MEDFORD, MA (October 16, 2024) -- The Tufts University football team will look for its first two-game win streak of the season this weekend at home, welcoming Hamilton College to Ellis Oval for a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tilt. The Jumbos are coming off one of their best offensive performances of the season last weekend at Bates College, as Tufts tallied 45 points to knock off the hosts Bobcats under the lights 45-22. In the contest, Tufts rushed for 211 yards while sophomore running back
Christian Shapiro tallied his first career 100-yard game while scoring three times in the victory. Hamilton is in search of its first victory of the 2024 season, as the Continentals were tripped up 31-7 against conference-leading Trinity College last Saturday.
Game Details
Opponent: vs. Hamilton College (0-5, 0-5 NESCAC)
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Somerville, Mass. –
Ellis Oval -
Directions
Weather: Sunny, Mid 60s, Chance of Rain: 5%, Wind: WSW 5-10 MPH
Live Coverage:
LIVE STATS –
LIVE VIDEO
Continentals vs. Jumbos All-Time
The Jumbos have held the upper hand in the all-time series with Hamilton College, dating back to the first meeting between the two squads in 1976. The Continentals knocked off Tufts last year in a wild affair that went five overtimes, as the Continentals clawed back from a 17-0 halftime deficit including a tying field goal with three seconds to play to force overtime. Once in overtime, both squads scored twice but Hamilton was able to score twice on the two-point conversions while Tufts last attempt was no good to give the Continentals the win.
Tufts has won six of the last eight meetings dating back to 2012, while the Jumbos have gone 9-2 in contests played in Somerville since 1976. The match-ups between Hamilton and Tufts have had at least one team with 29 or more points in each of the six meetings, including Tufts largest margin of victory in the series of 36 points back in 2022 inside Ellis Oval. In that contest,
Michael Berluti was 20-for-26 for four touchdowns including two to Phil Lutz, and one apiece to
Jaden Richardson and
Cade Moore. Tyler Johnson also rushed for 148 yards and two scores in the win.
A Look At The Jumbos (3-2, 3-2 NESCAC)
Tufts looks to get back in the win column at home this weekend after dropping its previous home game to Trinity College on October 5 two weeks ago, as the Jumbos led 16-14 at the half before allowing 28 points in the second half. Last weekend, Tufts went up to Bates to knock off the Bobcats 45-22, as
Christian Shapiro rushed for a career-high 107 yards and three touchdowns while
Michael Berluti posted a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in the same contest.
Cade Moore also corralled six balls for 62 yards and a score, and
Aundre Smith rushed for 41 yards on seven carries. Sophomore
Ty Richardson picked off his fourth pass of the season on defense, the top number in the NESCAC.
The Jumbos come into the weekend fourth in the NESCAC in scoring offense, putting up 25.2 points per game while also ranking third in total offense with 385.2 yards per game on the season. The Jumbo rushing attack as churned out 691 yards through five games, third-most in the league, adding eight rushing touchdowns. The eight scores on the ground is second-most in the NESCAC behind the nine from Bates. Tufts aerial attack is second in the NESCAC through the first half of the season, as it is averaging 247.0 yards per game though its six passing touchdowns is seventh in the conference. Tufts offensive efficiency ranks fifth so far, which takes into account turnovers, yardage and touchdown drives.
Defensively, the Jumbos rank No. 3 in the league in yardage allowed per contest, surrendering just 279.2 yard game overall. The Tufts rushing defense has allowed 122.2 yards a game, which is ninth-most in the NESCAC, but its passing defense is No. 1 in the league allowing just 157 yards and a completion percentage against of 46.7, also best in the NESCAC. The passing yardage allowed is 39th nationally, while also ranking 22nd in the nation in first downs allowed with only 72 on the season.
Richardson is fourth in the nation in interceptions per game with 0.8 on the season, while senior safety
Jameer Alves leads the team with 30 tackles, ranking 12th in the NESCAC. Junior linebacker
Jeff Xu is 20th in the NESCAC with his 27 tackles.
