November 3, 2001
AMHERST, Massachusetts - Senior defenders Dan Lalli (Watertown, MA) and Jay Hutchins (Columbus, OH) combined for 34 tackles, and sophomore running back Fletcher Ladd (Amherst, NH) posted his second-consecutive 100-yard game on the ground, carrying 17 times for 126 yards and two touchdowns, as the Amherst College football team steamrolled Trinity College, 28-10, in the Jeffs' final home game of the season on Saturday afternoon in Amherst. First-year quarterback Marsh Moseley (New Orleans, LA) had another solid day, finishing 13-for-20 for 138 yards and a touchdown, in addition to 43 yards rushing for the Jeffs, who improve to 7-0 heading into next Saturday's season finale at arch-rival Williams College, also 7-0, in the 116th installment of the "Biggest Little Game in America."
The Jeffs did most of their damage offensively in the first half, scoring three times in four possessions to take a commanding 21-3 lead into the halftime intermission. After the teams exchanged punts on their first two possessions, the Jeffs found themselves with a third-and-14 from the Trinity 43. Moseley, making only his second career start, evaded the Bantam rush and scrambled for 16 yards and a first down, before hitting senior Amherst wideout Jerimy Hiltner (Limon, CO) for a 23-yard completion down to the Trinity four-yardline on the next play. One play later, the first-year called his own number, running a quarterback draw from four yards out to get the Jeffs on the scoreboard with 7:54 left in the first.
The 7-0 Amherst lead lasted into the second quarter, where the Bantams, behind junior running back Brian Fabrizio (Norwell, MA), capped off a 13-play drive with a 25-yard field goal from junior kicker Skip Sullivan (Milton, MA). The Jeffs came charging right back on their ensuing possession, however, putting together an impressive 11-play, 75-yard drive, sparked, once again, by Moseley. After four consecutive carries by senior tailback Okey Ugwonali (Dallas, TX), the Jeffs faced another long third down from the Trinity 46, but Moseley again found Hiltner, darting across the middle, for a 17-yard gain and another Amherst first down. From there, the Jeffs handed the ball to Ladd, who rushed for a career-high 144 yards in last Saturday's 14-10 victory at Tufts University, and the sophomore pounded the Bantam defense, carrying the ball four times in five plays for 29 yards, including a four-yard touchdown run which, along with the PAT from first-year David Bodner (Atlantic Beach, NY), widening the Jeff lead to 14-3 with 5:26 left before halftime.
The hosts were not done there, however. After holding the Bantams to three-and-out on their next possession, the Jeffs would break the game open with another long drive, aided by another critical third-down play from Moseley and a costly Trinity penalty. After the Bantams had backed Amherst up to a third-and-19 from their own 24, Moseley again evaded the Trinity rush and scrambled for 22 yards and a huge Jeff first down, before connecting with senior wide receiver Derrell Wright (Hudson, OH) on a pretty 14-yard out route on the next play from scrimmage. After Bantam defensive back Andrew Whipple (Marblehead, MA) was flagged for a late hit out of bounds on Wright, the Jeffs capitalized, with Moseley finding a diving Hiltner in the back of the end zone on the very next play for a 25-yard scoring strike, and a 21-3 Amherst lead.
On the Bantams' ensuing possession, Lalli got a piece of a second-down pass attempt from junior Trinity signal-caller Greg Ward (Avon, CT), deflecting it right into the hands of junior Amherst defensive back Paul Miceli (Glensdale, NY), whose second interception of the season killed Trinity's scoring hopes and sent the game to halftime with the Jeffs' 18-point lead intact. All told, the Jeffs outgained Trinity 226-90 in the first 30 minutes, including a 117-20 advantage through the air.
