October 27, 2003
Amherst College (4-2) vs. Trinity College (6-0)
November 1, 2003 * Pratt Field
Amherst, MA * 1 p.m.
THE SERIES
Amherst holds a 54-35-9 series edge in 98 meetings with Trinity, winning six straight from 1996 to 2001 before last season's heartbreaking 21-14 loss in Hartford, Conn. Prior to that streak, Trinity took seven straight from the Jeffs, including a 33-10 blowout win on Pratt Field in 1995. The Bantams and Jeffs first locked horns in 1886, with Amherst coming away with a hard-fought 18-6 victory.
LAST MEETING
Amherst mustered just 171 yards of total offense and fell to 5-2 with a disappointing 21-14 loss at Trinity College on Saturday, November 2, 2002. The Jeffs fell behind 21-0 in the first half and trailed the entire game, squashing their chances of playing for a share of the NESCAC Championship in their season finale against Williams. Senior quarterback Greg Ward marched the Bantams into the end zone on each of Trinity's first two possessions, connecting with junior wideout Joe Wahl on a 12-yard scoring strike and then scoring on a one-yard touchdown plunge. Senior running back Brian Fabrizio cemented Trinity's early dominance with a 40-yard touchdown run with 2:30 remaining in the first half. Amherst advanced into Trinity territory only once before halftime, a drive that ended on the Bantam 43 as time expired in the second quarter. The Jeffs came to life after the break, only to have a 37-yard field goal attempt blocked by Trinity junior Andrew Whipple on their opening drive. Amherst finally cracked the scoring column at the end of the third quarter. A forced fumble by junior linebacker Dan McNamara, recovered by first-year Gavin Weeks, set up a one-yard touchdown run by junior tailback Fletcher Ladd, as the Jeffs cut the lead to 21-7. The defense forced Trinity to punt on its next two possessions and Amherst sophomore quarterback Marsh Moseley responded with his eighth touchdown pass of the season, a 17-yard bullet to sophomore wideout Jason Wagstaff with 5:15 left in regulation. After another Trinity punt, the Jeffs had one last chance to knot the score but were denied when senior safety Gavin O'Reilly notched his second interception of the game at the Bantam 22-yard line with 32 seconds left.
TEAM STISTICAL COMPARISONS
AMHERST
Rushing Yards/Per Game (1,434 yds./239.0 avg.)
Passing Yards/Per Game (930 yds./155.0 avg.)
Total Offense/Per Game (2,364 yds./394.0 avg.)
Total Points/Per Game (158 pts./26.3 avg.)
Rushing Allowed/Per Game (535 yds./89.2 avg.)
Passing Allowed/Per Game (920 yds./153.3 avg.)
Total Offense Allowed/Per Game (1,455 yds./242.5 avg.)
Total Points Allowed/Per Game (41 pts./6.8 avg.)
TRINITY
Rushing Yards/Per Game (1,346 yds./224.3 avg.)
Passing Yards/Per Game (920 yds./153.3 avg.)
Total Offense/Per Game (2,266 yds./377.7 avg.)
Total Points/Per Game (175 pts./29.2 avg.)
Rushing Allowed/Per Game (341 yds./56.8 avg.)
Passing Allowed/Per Game (652 yds./108.7 avg.)
Total Offense Allowed/Per Game (993 yds./165.5 avg.)
Total Points Allowed/Per Game (16 pts./2.7 avg.)
