The football team suffered a difficult loss on Saturday to Williams College. The atmosphere at Pratt Field was electric, and throughout the game Amherst's loyal fans continued to cheer for their team. And they had much to cheer about, considering Amherst's accomplishments this season: Its offense was among the top three in the NESCAC, and the defense was one of the best in Div. III football. The Homecoming game also marked Head Coach E.J. Mills' 10th year with the Jeffs, and he has compiled an impressive 57-23 record thus far. Though the game may not have ended ideally, at the end fans clapped in recognition of the achievements of this year's senior class. "Though the loss was disappointing, the senior class accomplished much in our four years," said offensive lineman Matt Mascioli '07.

In the first half, the Amherst defense put up a strong front and stymied the Williams offense for much of the first quarter. But with 5:10 remaining in the first quarter, the Ephs scored on a 74-yard touchdown pass. The Williams offense was very effective throwing the ball, accumulating almost 400 yards of passing. Despite the success Williams scored on a 74-yard touchdown pass. The Williams offense was very effective throwing the ball, accumulating almost 400 yards of passing. Despite the success Williams had in the air, the Amherst secondary fought hard all game and never gave up. Senior quad-captain defensive back Mike Salerno had 11 tackles on the day including one for a loss. Defensive back Chris Mottau '08 and linebacker Guy Matisis '09 contributed one pass breakup each.

The Jeff offense marched deep into Williams' territory three times in the first quarter. With one failed field goal attempt and two forced punts, Amherst couldn't come away with a score. In the second quarter, the Jeff defense was assailed by Williams' passing attack. The Ephs had two touchdown passes in the quarter and one rushing touchdown, which put Amherst down by 27 points.

Williams' heavy reliance on passing was an indication of Amherst's superb defensive line. The corps of senior quad-captain Brendan McKee, Jon Attridge '08 and Dakota Jones '07 has been effective at stopping opponents' running games all year. The three players combined for 15 tackles during the game. A staple of E.J. Mills' defenses is that they are always stout against the run, and this year's group was no exception. Williams was only able to muster 153 rushing yards compared to its very large passing total.

When the second half began, there was a definite sense of urgency in Amherst's offensive play. Williams scored at the beginning of the half, calling the Jeffs to put some points on the board. They did just that in the middle of the third quarter as Aaron Rauh '10 ran for a touchdown. The score sparked the defense who gave up only three points in the rest of the game.

On offense, Amherst relied pretty evenly on both running and passing. Signal caller quad-captain Nick Kehoe '07 was 18-33 on the day, totaling 104 yards. Key receivers were senior quad-captain Mark Hannon, who had four catches for 33 yards, and Justin Macione '07 who also had four receptions. Taylor Brown '09 also contributed to the Jeffs' offensive effort catching two passes for 24 yards.Amherst's greatest offensive success came from running the ball. Standout tailback Eric NeSmith '09 had nine carries for 57 yards; Rauh, who had 48 yards rushing, have been the workhorses this year for the Amherst ground attack. Will Beeson '07 also contributed greatly to the running game all year, providing the experience and leadership that helped shape Rauh and NeSmith's performances.

The football team ends the season with a respectable 5-3 record and a fourth-place finish in the NESCAC. Amherst fans, players and coaches look forward to next year with optimism.

NESCAC Notes

Williams finished the season ranked first in the NESCAC with a record of 8-0. Trinity College finished second at 7-1, while Middlebury College, 6-2, and Amherst, 5-3, followed in third and fourth place, respectively.