In a game in which the Amherst two-headed running back core totaled just 22 yards, everything else had to go right for the Jeffs to have a chance. Yet, with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and a costly interception, that wasn’t the case, and Middlebury College stormed to a 31-14 home victory this past Saturday.
At first, Amherst seemed like it would be able to keep up with the Panthers. The Jeffs took an early 7-0 lead on a 12-yard strike from sophomore quarterback Alex Vetras to sophomore receiver Ben Kettering and went into halftime tied at 14. But a costly Vetras interception to start the second half led to a Middlebury touchdown, and from there, the Panthers ran away with the game.
Following Saturday’s disappointing performance, Vetras was hopeful that the lost game wouldn’t lead to a lost season. “After a crushing loss like this, it is important everyone realizes all our goals are intact and we still control our season,” said Vetras, who went 25-40 for 262 yards and a touchdown, in addition to the interception. “Williams, The Little Three, and winning the NESCAC are all still in front of us.”
Kettering is settling into his position as one of Vetras’ favorite receivers, as he hauled in eight catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. Another touchdown in the waning moments of the game slipped through his fingers. “I love Big Ben’s demeanor on the field,” said Vetras. “He’s aggressive, confident and extremely physical. You want to get him the ball.”
The running game, which previously had been averaging 199 yards per game, the second highest average in the league, was held more than 170 yards below that mark on Saturday. “They were putting eight in the box all game,” said junior receiver Brandon Bullock. “They knew that we had been running well all season and basically dared us to run against them. When that didn’t work, we had to go to the air.”
One of the big stories of the day was the defense, which was unable to stop the Middlebury offense, despite the admirable effort of senior captain linebacker Guy Matisis. “This loss is a wake up call to our defense. We know we are a good unit—we need to play to our potential,” said Matisis.
A key moment in the game was a second quarter play during which junior kicker Matt Eberhart had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown, putting Middlebury up 14-7. “The punt block was a big turning point in the game. It changed the momentum of the game to their favor and we never recovered from it,” said Eberhart. From that point on, Middlebury dominated the clock and ran away with the game.
“The punt is the biggest play in football,” said Head Coach E.J. Mills. “And we made a critical mistake that cost us dearly.”
With the first loss of the season coming early, the Jeffs have time to fix some of their weaknesses before big games with Trinity (3-0) and Williams Colleges (2-1). In addition, the Jeffs have a chance to heal up some of their ailing players.
One of the injuries came Saturday on the offensive side of the ball, when another one of Vetras’ favorite receivers, Bullock, suffered a knee injury in the second half. Bullock put up 64 yards on seven catches before leaving the game. “I’m worried about not being healthy for the next game, but am confident that I will make a speedy recovery,” said Bullock. “And I know that if I can’t go, the other receivers will step up as they have been doing all year.”
Looking forward to next week, the Jeffs will host the Colby College Mules, also 2-1, who are coming off of a victory over Wesleyan. “I believe strongly in this team,” said Mills, “We need to have an outstanding week on the practice field getting ready to play 60 minutes on Saturday … We have a tremendous group of young men and I know we will be ready to play a very talented Colby team on Saturday.”