Henry Ferrelli and brother
Johnny Ferrelli have also had a large impact on defense with 23 and 22 stops, respectively.
Offensively, Berluti has gone 92-for-162 on the season passing the football, gaining 1213 yards including five touchdown passes. Moore has a team-high 26 catches for 357 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 71.40 yards per game which fourth in the NESCAC.
Henry Fleckner, who tossed a touchdown last weekend, has pulled in 13 balls for 167 yards while
CJ Burton has gotten more involved lately with 12 catches on the season. Senior tight end
Jack Elliott also has pulled in nine balls for 173 yards and a touchdown. The offensive line for the Jumbos has been solid as well, allowing just six sacks all season while also ranking No. 4 in the country in tackles for loss allowed with just 2.60 per game.
With a win this weekend, head coach
Jay Civetti would tie Charles Whelan (1903-07, 19-12-1916, 1919) on the all-times wins list at No. 4 all-time. Civetti would be just seven wins shy of the all-time wins leader at Tufts with a victory this weekend against Hamilton.
A Look At The Continentals (0-5, 0-5 NESCAC)
The Continentals enter today's contest looking for their first win of the campign, after going 3-6 last season in 2023. Head coach David Murray, who ranks sixth in all of Division III among active coaches in wins with 173, is in his 35th year as a head coach after also serving in the same position at Cortland, Lebanon Valley College, Alfred College and Hamilton. Trinity is looking to bounce back after falling ot Trinity last weekend 31-7, despite leading the contest 7-0 into the second quarter. The Continentals scored on their opening drive, going 78 yards in 18 plays and taking more than 10 minutes off the clock. A three-yard touchdown run by quarterback Luke Kurzum '27 and extra point by Carmelo Velardo gave Hamilton a 7-0 lead with 2:02 left in the first quarter. Kurzum fumbled the snap from under center and picked it up at the five. He ran up the middle, was stood up at the three and dragged three tacklers into the end zone. Luke Kurzam was 14 of 28 passing for 84 yards with two interceptions. He scored his fifth career rushing touchdown with the Continentals.
Hamilton comes into the weekend with the league's lowest scoring output of any NESCAC squad, posting 9.8 points per game while surrendering 28.2 a contest. Hamilton allows a league-high 380.4 yards per game, whiles surrendering 18 touchdowns so far on the campaign. Offensively, Hamilton has rushed for 62 yards per game as a squad and 160.4 yards through the air, and has the eighth-best offensive efficiency in the NESCAC. Hamilton does have the leagues's fourth best red zone defense.
Nate Wildman is the leading rusher for the Continentals with 113 yards on the season, while Kurzam has also rushed for 112 yards through five games. Kurzam has tossed two touchdown passes on the campaign, while going 61-of-107 on the season with three picks. Hamilton receiver Chester Boynton leads the NESCAC in receptions with 41 through five games, averaging 8.2 per game while averaging 67.2 yards a game. Lucas Perez-Segnini has also pulled in 17 balls for 200 yards through the air. Place kicker Carmelo Velardo is 7-for-7 on the year on extra point attempts, and punter Tighe Hoey is the NESCAC's leading punter as he averages 45 yards per punt including 12 inside the 20 and a long of 70 on the season.
On the defensive side of the ball, Kyle Bratcher is sixth in the NESCAC in tackles with 34 on the season, while Ian Fratarcangeli has added 26 stops as well. Chase White is 10th in the league in tackles for loss with five on the year, and Aidan Held has a team-high two sacks through five games. The Hamilton defense has just three takeaways on the year, including two fumble recoveries.
NESCAC Week 6 Schedule
Bates at Williams (1 p.m.)
Amherst at Colby (1 p.m.)
Wesleyan at Bowdoin (1 p.m.)
Hamilton at Tufts (1 p.m.)
Trinity at Middlebury (1 p.m.)
Up Next
The Jumbos will be on the road next weekend to finish action in the month of October, starting a two-game road swing with a trip to Williamstown to take on Williams College Saturday, October 26 at 1:30 p.m.
--JUMBOS--
