The football team improved to 3-1 on Saturday with a convincing win over the Mules of Colby College. Combined with losses by Trinity and Middlebury Colleges, the Jeffs are now in a four-way tie for second place in the NESCAC, trailing only the undefeated Jumbos of Tufts University.
Once again the defense led the way for Amherst, holding the Mules scoreless for three quarters. Despite a relatively quiet afternoon offensively, the Jeffs exploded in a 10-minute stretch in the second quarter when they scored all 28 of their points to put the game well out of reach.
After a scoreless first quarter, Colby began the second period with a short punt that allowed the Jeffs to start their drive on their own 41-yard line. Sophomore quarterback Lucas Loeffler began perhaps the most convincing drive he has orchestrated all season. After completions of 10, 11 and 15 yards the Jeffs were in the Colby red zone and Loeffler registered the first points of the day with a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Bullock '10, their third touchdown connection of the season.
Following a Matt Eberhart '10 extra point, the defense got involved in the scoring act, with defensive back A.J. Scola returning an interception for a touchdown on the ensuing Colby drive. The pick was one of two on the day for Scola, and one of four for the Amherst defense as a whole.
Things got even worse for the Mules on the ensuing kickoff when sophomore defensive back Chris Govey forced a fumble that was picked up by runningback Anthony Fuller '09 and brought to the Colby 25. From there, first-year quarterback Dan Pozner combined with tailback Eric NeSmith for another touchdown drive, culminating with a one-yard carry by NeSmith.
After a quick Colby three-and-out, Amherst got right back to work, with Loeffler opening the drive with a 30-yard completion to Jim Eckenrode '09. After that, tailback Aaron Rauh '10 used a series of carries to get the ball down to the two-yard line, where Loeffler capped the Jeffs' scoring for the afternoon with a touchdown pass to tri-captain fullback Chris Gillyard '08.
With a 28-0 advantage, the offense seemed to shut it down for the afternoon, but the defense kept rolling, holding the Mules scoreless in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was a different story however, as Colby found its way into the end zone twice. Tailback Chris Bashaw ran in from three yards out with 11:01 to play to cap a 54-yard drive. The Mules got their final touchdown when quarterback Billy Ryan connected with Roger Bel on a two-yard scoring pass with 4:10 remaining. A missed extra point caused the final score to be 28-13, with Amherst moving to 3-1 and Colby remaining winless at 0-4.
Loeffler had perhaps his best game of the season, going 11-of-20 on the day, compiling 170 yards through the air to go along with his two touchdowns. Rauh finished with 76 yards on 18 carries to lead the running game, while junior Taylor Brown led all receivers with 77 yards. Eckenrode added 63 receiving yards on four catches, while Bullock finished with three receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown. Bashaw led the Mules with 87 yards on 25 carries and teammate Dan Prunier ran for 62 yards on seven rushes. Colby also used two quarterbacks. Billy Ryan finished 9-11 for 48 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and Patrick Burns was 4-10 for 17 yards with three picks.
In addition to the pair of interceptions by Scola, senior tri-captain defensive back Rob Grammer added another and inside linebacker Preston Puryear '09 grabbed one more in the final quarter. The defense also had four sacks on the afternoon, led by defensive lineman Edwin Urey '10, who got to the quarterback twice, while juniors defensive lineman Greg Smith and inside linebacker Jake Spadafora each added a sack. The Lord Jeff defense continued their statistical dominance, holding Colby to 218 yards of total offense and a paltry eight first downs. They also forced six turnovers. They are currently holding opponents to under 10 points a contest.
Nevertheless, the team was somewhat upset with its inability to dominate for a full four quarters. From here on out, every opponent for Amherst will be one of the NESCAC's top teams, and the Jeffs know they will have to play at their highest level to compete successfully. "But we need to better ourselves if we expect to do anything against the rest of our opponents," said Gillyard.
Next week will carry special importance for the Jeffs both in the standings and in the hearts of the student body, as they will host Wesleyan University for Homecoming. Wesleyan, usually scoffed at as a Homecoming opponent, has had one of its best starts in recent memory. The Cardinals stand at 3-1, tied with Amherst for second place in the NESCAC standings.
"Wesleyan is 3-1 and playing very well right now," said offensive lineman and senior tri-captain Dan Guariglia. "We will be working hard in practice all week to prepare and to take home the first leg of the Little Three Championship."
They will have their chance to show the fruits of their effort in front of the entire student body and a horde of alumni on Saturday at historic Pratt field. The game will kickoff at 1:00 p.m. and every self-respecting student should be there. No excuses.