SOMERVILLE, MA (October 11, 2025) -- The Tufts University football team led 28-21 going to the fourth quarter, but visiting Bates College scored 14 points in the final frame to come from behind for a 35-28 win over the Jumbos in action from Ellis Oval Saturday evening.
The story of the game was the play from Bates' junior running back Ryan Lynskey, who rushed for 221 yards on 32 carries and four touchdowns, including two in the fourth frame.
The Jumbos wasted no time getting the lead in the opening half, as sophomore
Hudson Weidman connected with classmate
Keller Rogers for a 42-yard touchdown just 2:07 into the game to make it 7-0. Bates battled back with two scores in the first quarter to make it 14-7, but Weidman hit
Matt Rios for a 20-yard score at 13:34 of the second quarter to deadlock the game at 14.
Lynskey pushed in from four yards out with 4;24 left in the opening half to complete an 85-yard drive over six minutes, but Tufts came right back with a 12-play, 70-yard drive over 3:54 to tie the game going to halftime with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Weidman to
Henry Fleckner.
The lone score of the third quarter came from the Jumbos, as
Christian Shapiro ran untouched up the middle for a 12-yard touchdown run to make it 28-21.
Both defenses would get stops early in the fourth quarter, as
Ryan Horigan made a great play on a 4th and 2 for Bates on the Jumbo 40-yard line to give the ball back to Tufts. With 4:21 to play in the game, Lynskey scored from two yards out but the ensuing extra point was blocked by senior
Vince Gilchrist to keep Tufts ahead 28-27.
The Bobcats got a stop and would get the lead for good on a 24-yard touchdown run by Lynskey to make it 35-28 after a two-point conversion with 54 seconds to play. On the next drive, Tufts moved the ball to their own 43-yard line, but Bates clinched the win with an interception with 18 seconds to play.
Weidman started his first collegiate game for the Jumbos Saturday, going 18-for-30 for 204 yards and three touchdowns and one pick. He added 74 yards on 13 carries, both team highs.
Shapiro rushed for 56 yards on 13 attempts, while adding five catches for 19 yards. Fleckner pulled in five balls for 73 yards and a score, while
Matt Greco also had five receptions for 45 yards.
Defensively, Gilchrist had 10 total tackles to lead the Jumbo defense while senior
Riley Yaker also recorded eight stops. Horigan had seven tackles, and
Ryan Saccu,
Suleiman Abuaqel and
Jeff Xu each had six stops in the loss. Saccu had three pass break-ups as well.
Tufts posted 344 yards of offense Saturday, converting on both fourth downs it went for.
Jack Perry was 8-for-20 for 85 yards and a touchdown, and Matthew Holmes pulled in three balls for 23 yards and a score. Ryan Rozich had 12 tackles to lead the Bobcats (2-3).
Tufts travels to Hamilton College Saturday, October 18 for more NESCAC action in Clinton, NY.
--JUMBOS--
