2025 Game Recaps - nescacfootballreport.com

Week 1 – September 13, 2025

Game recaps – Week #1

Headlines:

Colby stuns Trinity behind strong defensive effort
Wesleyan topples Middlebury as Kelly shines
Bates rallies to top Amherst in 2OTs
Williams strong run game topples Hamilton
Tufts’ defense stymies Bowdoin

Colby 13, Trinity 6

Bottom Line: Colby stuns Trinity behind strong defensive effort

Official links:

Colby: Mules Prevail 13-6 Over Trinity to Begin 2025 Campaign – Colby College

Trinity: Football Falls at Colby, 13-6, in Season Opener – Trinity College

What we learned – Colby:

Colby had last beat Trinity in 1995, but Saturday the Mules snapped a 13-game losing streak
The Mule defense was impressive, holding Trinity to under 200 yds of offense and just 11 first downs
Colby registered seven sacks, four interceptions, a forced fumble and scored a TD on an 8 yd INT return by DL Montrail Holmes
QB Miles Drake was 16-26 for 192 yds but had 3 INTs and took 4 sacks. He engineered the game winning TD drive in the 4^th, going 4-5 for 62 yds
WR Jack Nye, the ’24 Rookie of the Year in the NESCAC, continued to thrive catching 7-99 yds
The Mule running backs rushed 23 times for just 52 yds and the offense finished 2 for 13 on 3rd down
The Colby defensive linemen were impressive: Jack Mullen had 7 tackles, and 2 sacks while Cooper Bunnell had 5 tackles and 3.5 sacks

What we learned – Trinity:

Trinity’s offense had 5 turnovers (4 INTs and one fumble) and gave up a pick six
The Bantam QBs struggled: Jaxon Carroll started the 1^st half going 6-11 for 53 yds with 1 TD and 1 INT, while QB Tyler Aronson played the 2nd half going 8-15 for 90 yds but throwing 3 INTs
Trinity had 14 yds of offense in the 2^nd quarter and 13 yds in the 4^th quarter
WR Nolan O’Brien caught 4-51 yds with a TD
CB Tyler Roberts picked off Colby in the end zone, thwarting a 15 play 65 yd drive by the Mules at the end of the 1^st half
Including Roberts play, the Bantams only allowed one score on three Colby red zone chances
LBs Aaron Pouwai and Shane Mosia combined for 17 total tackles and DB Bryce Ferrell returned an INT for 29 yds
Both teams missed PATs

Wesleyan 31, Middlebury 17

Bottom Line: Wesleyan topples Middlebury as Kelly shines

Official links:

Middlebury: Football Falls To Wesleyan In Season Opener – Middlebury College

Wesleyan: Cardinals Score 24 Unanswered in Season-Opening Home Win over Middlebury – Wesleyan University

What we learned – Wesleyan:

Freshman WR Donte Kelly exploded on to the NESCAC scene, catching 7-118 yds which included a 51 yd TD on a shovel pass. Kelly added a 34 yd KO return.
QB Matt Fitzsimons took the reins on the Cardinals’ third drive and finished 15-22 for 204 yds and 1 TD. Fitzsimons did not have an INT nor was he sacked
After giving up a FG on the opening drive, the Wesleyan defense held Middlebury to just 51 yds on their next 6 drives, building a 24-3 lead.
DB AJ Morris had a pick six, returning an INT for a 60 yd TD
LB Austin Baker had 10 total tackles and 1 TFL

What we learned – Middlebury:

The Panthers matched the Wesleyan offense, generating 289 yds versus the Cardinals’ 296 yds, but had 2 INTs, including a pick six and went 3 of 13 on 3^rd down
QB Brian Moran 22-37 for 261 yds with 1 TD and 2 INTs
WR Michael Ahonen shined, catching 7-108 yds and WR Luis Kuehberger snagged 5-68 yds
Middlebury could not run the ball effectively: its running backs rushed 17 times for 5 yds
The Panther defense held Wesleyan running backs to 23-66 yds
DL Casy Adjei had 7 total tackles and 1 TFL

Bates 26, Amherst 23 (2OT)

Bottom Line: Bates rallies to top Amherst in double OT

Official links:

