Box Score HARTFORD, CT – Trinity College overcame a halftime deficit and a fourth quarter deficit on two fourth quarter touchdown passes from QB Henry Foye to WR AJ Jones to outlast upset minded Williams College today on the Bantams' Jessee/Miller Field, 20-13.
The win by Trinity lifts them to 2-0 on the year and extends their turf field win streak on Jessee/Miller Field to 48. Williams is 0-2 to open the season.
Neither Trinity nor Williams could mount a sustained offensive drive until late in the second quarter when Williams fashioned a 9-play, 54-yard drive to post the game's first score with 12 seconds remaining in the half.
Williams' senior running back Alex Scyocurka scored on a two-yard run, but the PAT was wide to the right and the Ephs had to settle for a 6-0 lead at the break.
Trinity opened the second half by receiving the kickoff and marching deep into Williams' territory, where the drive was stopped by an interception at the Williams 11-yard line by linebacker Sean Hurley.
The Bantams forced the Ephs into a three and out and on their next possession. Trinity then put together a scoring drive of 10 plays that covered 57 yards. On second an 17 from the Williams 17, Henry Foye found RB Michael Budness streaking across the middle and Budness caught the pass and went into the end zone to tie the score at six with 5:20 left in the third quarter. Trinity, like Williams, failed to convert its first PAT and the game was deadlocked at six.
The Ephs' Kristian Lapointe returned a Bantam punt eight yards to the Williams 49 with just under two and half minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The Ephs capitalized on the good field position and scored their second TD of the game six plays later. Highlighting the drive were passes by Tom Murphy to Darius Sime for 11 yards and a second to Alex Way for 21 yards.
On the Ephs' opening drive of the game Way had caught a 53-yard pass from Murphy. "I thought Alex Way and Steven Kiesel played well today along with our offensive line," noted Eph head coach Aaron Kelton. "The effectiveness of our offensive line today made it a game."
The Eph TD came on a 6-yard toss from Murphy to Sime, four seconds into the fourth quarter. Joe Mallock's PAT was good and Williams held a 13-6 lead.
It only took the Bantams just under two and a half minutes to tie the score and the TD came on a Foye pass to AJ Jones, covering 28 yards. Ben Rosenblatt's PAT tied the score at 13.
Williams took over after a Trinity punt with three and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter on their own 40-yard line. Alex Scyocurka rushed twice for 20 yards and Marco Hernandez ran once for 4 yards and it looked like the Ephs had established an offensive rhythm and control. On his next carry, however, Scyocurka was hit in the backfield by Mike Weatherby and fumbled the ball. Trinity's Rob Gau recovered on the Bantams' 37.
The Ephs' defense stiffened and forced Trinity to give them back the ball on their own 41 after the Bantams came up two yards short of a first down on fourth and 8.
With 59 yards to go and only 1:09 remaining the Ephs went to the air and Murphy's first two passes were incomplete. Murphy's third attempt through the air was picked off by Brian Dones at the Bantams' 41.
Dones returned the ball 17 yards and then Trinity benefitted greatly from an Eph personal foul that gave Trinity the ball on the Ephs' 28-yard line.
Three Trinity rushes put the ball on the Eph 12-yard line, where Foye found Jones for his second TD catch of
the quarter with just 18 seconds left. Rosenblatt again hit the PAT and Trinity led 20-13.
Williams could only get as far as the Trinity 40-yard line, where the game ended on an incomplete pass by Murphy.
For the second week in a row the Ephs turned the ball over four times, losing one fumble and having three passes intercepted. "Any time you turn the ball over with a negative margin it changes the dynamics of the game," said Kelton. "They are a good team that takes advantages of turnovers. Turnovers stop your momentum and again today they were huge."
On the day Eph QB Tom Murphy threw for 266 yards and one TD connecting on 21 of 43 passes.
The Bantams' Henry Foye was 16 of 31 for 225 yards and three TDs. Foye was picked off once.
Alex Scyocurka was the Ephs' top rusher carrying 21 times for 81 yards and one TD. Ben Crick was Trinity's top rusher netting 106 yards on 15 carries.
Trinity's AJ Jones led all receivers with five catches on the day for 92 yards and two TDs. Alex Way was the top Eph receiver gaining 98 yards on four catches.
Eph junior defensive lineman Adam Datema led his team in tackles with 10, which included three solos, seven assists, a sack and a tackle for a loss. "Our defensive line had a great day today with Datema, Ernest Higginbotham, James Howe and Mike Flynn all making big plays."
Defensively the Bantams were led by Mike Weatherby. Weatherby registered 11 tackles (6 solos), had three tackles for a loss and forced a fumble.
"We're showing signs of improvement as a young club and I think the guys are starting to understand what college football is all about," Kelton stated. "We'll take the positives with us into next week and keep working to get better."
Next Saturday the Ephs will host Bates (2-0) at 1:00 PM in their first home game of the season on Weston Field.
