Tufts edges Williams 35-28

WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. --Tufts improved their record to 2-1 with this road victory, while Williams falls to 1-2. The Ephs look to come back strong next week on the road against Middlebury. Tufts will play at home against Bowdoin next Saturday evening. Both Williams (491) and Tufts (432) had tremendous offensive efforts fueling an exciting game.
 
In the high scoring affair featuring lots of deep passes and swings of momentum, the Tufts Jumbos were able to use their 14 point lead in the second half of the game to cushion against an impending Williams comeback. With long touchdowns, a blocked field goal, and a bunch of exciting plays, this game was enthralling for both viewers and players.
 
Tufts received the opening kickoff and followed up with a field-changing pass over the middle for a long play for a first and goal to go. With the endzone on their heels, the Williams defense held strong with a hard hitting stop on fourth and short by Drew Michalek and James Hemmer. This was the first of many crucial tackles and plays made by those two.
 
The game remained scoreless until Mario Fischetti punctured the Tufts defense for a red zone touchdown following a 'fake-field goal-pass' from Dan Vaughn to Sam Jaffee to give Williams first and goal.
 
After a series of both Williams and Tufts punts, the Jumbos evened the score with a deep touchdown pass into the endzone thrown by quarterback Michael Berlutti to Phil Lutz. Williams quickly answered as Mario Fischetti led the team down to field with a long kickoff return, and a rushing touchdown from 36 yards out.
 
On the next possession, up 14-7, Williams forced a Tufts punt and drove down the field, and with 0:11 on the clock attempted a midrange field goal. However Jumbos defensive line blocked Ivan Shuran's attempt and Vic Garza scooped up the ball and returned it for a touchdown to even the score and conclude the half with the score tied at 14.
 


Tufts opened the second half with a touchdown pass over the middle from Berlutti to Jaden Richardson to put the Jumbos up 20-14, but the PAT went wide.
 
On the next Williams possession, quarterback Jack Dickinson capped off a 59-yard drive scoring on an 8 yard run, Ivan Shuran's PAT put Williams up 21-20.
 
Tufts wasted no time in answering the Ephs touchdown when Berlutti connected on a 40 yard touchdown pass to Jaden Richardson and then tossed a two point conversion pass to Phil Lutz giving Tufts a 28-21 lead.
 
With 14:11 remaining in the game Tufts extended their lead to 35-21 when Berlutti this time connected on a 19-yard pass to Jackson Butler.
 
Williams would get no closer than 7 points. The Ephs' final score came on a 31-yard pass from Dickinson to Mike DeGasperis on a fourth and 10 play with 9:42 to play and the Shuran PAT made the score 35-28. Tufts
 
Berlutti connected on 28 of 32 passes for 402 yards and 4 TDs. Mario Fischetti was the standout offensively for the Ephs rushing for 133 yards and scoring 2 touchdowns while also returning punts and kickoffs.
 
Defensively Tufts was led by Shane reiner and Marty Drouillar who bothnotched 7 solo tackles and 2 assists, while the Ephs received 11 solo tackles from defensive back rocco Giandomenico
 
Eph head coach Mark Raymond remarked after the game, "I love this team. It's a great group, this team has a lot of toughness, a lot of heart, and I don't expect anything less than that. Obviously we just had too many self-inflicted errors today and Tufts is a good football team. You can't do that against someone as talented as them. We're a good team, a really good team, but we're just not good enough to overcome some of the mistakes we made today."