Bates: Football rallies to defeat Amherst 26-23 in double overtime thriller – Bates College

Amherst: Mammoths drop season opener in 2OT at Bates, 26-23 – Amherst College

What we learned – Bates:

Down 23-7 entering the 4^th quarter, Bates rallied to score 16 unanswered points and kicked a game winning FG in the 2^nd OT
The Bobcats had 20 first downs to Amherst’s 11, outgained the Mammoths on the ground by 75 yds and possessed the ball for 36 minutes to Amherst’s 24
Bates failed on a 2-point conversion trailing 23-13 in the 4^thbut were able to score twice more in 4th quarter to tie the game
QB Jack Perry entered the game late in the 2^nd quarter and went 7-14 for 110 yds and 3 TDs hitting WR Quinn Carver for a tying 35 yd TD pass with 1:52 remaining
Sergio Beltran made plays in all phases of the offense: he threw 4-6 for 45 yds, rushed 23-61 yds and caught 2-23 yds
Ryan Rozich continued to be an impact player, notching 11 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and a fumble recovery

What we learned – Amherst:

After scoring 3 TDs and a FG in the 3^rd quarter, Amherst could only muster 1 first down in the 4^th quarter, with their drives ending in a fumble, an interception, 2 three and outs and one four and out
The Mammoths generated 180 yds of offense in the 3^rd quarter, but just 16 net yards in the 4th and the 2 overtime periods
Amherst missed a 43 yd FG at the end of the 1^st OT that would have won the game
QB Marek Hill was 18-29 for 162 yds, 2 TDs but 1 INT; he rushed 8-16 yds
WR Carter Jung caught 5-69 yds and 1 TD
The Mammoth defense held Bates running game (excluding sacks) to less than 2.8 yds per carry
LB Carson Skotak had a monster game: 17 total tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, a QB hurry and a pass breakup
Star defender Luke Harmon finished with 14 total tackles, 1 sacks, 2 other TFLs and 1 forced fumble

Williams 24, Hamilton 17

Bottom Line: Williams strong rush game topples Hamilton

Official links:

Williams: Ephs take down Hamilton, 24-17, in season opener – Williams College

Hamilton: Football falls to Williams, Kurzum ’27 throws for career-high 298 yards – Hamilton College

What we learned – Williams:

Williams rushed for 258 yds and 3 TDs and averaged just under 6.0 per carry
Owen Johansen played QB and threw just 5-8 for 51 yds but rushed 11-84 yds including a key 30 yd run on 2^nd and 21
RB Jon Oris rushed 20-101 yds and RB Matt Bott added 8-56 yds
Up 17-7 in the 4^thquarter, the Ephs’ drive comprised 6 consecutive runs of 11, 11, 24, 13 and 11 yds before a 5 yd TD run by Oris
The Williams defense held Hamilton to just 60 yds on 22 carries, limiting the Continentals to 2.2 yds per carry
LB Luke Mangini had 8 total tackles and 1 sack
WR/DB Holden Gering had 42 of Williams’ 51 receiving yds and had 2 total tackles as a starter at CB

What we learned – Hamilton:

Hamilton’s offense started slowly, including 3 three and outs on their 5 first half drives
The Continentals had two long drives of 15 and 13 plays, but could not cash those into TDs and in both cases, missed the FG attempts
Down 17-0 in the 4^th quarter, Hamilton scored 2 TDs and 1 FG on its final 3 drives
QB Luke Kurzum finished 26-40 for 298 yds and 2 TDs but was sacked 4 times
RB Alistair Orr caught 8-128 yds including a 78 yd TD catch; he added 25 yds rushing
LB Mat Bucher led Hamilton with 11 total tackles

Tufts 13, Bowdoin 0

Bottom Line: Tufts’ defense stymies Bowdoin

Official links:

Tufts: Football Stifles Polar Bears To Open 2025 Campaign With 13-0 Road Win – Tufts University

Bowdoin: Bowdoin Falls in Football Season Opener to Tufts – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Tufts:

