At 3-1, Amherst hasn't played any easy games this year. The team fought deep into the waning minutes of several fourth quarters to secure victories, but the games only get harder and more intense from here on out. Amherst will play Hartford, Conn.'s NESCAC juggernaut, Trinity College, in the seventh week of the season-the 101st meeting between the teams. Additionally, the Jeffs can expect to face dogfights in the games that comprise the Little Three series. Dogfighting is something Amherst has done a lot of this year.
On offense, the first four games Amherst has played have one unifying characteristic: The Jeffs' success has depended on their ability to run the ball. In the season opener against Hamilton College, the Jeffs tallied 320 yards on the ground, which led them to a 28-3 victory over the Continentals. A key in the Amherst rushing attack has been using a bevy of talent at running back, including Ngai Otieno '06, Dom Cama '06, Will Beeson '07, Mark Hannon '07 and newcomer Eric NeSmith '09. These running backs-and their eclectic styles-have provided Amherst with the ability to call on their respective strengths in certain situations. Otieno is the team's speedster who can stretch a handoff to the sideline and turn upfield before fans have a chance to swallow their popcorn. Cama and Beeson are bruising runners who are just as content delivering a blow as taking it, while Hannon and NeSmith rely on a combination of speed and savvy to exploit a defense's weaknesses. So far, these four running backs have compiled over 1000 yards for Amherst on the ground.
Otieno may eclipse the 1000-yard mark on his own this season (he is already at 463) if the Amherst offensive line of Gavin Weeks '06, Dan Guariglia '08, Matthew Mascioli 07, Nathaniel Riccardi '07 and Ryan Smith '07 continue to stay on their blocks and provide holes to squeeze through.
The big men did just that last week for Amherst against previously-undefeated Colby College, allowing the Jeffs to rack up nearly 250 yards in the process. After several first half drives stalled deep inside White Mule territory, the Jeffs came roaring out of the gates at the start of the second half and scored 28 unanswered points to close the game
But despite the ease with which the offense has run the ball, they have not had as much success holding on to it. In Amherst's only loss of the season (to Bowdoin College on Sept. 24), the offense amassed 282 yards of rushing and still couldn't come away with a mark in its win column. Amherst learned the hard way that it doesn't matter how many yards an offense gains if it can't convert those drives into touchdowns. The Jeffs turned the ball over a grimace-inducing seven times during the game. The only thing uglier than watching fumble after fumble was seeing a team with nearly 500 yards of total offense lose the game.
While the Jeff offense has been running downhill, the defense has made opposing attacks look like they were running up the same slope. In the Fall Break tilt with Middlebury College, the Amherst defense convincingly took the growl and fight out of the Panther onslaught. Middlebury was allowed to cross the 50-yard line only once during the game.
A big reason for the stinginess of this defense has been the outstanding play of its defensive linemen. L.J. Spinnato '06, Dan Kovolisky '06 and Brendan McKee '07 have combined for nearly 60 tackles and three sacks so far. Opposing quarterbacks face not only the hazard of Amherst's secondary, but also the prospect of being hurried, sacked, pummeled and pushed by the Amherst defensive line. Spinnato has had 4.5 tackles for a loss, and McKee has spent some extensive time in the backfield of opponents this year. Complementing the defensive line play has been an active corps of linebackers. Perhaps the group's most impressive performance (and there have been several) came against Middlebury when the Panthers amassed a measly 40 yards of rushing. In the game, Justin Roemer '06, Greg Muecke '07, Jake Spadafora '08 and Kelvin Coker '06 combined for 30 tackles in the contest. This group of linebackers has also been effective in taking away yardage–they have 12 tackles for a loss. In the takeaway department, Muecke has been particularly successful at recovering fumbles-he's pilfered three-which says something about the tenacity of this Amherst defense that has allowed opponents to rush for a paltry 321 total yards in four contests
But neither the offense nor the defense is limited to high marks in just one category-they try to do everything well, and in most cases succeed.
Take, for instance, the ability of the offense to put the ball in the air. Not only is throwing the ball important because it allows the offense greater flexibility against opponents and balances out the running attack, but as Mills aptly put it, "we have to throw the ball to win."
The passing attack was probably at its finest in the 28-9 win over Colby, as quarterback Nick Kehoe '07 threw for 196 yards through the crisp Maine air. The Amherst offense seemed sluggish in the first half, but it was revived when Kehoe hit his favorite target and classmate, Mark Hannon, for a 78-yard touchdown strike to open the third quarter. The renewed intensity of the second half was clear. "In the second half we struck. A 78-yard touchdown pass and after that we just pounded them," said Mills.
All year, Kehoe's passes have been hauled in by a group of receivers who pride themselves on their ability not only to catch the ball but to turn minimal gains into significant chunks of yardage. Leading the group are Hannon, Justin Macione '07, Mike Myers '08 and Parnell Adam '07. Hannon has compiled 241 yards of receiving thus far, and he alone accounts for half of Amherst's receiving productivity.
The air patrolled by the Amherst defense has not been so friendly, as oppenents have amassed a total of 330 yards receiving in this no-fly zone. The Amherst secondary has kept the airways treacherous for opposing quarterbacks; they have registered four interceptions to date. Mike Salerno '07 leads the secondary in tackles with 23, and along with Chris Mottau '08, Rob Grammer '08 and Nick Zeiler '06, the secondary has accounted for over 70 tackles. One of the strengths of this season's secondary is the ability to get between an opposing receiver and the ball as they have deflected 22 passes on the season. On 24 pass attempts, Middlebury was only able to gain 66 yards. Similarly, Colby attempted to throw the ball 22 times and was only successful on six tries, gaining just 55 yards.
Members of the secondary have been consistently contributing not only to keeping the opponents off the scoreboard, but also in handing the ball back to their own offense. Mottau, who had a career high of eight tackles against Middlebury, has already forced a fumble, had two pass breakups and and interception. Also impressively, Grammer has one interception and a team-high six pass breakups. Needless to say, the secondary has been a major contributor to the overall success of the team this season.
On Saturday, Amherst will take on a winless Wesleyan team at Pratt Field. Despite the fact that Wesleyan has failed to win a game yet this season, they have all the pieces in place for a potent offense and a relentless defense. The Cardinal offense, led by sophomore quarterback Zach Librizzi, has trumped opponents in passing yardage-878 yards to 551- which emphasizes the speed and big-play potential of this offense. Mills called Wesleyan a "formidable opponent" and said that the team had fallen on "hard luck" as of late. Considering Wesleyan's double-overtime loss to Bates College last weekend, that remark seems to be an understatement. Wesleyan has dominated their opponents in time of possession and total offensive yardage this year. All told, the numbers suggest that this team should not be taken lightly. "Wesleyan has been a little bit snakebit lately, and they are capable of beating us," concluded Mills.
If Amherst plays to its capabilities, however, the Cardinals will fly south to Middleton, Conn. Saturday afternoon with another loss. The latest contest in the storied history of the Little Three kicks off at 1 p.m.