HARTFORD, CT (October 4, 2025) -- The Tufts University football team kept it close through the first half, but 27 unanswered points helped host Trinity College pull away for a 41-14 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) win over the Jumbos in play from Jessee/Miller Field at Tansill Muldoon Stadium.
With the loss, the Jumbos dropped to 2-2 on the season while Trinity upped its mark to 3-1 win the with. The defeat was the Jumbos second straight loss, the first time since the 2022 season Tufts has dropped back-to-back games.
Trinity got on the board late in the first quarter with a Jaxon Carroll touchdown pass to Nolan O'Brien from 12 yards out to make it 7-0. The Bantams would see the same connection lock up for six early in the second quarter, as O'Brien pulled in a 80-yard touchdown grab to make it 14-0.
On the ensuing kick-off, sophomore
Keller Rogers returned the ball 62 yards to the Trinity 38-yard line. Seven plays later
Christian Shapiro pushed in from two yards out to make it 14-7, as the drive was extended with a big 10-yard grab by
Matt Greco on 3rd and 8 to set up the score.
Trinity answered back with 3:24 to go in the first half, as Jack Tosone scored on a two-yard rush to make it 20-7 at the halftime break.
The Bantams continued to add to their lead until junior
Justin Keller hit
Matt Rios for a 21-yard touchdown pass with 3:43 to play to finish the game's scoring.
Keller was 10-of-17 for 85 yards through the air with a touchdown, while adding 30 yards rushing on 11 attempts. First-year
Nate Johnson saw his first action as a Jumbo, rushing for 24 yards on three carries while going 4-for-11 for 25 yards passing.
Shapiro rushed for 38 yards on 10 carries, adding a long of 18 yards, while Greco had seven catches for 54 yards. Rios also pulled in three balls for 32 yards.
Johnny Ferrelli had a team-high 12 tackles including one for loss, while
Nate Sousa and
Amari Watson each had six stops.
Cameron Pineda pulled in his third interception of the season, tops in the NESCAC, and
Riley Yaker and
Trevor Hillier had five tackles.
Senior
Vaughn Seelicke made both of his extra points, and
Andrew Leigh averaged 38.6 yards on his punts while putting two inside the 20.
Carroll was 17-for-26 for 244 yards and two touchdowns for Trinity, and O'Brien finished with seven catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Dinapoli rushed for 47 yards, while Tosone also scored twice to go with 48 yards on the ground.
Ethan Krauss led the Bantams with 10 tackles.
Tufts will be back at Ellis Oval next Saturday, October 11 at 7 p.m., hosting Bates College for Homecoming.
--JUMBOS--