Tufts outgained Bowdoin 318 to 175 yds, and possessed the ball 37 mins to only 23 minutes for Bowdoin
The Jumbos showed a balanced approach of 149 yds on the ground and 169 yds through the air
Tufts opened the game with 4 drives of 84, 61, 67 and 70 yds, which yielded a TD and 2 FGs
QB Justin Keller got the start and went 12-19 for 143 yds and rushed 10-35 yds
RB Christian Shapiro rushed 17-84 yds, and Chartellis Reece returned to the Jumbos this season and had a 7 yd TD run
Tufts defense held the Polar Bears to just 8 first downs in the game

What we learned – Bowdoin:

Bowdoin’s offense had 2 INTs, 1 fumble, went 2 for 9 on 3^rd down and 0 for 2 on 4^th down
The Polar Bear running backs and wideouts rushed for just 10-33 yds
QB Michael Wolfendale was 7-14 for 101 yds and 2 INTs while rushing 15-41 yds
WR Conrad Babka had a 41 yd catch
Freshman DB Steven Vargo had 9 total tackles and a PBU
LB Zach Taylor had 8 tackles and 1 TFL

Week 2- September 20, 2025

Game recaps – Week #2

Headlines:

Tufts nips Wesleyan behind strong special teams play
Williams blasts Colby behind strong rushing game
Amherst jumps on Hamilton early to secure the win
O’Brien stars as Trinity topples Bates
Middlebury dominates Bowdoin

Tufts 22, Wesleyan 20

Bottom Line:

Official links:

Tufts: Jumbo Football Outlasts Wesleyan 22-20 – Tufts University

Wesleyan: Late Comeback Bid Falls Just Short for Football in 22-20 Loss at Tufts – Wesleyan University

What we learned – Tufts:

Tufts stopped Wesleyan’s tying two-point attempt inside of the final two minutes with LBs Riley Yaker and Johnny Ferrelli making a critical stop
The Jumbos offense started the game with 3 three and outs, but then scored on 3 of their next 4 drives
QB Justin Keller threw 12-for-17 for just 96 yds but also rushed 8-57 yds. Keller had 1 INT but was not sacked
RB Christian Shapiro rushed 13-65 yds and 1 TD
WR Kellen Rodgers had a key 71 yd kickoff return down to the Wesleyan 26 to set up a Tufts’ score
DB Cameron Pineda had a 64 yd pick six to go with 8 total tackles

What we learned – Wesleyan:

The Cardinal offense outgained Tufts 261-219 yds, but threw a pick six, missed a FG, had a punt blocked for a safety and yielded 146 yds in kickoff return
QB Matt Fitzsimons threw 14-for-24 for 137 yds and 1 TD and rushed 7-26 with 2 TDs.
Freshman WR Donte Kelly caught 5-67 yds
Cardinal running backs rushed 20-86 yds, averaging 4.3 yds per carry
The Wesleyan defense yielded just 9 first downs and LB AJ Morris had a key INT in the 4^th quarter to set the Cardinals up for a late TD
DB Dylan Connors had 9 total tackles including 1 TFL

Williams 38, Colby 0

Bottom Line: Williams blasts Colby behind strong rushing game

Official links:

Williams: Ephs run past Colby, 38-0, in home opener – Williams College

Colby: Mules Show Grit Despite Road Loss at Williams – Colby College

What we learned – Williams:

Williams rushed for an impressive 364 yds and outgained the Mules 465 -143 yds
QB Owen Johansen had 11 carries for a staggering 223 yds, which included a 71 yd TD run and a 58 yd scamper, as well as 3 rushing TDs
Two other Eph RBs were impactful: Jon Oris rushed 20-87 yds and Jon Marvan 12-58 yds
Johansen threw 10-17 for 101 yds; he had 2 TD passes and 1 INT
WR Jimmy Montesanto was a red zone threat catching 2 TDs of 9 and 7 yds
LB Zakkai Moore had 9 total tackles and DL Ben Yedid had 6 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and another TFL

What we learned – Colby:

Colby could only generate 143 yds of total offense, and its first five drives included a failed 4^th down conversion, two fumbles lost and an interception
QB Miles Drake threw 15-25 for 102 yds, had 2 INTs and was sacked 4 times
The top 2 Mule running backs combined to rush 14-26 yds
Colby had just 1 TFL on the day
DB Drew Ramos led Colby with 12 total tackles
LB Declan McNamara had 10 tackles

