October 27, 2001 

FROM A TUFTS UNIVERSITY RELEASE 

MEDFORD, MA - Sophomore running back Fletcher Ladd (Amherst, NH) rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns, and the vaunted Amherst defense came up with two critical turnovers deep in their own territory, as the Lord Jeffs posted a 14-10 victory over Tufts in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) football action on Saturday afternoon. 

Amherst improved to 6-0 with the victory, while Tufts lost its second straight to drop to 4-2. The host Jumbos, playing on Homecoming Day in Medford, scored the first touchdown against Amherst this season and outgained the Jeffs 337 yards to 223. Tufts also posted a 38:58 to 21:02 margin in time of possession, running 82 total plays to 45 for Amherst. But the visitors made the big plays when they counted most and silenced a crowd of 6,000 at Ellis Oval/Zimman Field. 

The Lord Jeff defense had allowed just six points in five games (1.2 ppg) and were holding opponents under 200 total yards per game. The Jumbos ended their streak of 21 quarters without allowing a touchdown when junior running back Keven Kelley (Natick, MA) plowed into the end zone from one yard out with 11:21 to go in the second quarter. Tufts junior defensive end Brian Burbank (Exeter, NH) had recovered a fumble by Ladd at the Amherst 32 to set up the drive. Kelley carried seven straight times to put the ball in the end zone for a 7-0 lead. 

After a 25-yard punt return by Amherst senior Derrell Wright (Hudson, OH) at 6:34 of the second, Ladd went 44 yards on the first play of the drive to the Tufts 1. He scored on the next play to tie the game at 7-7 at 6:20. The Jumbos answered quickly, with sophomore Mark Tilki (Derby, CT) returning the ensuing kickoff 48 yards to the Amherst 37. Junior QB Scott Treacy (Wakefield, MA) ran 12 yards to the Jeff 25, but the drive stalled and senior Howie Rock (Waltham, MA) came on for a 38-yard field goal that gave Tufts a 10-7 lead they held until halftime. 

The Jumbos held the ball for 11:08 of the third quarter, including a 16-play drive that covered the final 8:31 and into the fourth. That impressive drive ended in disaster for the Jumbos when Kelley fumbled while trying to dive into the endzone from the Amherst 1. Lord Jeff senior Jay Hutchins (Columbus, OH) scooped up the ball and returned it 24 yards. 

Amherst turned that into seven points when Ladd found the endzone from five yards out at 12:52 of the fourth quarter. Ladd had runs of 18 and 20 yards to spur the drive, which covered 75 yards in just 1:55. 

Tilki made another big play for the Jumbos when he recovered a fumble at the Tufts 38 with 8:24 to go in the final period. The offense marched to Lord Jeff 13, which included a clutch third and seven conversion when Treacy connected with sophomore TE Ryan Papi (Dover, MA) for 21 yards. But on fourth and seven, Treacy was intercepted in the end zone by Amherst junior Paul Miceli (Glensdale, NY) with 3:44 to play. Amherst ran the clock down to 14 seconds with Wright at quarterback running the ball out of a shotgun formation. The Jeffs punted, the Jumbos moved to the Amherst 40, then time ran out. Kelley was a horse for the Jumbos, carrying 41 times for 155 yards. Ladd also returned three kickoffs for 59 yards. 

Amherst returns to action next Saturday at 1 p.m. against visiting Trinity College (3-3), which dropped a 14-7 heartbreaker at Middlebury College. Amherst and archrival Williams College are the lone undefeated teams left in the NESCAC with perfect 6-0 records. 

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