October 25, 2003
AMHERST, MA - The Amherst College football team took a 14-6 lead into the locker room at halftime but couldn't hold on after the intermission, surrendering 14 second-half points en route to a heartbreaking 20-14 loss to visiting NESCAC foe Trinity College on Saturday. Trinity, which entered the game ranked third in New England, remains undefeated at 7-0 and extends its current winning streak to 14 games dating back to last season. Amherst drops to 4-3 with its second straight loss entering next Saturday's season finale at Little Three rival Williams College.
The Jeffs played a near perfect game in the first half with junior quarterback Marsh Moseley (New Orleans, LA) completing 19 of 27 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns - both to senior wideout Jim Devine (Chantilly, VA). Junior linebacker Mike Salvatore (Greenwich, CT) set up the opening score early in the first quarter, recovering a Trinity fumble at the Amherst 35 after a muffed snap. Moseley went 5-for-5 passing on the ensuing possession, capped by a three-yard scoring strike to Devine.
Trinity rebounded with a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, keyed by a 13-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Erik Paisley (Bethesda, MD) to junior wide receiver Patrick Straub (Washington, DC), and capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by senior running back Thomas Pierandri (Ridgefield, CT) with 8:42 left in the second quarter. Amherst blocked the extra point attempt, however, retaining a tenuous one-point advantage.
The Jeffs had a chance to extend their lead when they got the ball back, marching all the way to the Trinity five-yard line only to have a 22-yard field goal attempt blocked by Bantam senior cornerback Matt Glasz (North Haven, CT). But Trinity went four-and-out on its next possession, and Amherst capitalized on excellent field position with a 40-yard touchdown drive, punctuated by Devine's second touchdown catch of the first half on a fade route in the back corner of the end zone with just six seconds remaining.
Amherst's 14-6 halftime lead would be short-lived, thanks to one of the most bizarre plays in recent memory. Punting from deep in their own territory near the end of the third quarter, first-year John Polignone (Staten Island, NY) sent an end-over-end kick toward midfield, and the Jeffs appeared to down the ball at the Amherst 47. Instead, the referees ruled that Amherst only touched the ball and failed to establish possession, leaving Glasz free to scoop the ball up and streak 47 yards untouched for the score. Pierandri converted the two-point conversion, and just like that, the score was tied 14-14.
Stunned, the Jeffs coughed the ball up two plays later, thanks to an interception by Trinity junior cornerback Duane Tyler (Mitchellville, MD) at the Amherst 34-yard line. Tyler returned the ball 16 yards to the Amherst 18, setting up a game-winning two-yard touchdown plunge by Pierandri seven plays later. Amherst blocked the extra point to keep its deficit at just six points, 20-14, and would enter Trinity territory three more times in the fourth quarter only to watch its hopes squashed by an interception by senior free safety Tim Mullaney (Wayland, MA), a sack on fourth-and-10 by sophomore defensive end Michael Blair (Plymouth, NH) and a game-sealing interception by sophomore safety Kevin Quinn (Chicago, IL) on Amherst's final possession.
All told, Moseley finished 27-for-43 passing for 219 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Junior wide receiver Jay Wagstaff (Tewksbury, MA) was the main beneficiary with 11 catches for 109 yards, while junior tight end Ryan Sykes (Charleston, SC) chipped in with a career-high seven catches for 94 yards. Devine finished with six catches for 38 yards and both of Amherst's touchdowns. Polignone quarterbacked the final series for Amherst, completing four passes for 46 yards before being intercepted by Quinn. Junior tailback Fletcher Ladd (Amherst, NH) paced the rushing attack with 70 yards on 15 carries. He also had a 19-yard completion on a halfback-option pass. Salvatore and senior inside linebacker Ed Sylvester (Scituate, MA) led the Jeffs with 11 tackles each, followed by junior defensive back Bob Sargent (Chantilly, VA) with 10.
For Trinity, Pierandri led the way with 13 rushing yards on 31 carries, while junior Drew Finkeldey (Ivoryton, CT) added 82 yards on 12 carries. Sophomore quarterbacks Erik Paisley (Bethesda, MD) and Josh Pitcher (Ogunquit, ME) combined for just five completions in 15 attempts. Paisley had four of those completions for 67 yards. On defense, senior inside linebackers Greg Tanner (Wellesley, MA) and Fernando Cuartas (Greenwich, CT) led the way with 11 tackles each.
Amherst's season finale at Williams (5-2), also know as The Biggest Little Game in America, will be televised live at Noon on Fox Sports Net New England, DirecTV channel 620, Dish Net channel 435 or the following satellite coordinates: SBS-6 Transponder 9, KU BAND, audio frequency 6.2-6.8 MONO/MONO.
BOX SCORE/PLAY-BY-PLAY
