October 28, 2000
AMHERST, MA - Junior running back Okey Ugwonali rushed for 151 yards and the game's only touchdown, while Amherst College held Tufts University to just 189 yards of total offense, as the Jeffs blanked the visiting Jumbos 8-0, improving to 5-1 on the season for the first time since 1997. Tufts fell to 2-4 with the loss.
The Jeffs' defense set the tone early on the way to its third shutout of the season. After both offenses fizzled on their opening possessions, Amherst sophomore punter Geoff Bough pinned Tufts deep in its own territory with a 42-yard boot, downed at the Jumbo two-yard line. On the next play, senior linebacker Ken Barrington broke through the line and sacked Tufts quarterback Todd Scalia in the end zone for Amherst's second safety in as many weeks and a 2-0 lead for the Jeffs.
The defense responded again late in the second quarter as Tufts went for it on fourth-and-one from the Amherst 32-yard line. Scalia lunged for first down yardage on a quarterback draw but was swallowed up by Amherst defensive linemen Ted Hollo and Kevin Bush as the Jumbos lost the ball on downs in their final possession of the first half.
Tufts got tricky after the break. After Amherst went three-and-out to start the third quarter, the Jumbos found themselves at fourth-and-five from their own 49-yard line, when defensive end Joe McLean took a direct snap off a fake-punt and rumbled 30 yards to the Jeffs 21. Two plays later, Amherst defensive tackle Pat Hayes, filling in for injured teammate Pat McGee, stuffed running back Brian Holmes for a two-yard loss, setting up a 41-yard field goal attempt by Howie Rock. Rock, kicking into the wind, hooked the kick wide left to hold the Amherst lead at 2-0.
The Jeffs fumbled the ball away on their last two possessions of the third quarter but forced the Jumbos to punt both times. Finally, Amherst found the end zone for the first time in two games on an 11-play, 79-yard odyssey, as Ugwonali rushed nine times for 53-yards, capped by a one-yard scoring scamper with 10:44 remaining.
"That drive was straight pounding," said Ugwonali, the Jeffs leading rusher with 568 yards on the season. "The wind was blowing against us, so I knew we definitely had to run the ball. We tried to stay away from the toss because of the wind and cold, so we stuck to handoffs and smash-mouth football."
The Jeffs attempted a two-point conversion but quarterback Peter Honig was sacked, holding the lead at 8-0.
Down but not out, Tufts threatened once more, driving the ball deep into Amherst territory late in the fourth quarter, culminating with a fourth-and-one play from the Amherst five-yard line with 42 seconds remaining. Once again, Hollo stepped up and swatted Holmes in the backfield for a four-yard loss, icing the victory for the Jeffs as the home crowd celebrated.
"It was a typical toss play," said Hollo, who finished with six tackles on the afternoon. "The guy turned it back in and we had the flow going at him. Without McGee, a lot of guys had to step up and make plays. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time on fourth down."
Junior linebacker Dan Lalli paced the Jeffs with nine tackles, while classmates Greg Stankewicz and Jay Hutchins added eight and seven takedowns, respectively. Evan Zupancic and Scott Mittenthal each finished with a game-high 10 tackles for the Jumbos, while Holmes rushed 36 times for a team-high 93 yards.
With the win, Amherst remains tied with Colby College and Middlebury for first place in the NESCAC. The Jeffs return to action next Saturday at conference rival Trinity College at 1 p.m.
