The Jeffs kicked off to the Cardinals to start the game, but it wasn't long before cornerback A.J. Scola '09 intercepted his fifth pass of the season to give Amherst the ball at midfield. On their first offensive play of the game, the Jeffs grabbed the fans' attention with a little trickery. Amherst ran a flea-flicker to perfection, ending in a 40-yard completion by quarterback Lucas Loeffler '10 to wide receiver Jim Eckenrode '09. A five-yard incidental facemask brought the ball down to the Wesleyan five yard line, which was close enough for running back Aaron Rauh '10. On his second attempt, Rauh barreled into the end zone for the first score of the afternoon.
Amherst's next drive also looked destined for success when tailback Eric NeSmith '09 burst into the Wesleyan secondary for a long run. However, as NeSmith crossed the 15-yard line, Cardinal defensive back Anthony Fiola stripped the ball from his grasp. Wesleyan recovered the ball, and a 62-yard pass from quarterback Zach Librizzi had the Cardinals knocking on the door. The Jeffs' defense halted them at the six-yard line, forcing them to settle for a field goal.
The second quarter began with a Matt Eberhart '10 field goal that reestablished the Jeffs' seven-point lead. After the Amherst defense stopped Wesleyan on a three-and-out, the offense went right to work. NeSmith found daylight on a run up the middle and went 44 yards before the Cardinals could bring him down. Receiver Mike Myers '08 then made a fantastic catch on his knees just inside the Wesleyan end zone pylon. From there, Loeffler finished the drive himself, scoring on a quarterback sneak for his first career rushing touchdown.
Not to be outdone, Rauh put on an impressive display after yet another Cardinal three-and-out. Rauh needed just two carries and 52 seconds to put another Amherst touchdown on the board. After a five-yard run on the opening play of the drive, Rauh went 55 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown.
The ensuing extra point was an adventure; nevertheless, it seemed like nothing could go wrong for Amherst during Homecoming. After a high snap, first-year placeholder Alex Vetras took the ball and rolled right, where he was able to find tight end Dan Savage '10 wide open in the end zone for a two-point conversion. The deuce capped the scoring in the first half, leaving Amherst up by a score of 25-3.
The Cardinals put together their best drive of the afternoon to open the third quarter, going 54 yards for a touchdown. There was more extra-point adventure, however, as linebacker Guy Matisis '09 got a hand on the ball to block the kick and hold the Cardinals at 9.
The rest of the afternoon flew by, as the Jeffs continued to use strong defense to keep the ball out of the Cardinals' talons and a consistent running game to grind down the clock and reduce the risk of turnovers. A 36-yard field goal by Eberhart in the fourth quarter rounded out the scoring and brought the final tally to 28-9.
The final statistics underlined Amherst's dominance on the ground, and earned running back Rauh NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts. Rauh gained 117 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns. NeSmith, however, was the Jeffs' leading rusher on the day, gaining an impressive 146 yards on 22 carries. All told, Amherst racked up 256 rushing yards, while Wesleyan was unable to penetrate the Jeffs' tough run defense, and actually went in reverse on the ground, losing 15 yards on 25 attempts. Loeffler was 5-12 on the afternoon for 64 yards and one interception.
The Amherst defense, which is still holding opponents to under 10 points a contest, had another stellar afternoon. They held the Cardinals to under 250 total yards, and also came up with two interceptions on the day. In addition to Scola's pick on the opening drive, senior defensive back Chris Mottau also had an interception. Unfortunately, Mottau later had to leave the game with an injury, and was seen with his arm in a sling on the sideline late in the contest.
After Saturday's game, the Jeffs sit atop the NESCAC standings. However, they have plenty of company. Trinity University, Middlebury College and Tufts University all share Amherst's 4-1 record. The Jeffs' final standing will be determined in their final three games, as the competition will heat up significantly.
This week, the team will travel to Medford, Mass,. to take on the Jumbos of Tufts, who suffered their first loss of the season to Williams College. After that, Amherst will host the Trinity Bantams on family weekend. Then it's off to Williamstown the following week for the annual "Biggest Little Game in America" against the rival Ephs. Should the Jeffs win all three, they will be guaranteed at least a share of the NESCAC championship.