Amherst 23, Hamilton 13

Bottom Line: Amherst strong starts

Official links: Amherst jumps on Hamilton early to secure the win

Amherst: Mammoths drop season opener in 2OT at Bates, 26-23 – Amherst College

Hamilton: Football falls behind Amherst early in 23-13 NESCAC road setback – Hamilton College

What we learned – Amherst:

Amherst scored on 4 of their first 5 drives, including a 57 yd TD run by QB Marek Hill on their opening drive to build a 23-0 lead.
Marek Hill threw 25-35 for 226 yds and 2 TDs and ran for 9-109 yds with another rushing TD
WR Carter Jung caught 6-58 yds which included 2 TD grabs
Fellow wideout Sam Gerber caught 8-82 yds
LB Carson Skotak again led the Mammoths in tackles with 6 total tackles

What we learned – Hamilton:

Hamilton had two drives into Amherst territory in the 1^st half but missed a FG and failed to convert a 4^th and 2
QB Luke Kurzum threw 27-44 for 301 yds and 2 TDs and did not have a INT
WR Matthew Kearns caught an impressive 7-100 yds
The Continentals could not find any success on the ground, rushing a paltry 11 yds
Hamilton scored TDs on their last two drives in the 4th quarter
DB Josh Richards had 6 total tackles and 1 PBU

Note: final stats for this game are still pending from the NESCAC

Trinity 30, Bates 13

Bottom Line: O’Brien stars as Trinity topples Bates

Official links:

Trinity: Football Claws Bobcats, 30-13 – Trinity College

Bates: Slow start costs football in 30-13 road loss to Trinity – Bates College

What we learned – Trinity:

Trinity outgained Bates 386 to 209 in total yds and had 23 first downs to the Bobcats’ 14
The Bantams offense was balanced: they ran for 178 yds and passed for 208 yds
WR Nolan O’Brien put on show: he caught 9-140 yds and 2 TDs and returned a punt for a 79 yd TD
Trinity employed two running backs equally and effectively: Tyler DiNapoli rushed 16-82 yds while Jack Tosone rushed 17-83 yds
QB Jaxon Carroll went 12-20 for 178 yds, 2 TDs and 1 INTs
The Bantams front seven created consistent pressure, generating 5 sacks and 8 QB hurries
LB Lincoln Moore had 11 total tackles, 1 sack, 2.5 other TFLs and 3 QB hurries
Fellow LB Shane Mosia finished with 13 total tackles, 1 QB hurry and 1 PBU

What we learned – Bates:

Bates’ offense struggled including with their passing game as the Bobcats were just 6-17 for 93 yds and yielded 5 sacks
The Bobcats went 3 and out on 5 of their 6 first half drives and gained just 29 yds in the first half
RB Ryan Lynskey rushed 22-59 yds and 2 TDs, but had an average of only 2.7 yds/carry
Sergio Beltran continued to have triple threat role: he finished with passing (3-4 for 58 yds), rushing (10-29 yds) and receiving (3-39 yds) impact
Bates yielded 115 yds in the punt returns – O’Brien had returns of 79 and 21 yds
LB Carmel Crunk had an impressive 16 total tackles and added 1 PBU

Middlebury 31, Bowdoin 10

Bottom Line: Middlebury dominates Bowdoin

Official links:

Middlebury: Football Pulls Away From Bowdoin In Home Opener 31-10 – Middlebury College

Bowdoin: Football Falls in Road Clash at Middlebury – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Middlebury:

Middlebury outgained Bowdoin by 333 yds, generating 426 yds of offense and holding Bowdoin to just 93 yds
RB Connor McCllellan provided 126 yds of total offense for the Panthers, rushing 20-86 yds (with 2 TDs) and catching 4-40 yds
QB Brian Moran went 18-27 for 260 yds and 1 TD
WR Mike Ahonen caught 4-76 yds and 3 other Panthers had over 40 yds receiving
The Middlebury defense had just one sack, but 7 QB hurries and 6 PBUs
LB Matt Shaw finished with 9 tackles

What we learned – Bowdoin:

