WATERVILLE, MAINE (November 7, 2026) -- The Tufts University football team held the ball for more than 42 minutes and ran 76 plays to Colby College's 35, grinding out a 26-7 road win over the Mules on Saturday afternoon at Alfond Stadium. 

Sophomore quarterback Nate Johnson threw for 213 yards and a touchdown without an interception and added a rushing score. Christian Shapiro led the ground game with 93 yards and a touchdown, his ninth on the ground this year which tied his career-best for a season. Shapiro now has 26 rushing TDs for his career, second to only Chance Brady and his 33. Shapiro also passed Mike Krueger for the second spot for career TDs with 29, behind only Brady and his 35 total scores. 

Neither offense found a rhythm early. Colby's opening drive covered 34 yards before a punt, and Tufts, which deferred after winning the toss, punted on its first two possessions. The game stayed scoreless into the second quarter.

The Jumbos (5-3) broke through on their first drive of the period, going 66 yards in nine plays. Johnson ran for 11 yards on the first snap, and Shapiro added a 13-yard carry. Johnson then found senior Matt Rios for a 13 yard score with 9:42 left in the half to take the lead, and Caden Lawlor's kick made it 7-0. Rios finished with six catches for 55 yards.

Colby (1-7) answered right back. Jagger Matera led a nine-play, 70-yard drive and hit Jack Nye for a 14-yard touchdown with 3:52 left to tie it at 7-7. 

Tufts used the rest of the half to retake the lead. Starting at its own 16 with 3:44 on the clock, the offense went 15 plays and 69 yards. Caden McCallum picked up nine yards on a key third-and-3, and John Getman caught a 15-yard pass to the Colby 15. Lawlor's 32-yard field goal as time expired made it 10-7 at the break.

The second half started with a scare when Ben Frisoli fumbled the opening kickoff return, but Clay Hinsdale recovered at the Tufts 26. The Jumbos then went 74 yards in 11 plays. Johnson converted a 4th-and-4 with a 6-yard completion to Matt Greco, Shapiro broke loose on the next play for 23 yards to the Colby 2. He then punched in the touchdown from a yard out two plays later. Lawlor's extra point was missed, but Tufts led 16-7.

The defense then took over. Drew Reed broke up two passes on Colby's next possession, which ended in a punt after three plays. Taking over at its own 40, Tufts put together an 11-play, 37-yard drive that took 6:34, and Lawlor connected from 40 yards to make it 19-7. Colby went 0-for-3 through the air in the third quarter and managed just 14 total yards in the period. Justin Keller closed out the quarter by picking up his first career interception, setting up the final Tufts touchdown drive. 

That march ran 16 plays and 61 yards and ate up 10:56, stretching from the end of the third quarter deep into the fourth. Johnson kept it alive with a 5-yard run on fourth-and-2 at the Colby 15, then scored from four yards out with 4:16 remaining to make it 26-7.

Colby's final two possessions of the game produced little. The Mules turned it over on downs at their own 32, Tufts returned the favor by stalling at the Colby 26, and Matera moved the Mules 25 yards in the closing seconds before time ran out at the Tufts 49.

Tufts finished with 362 total yards (213 passing, 149 rushing) to Colby's 175, and piled up 24 first downs to the Mules' 9. The Jumbos controlled the second half 25:44 to 4:16 in time of possession, converted 2-of-3 fourth downs, and went 4-for-4 in the red zone with three touchdowns and a field goal. Colby was 1-of-6 on third down.

Beyond Johnson and Shapiro, who also caught four passes for 29 yards and totaled 122 all-purpose yards, Keller Rogers added five catches for 45 yards and McCallum had 33 rushing yards and 35 receiving yards. Tufts was a stellar 11-for-18 on third downs as well for the game. 

Dazer van Leeuwen led the defense with four tackles, Reed finished with three tackles and two pass breakups, and Denver Elliott had three tackles, including 1.5 for loss. Lawlor went 2-for-2 on field goals and averaged 58.0 yards on five kickoffs. The defense held Colby to 175 total yards, including just 69 on the ground.

Matera finished 8-for-15 for 106 yards and a touchdown, while Nye had five catches for 60 yards and a receiving touchdown. Noah Abdur Rahim had 12 tackles to pace the Mules. 

Tufts will now look ahead to Senior Day next Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Ellis Oval, as the Jumbos finish their 2026 campaign against Middlebury College November 14. 

--JUMBOS--