SCOUTING AMHERST
Amherst rolled into Week 6 with a wealth of momentum, coming off a 41-0 Homecoming win over Little Three rival Wesleyan - the Jeffs' fourth shutout in their first five games - but saw its hot streak come to a crashing halt with Saturday's 24-17 overtime loss at Tufts. Now 4-2 on the season, the Jeffs will have to regroup for their Family Weekend matchup with undefeated Trinity, which comes to Pratt Field with the league's top offense and the nation's top defense, having outscored opponents 175-16 through six games. The Trinity game marks the final home contest for Amherst seniors Jim Devine, Paul Whiting, Dan McNamara, Jordan Konicek, Ed Sylvester, Matt Fitzgerald, Shane Morrow, Emmanuel Ashamu, W. Gee Roe, Alex Popp, Mike Harrison and Mike Hanlon, who have collectively led the Jeffs to a 24-6 record over four seasons, highlighted by a pair of wins over archrival Williams and consecutive 7-1 campaigns in 2000 and 2001. Whiting, McNamara, Konicek, Sylvester, Harrison and Hanlon star on a defensive unit that allows just 6.8 points per game and entered Week 6 second in the conference in scoring defense, pass defense, rushing defense and total defense. McNamara is the Jeffs' second leading tackler with 46 takedowns (behind junior Dave Borgonzi's 49) and leads the team with 8.5 tackles for loss. Sylvester is right behind McNamara with 43 total tackles, while Whiting paces the secondary with a pair of interceptions. Harrison and Konicek are also major contributors with 3.5 and 3.0 sacks, respectively. Fitzgerald, Morrow, Ashamu and Roe anchor an offensive line that's blazed the trail for a robust 239.0-yard rushing average. Junior tailback Fletcher Ladd is the main benefactor with 686 yards and seven touchdowns on 111 attempts. Fellow junior Matt Monteith pitches in with 53 carries for 415 yards and seven touchdowns. Devine has emerged as a force in the receiving corps, leading the team with three touchdown catches. Junior Preseason All-American Jay Wagstaff is the Jeffs' top receiver with 29 catches for 307 yards and a touchdown. Junior quarterback Marsh Moseley entered Week 6 second in the conference in pass efficiency but sat out most of the first three quarters at Tufts with a sore shoulder. He leads the team with 882 passing yards, to go along with four touchdowns and four interceptions. First-year Nick Kehoe started in Moseley's place at Tufts. On special teams, All-NESCAC junior place-kicker David Bodner has hit his last three field goal attempts and has five on the season. Rookies John Polignone and Mark Hannon continue to split punting chores to the tune of a 30.9-yard average.
AMHERST LAST TIME OUT
Tufts downed visiting Amherst for the first time since 1998 with a dramatic 24-17 overtime win on Saturday. Amherst, which fell to 4-2, rallied from a 14-7 fourth-quarter deficit to take a 17-14 lead late in the game, but Tufts rebounded with a field goal in the final minute of regulation and a touchdown in overtime to seal the win. Tufts did an excellent job shutting down Amherst's ground attack, which entered the game averaging a conference-best 257.8 yards but gained only 145 on 40 attempts on Saturday. Junior tailback Fletcher Ladd finished with 94 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries to lead the offense. Junior quarterback Marsh Moseley, who sat out much of the game with a sore shoulder, finished just 4-for-14 passing with two interceptions, but helped lead a gallant second-half comeback nonetheless. Rookie Nick Kehoe started and played most of the first three quarters at quarterback, completing three passes for just five yards. Senior outside linebacker Dan McNamara tallied a team-high 10 tackles, including 2.0 for loss, on defense.
AMHERST STATISTICAL LEADERS
PASSING
Marsh Moseley (79-for-137/882 yds/4 TD/4 int)
RUSHING
Fletcher Ladd (111 att/686 yds/7 TD)
Matt Monteith (53 att/415 yds/7 TD)
RECEIVING
Jay Wagstaff (29 rec/307 yds/1 TD)
Jim Devine (12 rec/165 yds/3 TD)
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jay Wagstaff (21 punt returns/11.1 avg)
David Bodner (5-for-10 fg/17-for-20 PAT)
AMHERST PROBABLE STARTERS
OFFENSE
QB - Marsh Moseley
FB - Zach Bucuvalas
TB - Fletcher Ladd
WR - Jim Devine
WR - Jay Wagstaff
TE - Ryan Sykes
C - Sean Carroll
LT - Matt Fitzgerald
RT - W. Gee Roe
LG - Shane Morrow
RG - Emmanuel Ashamu
DEFENSE
OLB - Jordan Konicek
OLB - Dan McNamara
DT - Mike Harrison
DT - B.J. Gaddour
NG - Mike Hanlon
ILB - Dave Borgonzi
ILB - Ed Sylvester
CB - Rob Walsh
CB - Paul Whiting
SS - Chris Scarpelli
FS - Bob Sargent
2003 AMHERST SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Sept. 20 - @ Bates (W 34-0)
Sept. 27 - BOWDOIN (W 21-0)
Oct. 4 - MIDDLEBURY (L 17-14)
Oct. 11 - @ Colby (W 31-0)
Oct. 18 - WESLEYAN (W 41-0)
Oct. 25 - @ Tufts (L 24-17 - OT)
Nov. 1 - TRINITY (1 p.m.)
