Ephs Lose on the Road at Amherst

Williams (2-5) traveled to Amherst (3-5) for another installment in one of the most storied rivalries in college sports. The Mammoths used a late score and a game-clinching turnover to secure a win. Amherst's defeat of Williams brought the all-time record to 75-57-6 in favor of the Ephs.

Williams received the ball to begin the game and converted one first down before punting. On the ensuing drive, Williams's Jack Wallace forced a fumble, but Amherst was able to recover the ball. Amherst later punted to return possession to the Ephs, and Williams quarterback Owen McHugh led a 17-play drive that lasted nearly ten minutes. Unfortunately for the Ephs, the drive ended near the goal line with an interception by the Mammoths' Christian Moore. Moore returned the pick for 76 yards, and Amherst quarterback Mike Piazza found Michael Quarter on a 20-yard touchdown reception on the very next play to open scoring at 7-0. Moore was involved on the next drive also, as he recovered a fumble and returned it to the end zone to quickly expand the Amherst lead to 14-0. 

Williams responded in strong fashion after the two turnovers with a 17-play, 73-yard touchdown drive finished by a short pass from McHugh to Sam Jaffe. An Ivan Shuran extra point made it 14-7. Amherst flirted with another score right before the half, but they were unable to convert and the lead stayed at seven into the break. Ephs coach Mark Raymond said he trusted his team to keep playing after the early turnovers. "Our guys hung in their… I expected they would and they did," he said. 

The second half opened with Holden Gehring picking off Piazza on the fourth play from scrimmage. Gehring played both sides of the ball, with 4 receptions for 43 yards on offense and the interception. The possession did not amount to a score, however, as a costly personal foul brought back a McHugh rush and set up a third-and-long that the Ephs did not convert. Another stroke of good luck befell Williams on their next defensive drive, as a recovered loose ball brought them possession on the Amherst 3-yard line. Another short pass from McHugh, this time to Paul Harshbarger, knotted the score at 14-14. Both sides traded possessions for the rest of the third quarter. 

Amherst was driving as the fourth quarter began, and that drive ended in a 4-yard touchdown pass for the Mammoths, bringing the game to its final score at 21-14. The Ephs threatened once again near the end of the game, but another interception by Moore sealed the victory for Amherst. 

McHugh finished the day with 70 yards on 9-16 passing and the two scores. He also added 63 yards on the ground. The Ephs' leading rusher, Jon Oris, gained 111 yards on the day. Coach Raymond praised the run game, which accounted for 227 yards combined, and noted that the game plan going in to the day was going to focus on the ground attack. "We have a good offensive line… we just have to put the ball in the end zone," he said. 

The Ephs defense was led by Tim Landolfi, who had 5 tackles, and Drew Michalek, who added 4 more.  

Williams (2-6) will play at Bates next weekend. Amherst finishes their season 4-5.