Following a heartwarming halftime ceremony honoring Freddie Scott '74, who was inducted earlier this year into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana, the Jeffs continued to dominate on both sides of the ball in the opening minutes of the second half. After senior Amherst linebacker Brian Landolfi (Watertown, MA) came up with a big tackle-for-loss on a third-and-one on Trinity's first possession, the Jeffs marched 67 yards on 11 plays to extend their lead to 28-3, with Ladd once again handling the bulk of the work. The sophomore, who rumbled for 30 yards down to the Trinity 25 on a second-and-14, carried the ball on four consecutive plays again with Amherst inside the red zone, blasting in on an off-tackle from four yards out for his sixth touchdown of the season and a commanding 28-3 Amherst lead.
From there, the Trinity offense finally began to get going, wrapping a 13-play, 70-yard drive around the end of the third quarter to get inside the red zone for only the second time on the afternoon. After a 13-yard rush from Fabrizio set up a first-and-10 from the Amherst 15, Lalli and Landolfi combined to hold the Bantam tailback to no gain on first down, McGee batted down a Ward pass at the line of scrimmage on second down, and, after a six-yard pass on third down, the Jeffs held on fourth down, shutting down the Bantams' scoring threat.
The Amherst offense could not capitalize, however, and, after the Bantams got back inside the red zone, Hutchins came up with a key tackle-for-loss on third down, before senior linebacker Gregg Stankewicz (Portland, CT) fought through three Trinity offensive linemen on fourth down to record his eighth sack of the season, again giving the ball back to Amherst on downs.
Again, however, the Jeffs could not take advantage, with a costly holding penalty limiting the hosts to another three-and-out. A 29-yard punt return by Trinity first-year Drew Finkledey (Ivoryton, CT) gave the visitors excellent field position from the Amherst 27, and the Bantams would need only six plays to score from there, with Fabrizio carrying from one-yard out to cut the Amherst lead to 28-10 with 2:25 remaining. The Fabrizio score, only the second touchdown allowed by Amherst all season and the first fourth-quarter points yielded by the defense in seven games, was too little, too late for the visitors, as the Jeffs killed the clock behind Ladd, who carried five more times for 38 yards before time ran out on Amherst's 28-10 victory.
Despite allowing a second-half touchdown for the first time all season, the defense was the story for the Jeffs, led by Lalli and Hutchins, who finished with 18 and 16 tackles, respectively. Senior lineman Pat McGee (Marshfield, MA) added his 29th career-sack as part of a nine-tackle afternoon, bringing his season total to a NESCAC-best 9.5, and Landolfi and Miceli finished with eight stops apiece, including four for loss.
Offensively, Moseley was once again the key, coming up with a number of critical plays early in the game to help the Jeffs build an insurmountable lead. The first-year finished with 138 yards in the air on an efficient 13-for-20 performance, and, except for the one Trinity sack on the afternoon, picked up 51 yards on six carries, including his first career rushing touchdown.
Ladd, who has emerged as the Jeffs' most consistent running back, finished with 126 yards on 17 carries, and Hiltner had a big day of his own, catching four passes, all for first downs, for a game-high 79 yards. All told, the Jeffs outgained Trinity 340-242, despite a huge time-of-possession advantage for the Bantams.
With the win, the Jeffs improve to 7-0 on the season, the ninth time in school history that the squad has been perfect through seven games, heading into next weekend's showdown at arch-rival Williams, 31-7 victors over Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon. With the Williams win, the two rivals are the lone remaining undefeated teams in the NESCAC, which means that, in addition to bragging rights, Saturday's showdown in Williamstown will be for the outright NESCAC and Little III titles.
Saturday's game, the 116th meeting all-time, will be the third time in school history that both teams entered the game undefeated, with the Jeffs taking both of the first two encounters, 12-6 in Amherst in 1942 and 20-7 on Pratt Field in 1964. The Ephs will be looking for revenge after Amherst's 20-12 victory in Amherst last year, a win which snapped Williams' 14-game unbeaten streak in the rivalry (13-0-1) that has always been one of the best in Division III. Kickoff for Saturday will be at noon, with television coverage on NESN regionally, and nationally on satellite.
Click HERE for a full box score and play-by-play...