Bowdoin had just 7 first downs on the day, with two coming by way of penalty
The Polar Bears rushed for just 44 net yards with a 1.6 per yd/carry and went 1 for 14 on 3^rd down
Freshman QB Soren Hummel entered the game in the 3^rd quarter and threw 7-14 for 40 yds and rushed 3-20 yds and 1 TD. Hummel had 2 INTs
Bowdoin fumbled a Panther punt leading to a Middlebury FG
Two Bowdoin defenders, LB Owen Lydon and DB Isaac Jones, each had 10 total tackles
LB Zach Taylor and DL Abe Herzog each had 9 tackles and combined for 1.5 TFLs

Week 3 – September 27, 2025

Game recaps – Week 3

Headlines:

Trinity outlasts Williams in OT
Wesleyan tops Bates behind balanced effort
Middlebury holds off Colby with late pick six
Amherst uses 30-point 1^st half to stun Tufts
Hamilton aerial assault beats Bowdoin

Trinity 34, Williams 28 (OT)

Bottom Line: Trinity outlasts Williams in OT

Official links:

Trinity: Football Takes Overtime Thriller at Williams, 34-28 – Trinity College

Williams: Ephs take first loss in overtime thriller – Williams College

What we learned – Trinity:

The Bantams made big plays on the only two plays of OT: LB Ethan Krauss forced a fumble which Trinity recovered and QB Jaxon Carroll tossed a 25 yd TD to win the game
The game was a seesaw affair, with each team scoring on 4 consecutive drives in the 2^nd half
QB Jaxon Carroll passed 15-25 for 302 yds and 1 TD
RB Tyler DiNapoli generated 148 yards all-purpose yards, rushing 19-54 yds and receiving 4-94 yds with a 57 yd catch.
WR Nolan O’Brien continued to be a major force: he caught 7-93 yds and rushed 3-29 yds and 2 TDs
LB Lincoln Moore had 12 total tackles

What we learned – Williams:

Williams outgained Trinity (466 to 424 yds), held a 34 to 26 time of possession edge, but the Ephs lost the turnover battle 2-1, including a critical fumble in OT
QB Owen Johansen threw 17-26 for 311 yds and 3 TD passes and rushed 17-75 yds
RB Jon Oris rushed 15-56 yds with 1 TD
WR Zach Falls caught 5-165 yds and 1 TD
WR/TE Jimmy Montesano caught 7-76 yds and 2 TDs
Freshman DB Conor Acheson had 10 total tackles including 1 TFL

Wesleyan 23, Bates 7

Bottom Line: Wesleyan tops Bates behind balanced effort

Official links:

Wesleyan: Cardinals Dominate in Lewiston, Handing Bates 23-7 Defeat – Wesleyan University

Bates: Wesleyan pulls away in fourth quarter, defeats football 23-7 – Bates College

What we learned – Wesleyan:

Wesleyan outgained Bates 351-225 yds and converted 10 of 14 3^rd down chances
QB Matt Fitzsimons went 20-31 for 254 yds including 1 TD and 1 INT
WR Blake Newcomb caught 8-116 yds and freshman WR Donte Kelly added 5-84 yds and 1 TD
The Cardinal defense had 5 sacks and 4 other TFLs
Excluding the sacks, the Wesleyan rush defense held Bates 26-66 yds or 2.5 yds per carry
LB Chris DeMartino had an impressive 6 total tackles, with 1.5 sacks and another 3 TFLs.

What we learned – Bates:

QB Jack Perry completed 11-22 passes for 188 yds, had 1 INT and was sacked 4 times
Sergio Beltran started at QB, but left in the 1^st quarter due to an injury so Perry played the final 3 quarters
Bates went 2-4 on 4^th down chances, including getting stuffed on a 4^th and 3 at the Wesleyan 21 yd on their opening drive
RB Ryan Lynskey ran 17-51 yds and 1 TD
WR Matt Holmes caught 4-68 yds
LB Ryan Rozich continued to be a tackling machine, notching 11 total tackles and 1 PBU

Middlebury 27, Colby 17

Bottom Line: Middlebury holds off Colby with late pick six

Official links:

Middlebury: Second-Half Surge Lifts Football Past Colby 27-17 – Middlebury College

