October 7, 2000

MIDDLEBURY, Vermont ­ In their first two games of the 2000 campaign, the Amherst College offense struck fear in opposing defenses with a fearsome ground game and a powerful air attack, outscoring their first two foes 65-0. Saturday afternoon in Vermont, however, the ground game was missing and the air attack was grounded, as the host Middlebury College Panthers held the Jeffs to 244 yards of total offense, handing Amherst its first loss of the season courtesy of a 17-0 shutout.

The Jeffs threatened first in Saturday's game, mounting a long drive late in the first quarter. Finally, with 2:45 to go in the opening period, the visitors had a third and goal from the Middlebury one yardline. Amherst junior quarterback Peter Honig (Bronxville, NY) took it himself on the keeper, but fumbled the ball through the back of the endzone as he dove for the corner pylon, resulting in a touchback and a turnover. 

The Panthers, who struggled offensively throughout the opening half (posting only 67 yards of total offense) put together a drive late in the second quarter, before senior Amherst Tri-captain Brian Daoust (Dover, MA) picked off a Scott Roberts pass with 1:30 before halftime. The Jeffs, however, went three-and-out, and Middlebury got the ball back on Amherst¹s 42 inside the last minute. Roberts engineered a short drive) getting the Panthers to Amherst's 26 (before Mike Frissora's 43-yard field goal attempt at the halftime gun squeaked through, giving the Panthers a 3-0 cushion at the break.

After the Jeffs were unable to move the ball on their first possession of the second half, the Panthers put together the one long drive of the game, moving the ball 66 yards on nine plays, capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Roberts to wideout Devon O'Neil. With the touchdown drive, the Panthers doubled their total offensive yardage from the first half, taking the 10-0 lead midway through the third quarter.

Neither team managed much in the way of offense for the rest of the third period, and for much of the fourth, before a Middlebury turnover with six minutes remaining gave the Jeffs new life. After Daoust forced a fumble that junior Jay Hutchins (Columbus, OH) recovered, giving the visitors one more chance. Again, however, the Amherst offense was unable to move the ball. A trio of Honig incompletions brought up fourth and 10, and the senior, who finished eight of 23 for 115 yards on the day, overthrew junior Jerimy Hiltner (Limon, CO) to kill the rally.

Gaining the ball on the Amherst 15, the Panthers sealed the game in four plays, with senior tailback Brian Sanchez rumbling in from six yards with 2:35 left to cap the scoring. Sanchez's run finally put the Panthers over the 200-yard mark in total offense, in a game that was dominated by the league's two best defenses. The two teams combined for only 448 yards of total offense, including only 94 yards from the Amherst ground game, one week after a 339-yard rushing effort at Bowdoin College. Sanchez, the league¹s leading rusher, was the Panther offense on Saturday, carrying the ball 36 times for 116 of Middlebury's 204 total yards.

The Jeffs, held scoreless for the first time since their 0-0 tie against Williams College in 1995, fall to 2-1 on the season, heading into next week¹s home date against Colby College. The White Mules were the last team to defeat the Jeffs in a shutout, blanking Amherst 21-0 in their meeting in Maine in 1993. Middlebury (2-1) is at Williams next Saturday, a 1:30 p.m. start against the Ephmen. 

SCORING SUMARY
2nd (00:00):    
MC Mike Frissora 43-yard field goal [3-0 MC];
3rd (07:46):    
MC Devon O¹Neil 12-yard TD pass from Scott Roberts (Andy Statires kick) [10-0 MC];
4th (02:35):    
MC Bryan Sanchez 6-yard TD run (Andy Statires kick) [17-0 MC];

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Rushing
AC ­ Kevin Kennard 14-49; Okey Ugwonali 10-28; Jeff Ryan 5-14; Peter Honig 16-3; 
MC ­ Bryan Sanchez 36-116; Bill Lazzaro 5-3; Devon O¹Neil 1-1; Scott Roberts 4(-)-10


Passing (Comp-Att-Int-Yards)
AC ­ Peter Honig 8-23-1-115; Jeff Browne 2-4-0-35;
MC ­ Scott Roberts 10-22-2-94;


Receiving
AC ­ Derrell Wright 5-85; Jerimy Hiltner 2-31; Paul Whiting 1-28; Grant Webb 1-7; Jeff Ryan 1(-)-1;
MC ­ Devon O¹Neil 6-71; Denny Smith 2-14; John Goldsmith 1-6, Zac Campbell 1-3;


Interceptions
AC ­ Steve Yung 1-0; Brian Daoust 1-0;
MC ­ Tab Howard 1-14;