After posting consecutive one-win seasons in 2000 and 2001, the Bobcats seemed to have turned a corner last year by posting a very competitive 3-5 record, but this past Saturday, the Jeffs demonstrated that the Bates turnaround is still a work-in-progress. Amherst amassed an impressive 529 yards of total offense while surrendering just 164 to its host in an utterly dominating football display. "We came ready to play against Bates," explained Head Coach E.J. Mills.
Quad-captain Fletcher Ladd '04, an All-NESCAC selection, led the Jeffs with 166 rushing yards on just 16 carries. Ladd's 90-yard run to pay dirt at the start of the second half-the longest run in school history-put the game safely out of the Bobcats' reach.
After a scoreless first quarter, Amherst scored on all four of its possessions in the second. Junior kicker David Bodner gave Amherst its first points of the season with back-to-back field goals.
The Jeffs got their first touchdown courtesy of a 10-yard run by halfback Matt Monteith '05 with just under two minutes to play in the half.
Boldly, Bates chose to run a two-minute drill rather than run out the clock; the move backfired, however, as the Bobcats were forced to punt after three consecutive incomplete passes. Amherst regained possession of the ball at the Bobcat 45-yard line.
Junior signal-caller Marsh Moseley proceeded to show his hosts how the two-minute offense is run. Moseley went 3-3 and had a nine-yard scramble in a drive that culminated in an 11-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Jim Devine.
Amherst received the ball at the start of the second half and on the second play from scrimmage, Ladd rushed up the middle, broke a tackle and raced down the left sideline to complete his 90-yard touchdown run.
On Amherst's next possession, following a Bobcat three-and-out, Ladd's backup, Ngai Otieno '06, broke a 62-yard touchdown run on the third play of the drive.
With Amherst ahead by a commanding 34-0 margin, early in the second half, Head Coach E.J. Mills liberally inserted his back-ups on the field.
Rookie back-up quarterbacks John Polignone '07 and Nick Kehoe '07, in particular, were able to get some valuable experience behind center during the blowout.
Offensively, the Lord Jeffs had much to be happy about. Amherst proved that it has more depth at running back than any other team in the NESCAC, as support backs Otieno, Monteith and Dom Cama '06 combined for 150 rushing yards and two scores, in addition to the 166 rushing yards garnered by NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week Fletcher Ladd.
Moseley, entering his second full season behind center for the Jeffs, displayed both his talent and poise in a very proficient 15-21-165 performance. Jay Wagstaff '05 was Moseley's favorite target Saturday, snaring seven balls for 80 yards.
"We have big play players at every position on offense this year, and with our defense giving us the ball as much as they do ,we'll be having a lot of successful drives," said Ladd.
Defensively, quad-captain cornerback Paul Whiting '04, fresh off being named to the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team, was the standout for Amherst. Whiting led the team in tackles with six and recorded the game's only interception. For good measure, Whiting recovered a Bobcat fumble inside Jeff territory early in the game.
"Basically, this dominating win was great, and it definitely points to our potential to become a great team, but we still have a long way to go," said Whiting.
Mills also stresses that the 34-0 score of last week's game can be a bit misleading. "There's still plenty to work on and there's still a lot to learn from film," he said.
This week, Amherst will play its first home game against Bowdoin College. Bowdoin, like Bates, has struggled in recent years, but the Polar Bears do boast a solid ground game. Bowdoin lost to Williams College this past weekend by a score of 24-13. The Polar Bears rallied after spotting the Ephs an early 21-point lead.