Colby: Mules Edged Out of Win In the Second Half – Colby College

What we learned – Middlebury:

The Panthers’ Charlie English had a 22 yd pick six with 46 seconds left in the game to hold off Colby
RB Connor McClellan rushed 21-152 yds and 2 TDs which included a key 66 yd TD run in the 4th quarter
QB Brian Moran passed 14-of-24 for 156 yds and 1 TD; he had no interceptions
WR Mike Ahonen caught 4-66 yds while fellow WR Luis Kuehberger added 6-57 yds
LBs Matt Shaw and Tommy Schwartz each had 8 total tackles
LB Michael Votta finished with 2 sacks and 5 total tackles

What we learned – Colby:

Colby led 10-0 at half and 17-14 in the 4^th quarter, but could not hold off the Panthers
The Mules matched Middlebury in yards (305 to 324) first downs (17 to 14) and time of possession (33 to 27), but were hurt on special teams which included a failed fake punt on 4th down and allowing the Panthers to block a FG
QB Miles Drake finished 16-of-22 passing for 180 yds, had 1 rushing TD but threw 2 INTs
WR Jack Nye continued to be dominant: he caught 8-85 yds
RB Ryan Singhal rushed 11-75 yds
DE Jack Mullen and DB Trevor Smith each had 6 total tackles

Amherst 30, Tufts 14

Bottom Line: Amherst uses 30-point 1^st half to stun Tufts

Official links:

Amherst: First-Half Explosion Pushes Mammoths to 30-14 Win Over Tufts – Amherst College

Tufts: Amherst Tops Jumbo Football, 30-14 – Tufts University

What we learned – Amherst:

The Mammoths scored 30 1^st half points, jumping out to a 30-0 half time lead
Amherst had 299 yds of offense in the first half, limited Tufts to just 87 yds and the Mammoth defense forced a safety
QB Marek Hill threw 18-29 for 211 yds and 3 TDs with 1 INT; he added 26 yds rushing
RB Demetrius Smith rushed 12-78 yds and 1 TD and fellow RB Cato Legaspi caught 2 TD passes
WR Carter Jung caught 6-120 yds and 1 TD
Two Mammoth standout defenders shined: LB/DB Luke Harmon and LB Carson Skotak each had 9 total tackles

What we learned – Tufts:

Down 30-0 at halftime, the Jumbos scored on their 1^st two possessions of the 2^nd half, but then had two long drives stall with failed 4^th down conversions inside the Mammoth 10
The Jumbos went 1 for 5 on 4^th down conversions
QB Justin Keller threw 19-33 for 171 yds and 1 TD
QB Hudson Weidman played at the end of the 1^st quarter and all of the 2^nd quarter
Keller rushed 14-49 yds, but the top three RBs for the Jumbos combined for just 20-54 yds
DB Ryan Saccu and LB Riley Yaker each had 8 total tackles

Hamilton 27, Bowdoin 13

Bottom Line: Hamilton aerial assault beats Bowdoin

Official links:

Hamilton: Career day for Kurzum ’27 in football’s 27-13 win against Bowdoin – Hamilton College

Bowdoin: Football Can’t Hold Early Lead in Loss at Hamilton – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Hamilton:

Hamilton generated 449 yds of total offense to 279 for Bowdoin, outpassing the Polar Bears by 174 yds
QB Luke Kurzum threw 24-35 for 315 yds and 3 TDs; he had no INTs
RB Alastair Orr rushed 5-92 yds including a 43 yd run
WR Matthew Kearns snagged 4-137 yds which included TD catches of 73 and 46 yds
Fellow WR Chester Boynton caught 6-62 yds
LB John Young had 11 total tackles

What we learned – Bowdoin:

Bowdoin opened the game with 3 drives that generated 171 yds and ended in a TD, FG and a missed FG
The next 8 Polar drives yielded just 108 yds, 4 three and outs, three failed 4^th down conversions and no points
Freshman QB Soren Hummel threw 14-25 for 117 yds and 1 TD
Michael Wolfendale who moved from QB to WR, caught 6-83 yds and had 1 TD
RB Nelson Dorsey rushed 21-84 yds
LB Sam Schwartz had 7 total tackles

