contest, fourth-best in the NESCAC, while its passing defense is second-best in the league allowing just 884 yards on the season. The rushing defense has surrendered 631 yards, third-most in 2023, while the Mammoths have given up only 83 first-downs all season, 20th-best in Division III.
Three players have taken snaps behind center for the Mammoths, as John Collier and Jack Cox have split the passing attempts equally. Cox played the entire game against Colby, going 20-for-42 for a pair of scores. Cox has thrown for 430 yards and three touchdowns this season, while Collier has tossed two touchdowns but also five interceptions. The Mammoths have a bevy of strong pass catchers, led by Owen Gaydos and his 28 grabs for 224 yards and a score in 2023. Sam Gerber has 26 catches and 183 yards, while Jung has 15 catches for 174 yards.
On the ground, Tariq Muhammad is the most attempts with 34 this season, gaining 176 yards for a 5.2 average. Louie Eckelkamp has also posted 107 yards on the ground for the Mammoths, who currently rank as the conference's lowest scoring offense with 11.4 points per game. Defensively, Luke Harmon is averaging 8.4 tackles per game, sixth-best in the NESCAC, while Trey Doyle has 37 stops on the year. Solomont Christopher has six pass break-ups this year, tied for the tops in the NESCAC, while Doyle has two forced fumbles.
Head coach EJ Mills has been at Amherst for 26 years, posting a stellar 149-61 record in charge of the Mammoths. Amherst has posted four undefeated seasons under Mills, while he has led the Mammoths to six NESCAC titles during his tenure.
Tailgate and Parking Information
Click
this parking map for on-campus parking options and walking paths to Pratt Field. All Amherst football home games are free admission.
Up Next
The Jumbos will stay out on the road next weekend, October 28, traveling to Hamilton College in Clinton, NY for more NESCAC action.
--JUMBOS--
