MEDFORD, MA (October 8, 2025) -- The Tufts University football team will look to shake off a pair of road losses the past two weeks as it returns home for the second time this season to host Bates College for Homecoming Saturday afternoon. The Jumbos are coming off a 41-14 loss on the road at Trinity College last Saturday, suffering the first back-to-back losses since the 2022 campaign.
The Jumbos trailed just 14-7 midway through the second quarter after a two-yard touchdown plunge from
Christian Shapiro, but Trinity scored the next 27 points to pull away. Junior
Justin Keller also hit
Matt Rios in the game for a 21-yard touchdown pass, and
Johnny Ferrelli had a team-high 12 tackles including one for loss.
Game Details
Opponent: vs. Bates College (1-3, 1-3 NESCAC)
Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Somerville, Mass. –
Ellis Oval -
Directions
Weather: Clear, Low 60s, Chance of Rain: 10%, Wind: WNW 5-10 MPH
Live Coverage:
LIVE STATS –
LIVE VIDEO
Bobcats vs. Jumbos All-Time
The Tufts University football team has held a decided edge in the all-time series with the Bobcats, as Tufts has a 65-16-4 edge dating back to the team's first game back in 1875, a 1-0 win for the Jumbos. Tufts has won the last three games in the series, including last year's 45-22 win by the Jumbos in Lewiston. In that game
Christian Shapiro rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns, while
Michael Berluti also rushed for a score while tossing a touchdown as well.
Tufts has won nine of the last 10 meetings, and the Jumbos are 36-8-2 in Massachusetts against the Bobcats. Bates last win against Tufts was in 2021 in Somerville, a 33-10 win for the Bobcats. What is unique about this rivalry is that Bates and Tufts played in the first intercollegiate football game ever held in the state of Maine back on October 18, 1875 on Rand Field.
A Look at the Jumbos (2-2, 2-2 NESCAC)
Tufts entered their homecoming game looking to get on track following a pair of losses the past two weekends. Now back at .500, the Jumbos sit in a three-way tie for fifth place in the NESCAC.
A return to Ellis Oval will be welcomed by a Jumbos squad that hasn't played on their home turf since their nail-biting week 2 victory over Wesleyan. Starting this weekend, three of the Jumbos' next four games are at home, coming against Bates this weekend, Williams on October 25, and Colby on November 1 for Senior Day.
Early on last Saturday, Tufts displayed strong defense, forcing a Trinity 3-and-out on their opening drive, followed by a
Cameron Pineda interception on the next. However, the Jumbos had a difficult time containing Trinity's explosive offense as the game progressed.
Offensively, they found the end zone on two occasions. The first came on a
Christian Shapiro rush up the middle in the second quarter. In the fourth quarter,
Justin Keller connected with
Matt Rios for a 21-yard touchdown to push the Jumbos' tally to 14.
So far this year, Tufts has been effective on the ground, with 132.5 rushing yards per game, good for third in the NESCAC. Defensively, Tufts has done well to hold its ground and get off the field in crucial spots, allowing opponents to convert on just 37.8% of third-down attempts.
Junior
Matt Rios has led the Jumbos receiving core thus far, bringing in 15 receptions for 166 yards and recording two touchdowns through the first four games. Junior
Christian Shapiro has carried the most load on the ground, with three touchdowns and 212 yards, good for sixth in the NESCAC.
On the other side of the ball, Junior
Johnny Ferrelli leads the team with 30 total tackles. Sophomore
Cameron Pineda now has three interceptions on the year, putting him in a tie with Colby's Ameer White at the top of the conference.
Senior
Vaughn Seelicke is 4-for-5 on field goals this season, hitting a season-long of 41 yards against Wesleyan. Sophomore
Keller Rogers leads the NESCAC in kick return average with a 30.3-yard rate. Junior
Andrew Leigh has recorded an average of 37.3 yards per punt.
A Look At The Bobcats (1-3, 1-3 NESCAC)
The Bates Bobcats are coming off a tough defeat last weekend, falling to Colby 13-6 in overtime. This was their second game decided in overtime through the first four weeks, as they beat Amherst 26-23 in double OT to open their season.
Last weekend, their defense was stellar throughout the game, as they held the Mules to 195 yards, including just 90 yards on the ground. They also recorded two interceptions, coming from Major Spencer and Marquez Narvaez. Ryan Rozich led the way with 14 total tackles, two of them for a loss, and a sack. Quarterback Jack Perry completed 9 of his 18 passing attempts for 86 yards. He was picked off once. Ryan Lynskey recorded impressive volume on the ground, carrying the ball 29 times for 95 yards. Ryan Gleason led the team in receiving yards with 25 on his two receptions.
Bates' offense has found the end zone six times through the first four games, putting them at eight in the NESCAC. They've relied heavily on their run game so far, with 44.25 attempts and 111.3 yards. Meanwhile, they've attempted just 20 passes per game, for an average of 133.8 yards.
Individually, Ryan Lynskey's 281 yards rank third in the NESCAC. He's found the end zone three times. Quinn Carver leads the team's receivers, having hauled in 10 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Ryan Rozich leads the conference in total tackles with 47. Carmel Crunk ranks sixth with 34, and Michael Spencer has added 25 as well. Marquez Narvaez has recorded two pass breakups and an interception.
Marcos Ruiz has made all four of his field goal attempts this year, the furthest a 41-yard kick.
Max Wallace is 1-for-2 on field goal attempts this season, while Jack Sokol is fifth in total punting with a 39.7-yard average. Quinn Carver is averaging 22.3 yards on his kickoff returns.
Head Coach Matt Coyne is in his fourth season at the helm of the Bobcats. His record thus far is 6-25, a winning percentage of 24%.
NESCAC Week 5 Schedule
Trinity at Hamilton - 1 PM
Amherst at Bowdoin - 1:30 PM
Wesleyan at Colby - 1:30 PM
Middlebury at Williams - 2 PM
Bates at Tufts - 7 PM
--JUMBOS--