Week 4 – October 4, 2025

Game recaps – Week 4

Headlines:

Trinity dominates Tufts
Amherst jumps on Middlebury early and holds off the Panthers’ late surge
Wesleyan blasts Hamilton with a 35-point 2^nd quarter
Williams races out to big lead and holds off Bowdoin
Colby prevails in OT over Bates in CBB defensive struggle

Trinity 41, Tufts 14

Bottom Line: Trinity dominates Tufts

Official links:

Trinity: Football Downs Tufts, 41-14 – Trinity College

Tufts: Football Topped At Trinity Saturday – Tufts University

What we learned – Trinity:

Trinity outgained Tufts by over 200 yds enjoying a 447-246 advantage
The Bantams had a balanced offensive attack, passing for 236 yds and rushing for 211 yds
QB Jaxon Carroll completed 17-26 for 244 yds and 2 TDs; he had 1 INT
WR Nolan O’Brien continues to dominate – he caught 7-106 yds and 2 TDs
RB Tyler DiNapoli had over 100 yds of total offense, rushing for 47 yds and having 56 receiving yds
The Trinity defense held Tufts to just 96 yds of offense in the first half
LB Ethan Krauss finished with 10 total tackles, 1 TFL and 1 PBU

What we learned – Tufts:

On Tufts’ 8 first half drives, their offense had 4 three and outs, 2 four and outs and a four-play drive ending in an INT
The Jumbos went just 3-13 on 3rd down and 1-3 on 4th down chances
QB Justin Keller threw 10-17 for 85 yds with 1 TD
Freshman QB Nate Johnson handled multiple series in the game
WR Matt Greco caught 7-54 yards
WR Keller Rodgers continues to be productive in the return game – he had 127 yards on kickoff returns including a 62 yarder
LB Johnny Ferelli had 12 total tackles and 1 TFL

Amherst 27, Middlebury 17

Bottom Line: Amherst jumps on Middlebury early and holds off the Panthers’ late surge

Official links:

Amherst: Mammoths March to 3rd Straight Win with 27-17 Takedown of Middlebury – Amherst College

Middlebury: Football Mounts Late Comeback, Downed By Amherst 27-17 – Middlebury College

What we learned – Amherst:

Amherst built a 27-3 lead through 3^rd quarters and held off Middlebury’s late 4^th quarter surge
The Mammoths scored on 5 of their first 7 drives and enjoyed a 36-24 minute time of possession advantage
QB Marek Hill went 26-38 for 245 yds and 1 INT; he rushed for 2 TDs
The running back duo of Demetrius Smith and Cato Legaspi combined to run 17-94 yds and 1 TD
WR Christian Moore caught 8-86 yds
The Mammoth defense held Middlebury running backs to just 50 yds rushing on 17 carries
LB/DB Luke Harmon also had 10 total tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 QB hurry, 1 PBU and forced a fumble in the final minute

What we learned – Middlebury:

The Panther offense mounted 2 TD drives of 75 and 80 yds in the 4^th quarter, but could not score on their final two drives to catch Amherst
Middlebury matched Amherst’s offense output (340 to 372 yds) but had 2 fumbles and 2 failed 4^th down chances
QB Brian Moran finished 25-43 for 286 yds and 2 TDs; he was sacked twice
WR Gus Parker had a career day snagging 9-88 yds and 1 TD
WR Michael Ahonen continues to be impactful – he caught 6-97 yds
LB Matt Shaw had 13 total tackles and 1 PBU and fellow LB Tommy Schwartz had 10 total tackles, 1 sack and a forced fumble

Wesleyan 56, Hamilton 14

Bottom Line: Wesleyan blasts Hamilton with a 35-point 2^nd quarter

Official links:

Wesleyan: Fitzsimons Throws for 365, Cardinals Dominate in 56-14 Win over Hamilton – Wesleyan University

Hamilton: Not yet posted

What we learned – Wesleyan:

Wesleyan erupted for 35 points in the 2^nd quarter to blast Hamilton
After the Cardinals punted following their first drive (just 4 plays), Wesleyan scored a TD on their next 7 drives, before running the clock out on their final drive
Wesleyan outgained Hamiton 561 yds to 310 yds
QB Matt Fitzsimons was an impressive 20-23 for 365 yds and 5 TDs; all his touchdowns were in the 2^nd quarter
WR Blake Newcomb caught 6-130 yds and 1 TD while fellow WR Donte Kelly continues his impressive freshman year catching 6-125 yds and 2 TDs
Star DB Dylan Connors had 6 total tackles and an INT which he returned for 47 yds

What we learned – Wesleyan:

Hamilton started the game with an 11-play drive and a 15-play drive but could not convert those efforts into points; after those drives Wesleyan took complete control of the game
The Continentals first 4 drives ended with an INT on 4^th down, a missed FG, a failed fake punt and another INT
QB Luke Kurzum went 18-36 for 198 yds and 1 TD; he had 2 INTs and endured 7 QB hurries
WR Matthew Kearns caught 3-64 yds
The Continental defense yielded 9.5 yds per play, including 18.3 yds per completion
LB Mat Bucher again led Hamilton in tackles with 8 total tackles on the day

Williams 35, Bowdoin 17

Bottom Line: Williams races out to big lead and holds off Bowdoin

Official links:

Williams: Ephs surge early for a 35-17 win over Bowdoin – Williams College

Bowdoin: Williams Builds Early Lead in Football Victory Over Bowdoin – Bowdoin College

What we learned – Williams:

Williams scored TDs on 5 of their first 7 drives to build a 35-3 lead and then held off Bowdoin in the 4^th quarter
Williams had 328 yds in the 1^st 3 quarters and none in the 4^th quarter
The Ephs rushed for 233 yds and averaged a robust 6.0 yds per carry
RB Jon Oris led the rushing attack with 13-144 yds and 1 TD
QB Owen Johansen was an efficient 7-10 for 102 yds and 2 TDs and rushed 8-69 yds and 2 TDs
LB Luke Mangini had 15 total tackles including 4 TFLs

What we learned – Bowdoin:

Bowdoin had two 9 play drives in the first half, but those ended in a failed 4^th down attempt and a fumble
The Polar Bears turned the ball over 4 times on the day, including interceptions on 3 consecutive drives in the 2^nd half
QB Peter Macauley got the start for Bowdoin; he went 12-21 for 168 yards but had 2 INTs and 1 fumble
Macauley was the Polar Bears’ leading rusher at 20-84 yds
Bowdoin’s high-pressure defense did not have any sacks on the day
DL Angus Leary continued his fine play with 8 total tackles including 1 TFL and 2 QB hurries

Colby 13, Bates 6 (OT)

Bottom Line: Colby prevails in OT over Bates in CBB defensive struggle

Official links:

Colby: Football Shuts Out Bates In OT For Huge Away Win – Colby College

Bates: Not yet posted

What we learned – Colby:

Colby scored a TD in OT as QB Miles Drake hit TE Hunter Emswiler from 4 yards out and then held Bates from the end zone to win
The Mules mounted a key 20 play, 67 yd drive at the end of the game to kick a game tying FG at the end of regulation. The Mules missed the 1^st attempt, but Bates was offsides on the play
Colby went 7 consecutive series with no more than 4 plays, ending in 5 punts and 2 INTs
Drake was just 14-31 for 105 yds, 1 TD and 2 INTs; he was sacked 3 times but made some key throws down the stretch
WR Jack Duffy caught 3-42 with a key 21 yd catch on 3^rd and 10 in OT
DL Joshua Iyonsi had 11 total tackles including 1 TFL

What we learned – Bates:

The game was a defensive battle with both teams combining for just 428 yds, 27 1^st downs; there were 11 punts
Bates outgained Colby (232 to 196 yds), but went 3 for 13 on 3^rd down, 0 for 2 on 4^th down and had a fumble
RB Ryan Lynskey rushed 29-89 yds
QB Jack Perry threw 9-18 for 86 yds – he had no TDs and 1 INT
The Bates defense held Colby to a mere 3.0 yds per play
LB Ryan Rozich had another impressive game with 14 total tackles including 1 sack and another TFL
Freshman LB Brooks Potter had 8 tackles and 1.5 TFLs