Nov. 8 - @ Williams (Noon)
SCOUTING TRINITY
What more can you say about defending NESCAC Co-Champion Trinity? The Bantams are 6-0 with three shutouts and a 12-game winning streak dating back to last season. They lead the nation and the conference in total defense (165.5 ypg) and scoring defense (2.7 ppg), and top the NESCAC in a bevy of team statistical categories, including scoring offense (29.2 ppg), pass defense (108.7 ypg), rushing defense (56.8 ypg), first downs (119), opponent first downs (60) and time of possession (37:10), among others. No team has come within 10 points of the Bantams this season, their closest shave being a 10-0 shutout win over Williams in Week 2, and their other five victories have all been laughers - 30-6 over Colby, 45-7 over Hamilton, 23-3 over Tufts, 51-0 over Bowdoin and, last week, 16-0 over Middlebury. The key? Experience. Fourth-year head coach Chuck Priore lost just four starters from last year's 7-1 squad, and two of his four senior captains were First-Team All-NESCAC selections as juniors - right guard Jared Carillo and inside linebacker Greg Tanner. The other two, defensive back Matt Glasz and wide receiver Joe Wahl, have been full-time starters since their sophomore seasons and are widely recognized as the team's best athletes. The offense returns all of its threats at the wide receiver position. Wahl and junior Brad Soules led the team with 18 receptions each last season and are currently second and third on the team with 13 and 10 catches, respectively, behind junior Pat Straub's team-high 14 receptions. Senior Tom Pierandri, last season's rushing leader, once again paces the ground attack with 658 yards and eight touchdowns on 140 carries. Sophomore quarterbacks Josh Pitcher and Erik Paisley competed for the starting job during the preseason, and Paisley has taken the majority of the snaps with 56 completions for 668 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Pitcher relieved an injured Paisley last Saturday at Middlebury and was intercepted three times. At 6' 5", 305 pounds, Carillo is part of a substantial offensive line that includes classmate Brendan Bowes (6' 2", 270), juniors Devin Malay (6' 4", 275) and Matt Schiffman (6'3, 290), senior center Justin Kuehn (6' 2", 250) and three-year starting tight end Jake Sexton. The defense is equally impressive, returning eight starters from a team that led the NESCAC in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense. It all begins up front, where four-year starter Jamie Creed joins 2002 NESCAC Rookie of the Year Mike Blair at defensive end. Creed and Blair led the team with 6.5 sacks each last season and have combined for 8.5 in 2003. Senior Fernando Cuartas provides quality play at inside linebacker with a team second-best 32 tackles, while Tanner leads the linebacking corps with 50 tackles, including eight for loss. The secondary returns several players with starting and playing experience as well. While Glasz has been a fixture at his corner position, fellow senior Skip Whipple has held the starting position at the other corner for 22 straight games, and senior free safety Tim Mullaney and junior strong safety Aaron Goldstein have combined for eight interceptions.
TRINITY LAST TIME OUT
Senior running back Thomas Pierandri rushed a career-high 37 times for 146 yards and a touchdown to lead undefeated Trinity to a 16-0 win at Middlebury. Sophomore quarterback Josh Pitcher finished 6-for-14 for 81 yards with three interceptions in relief of classmate Erik Paisley, who left the game with an injury in the second quarter after completing five of nine passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Junior wideout Bradley Soules caught four passes for 64 yards on the afternoon. Senior inside linebacker Greg Tanner had a team-high nine tackles on defense, while sophomore end Michael Blair had four, including 3.0 for lost yardage. The Bantams, who entered the game ranked third in New England, improved to 6-0 with their 12th straight win, outgaining Middlebury 361-216 and allowing the Panthers into Trinity territory only once in the second half.
TRINITY HEAD COACH CHUCK PRIORE
In his fourth season at Trinity, head coach Chuck Priore enters this week's game with a 21-9 record, posting consecutive 4-4 marks in 2000 and 2001 before breaking through with a 7-1 season and a share of the NESCAC Championship in 2002. Before coming to Trinity, Priore spent seven seasons as the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania, where he helped coach the Quakers to a 52-27 overall record and three Ivy League titles. Prior to the 1992-93 season, he was the offensive coordinator at Union College, where his Dutchmen set school records for single-season points and rushing yards. Before joining Union's staff, Priore was the running backs and strength coach at his alma mater, the University of Albany, from 1983 to 1986, and also served as the head lacrosse coach at both Union and Albany.
TRINITY STATISTICAL LEADERS
PASSING
Erik Paisley (56-for-96/668 yds/4 TD/1 int)
Josh Pitcher (22-for-53/272 yds/1 TD/4 int)
RUSHING
Tom Pierandri (140 att/648 yds/8 TD)
Drew Finkeldey (81 att/448 yds/2 TD)
RECEIVING
Patrick Straub (14 rec/181 yds/0 TD)
Bradley Soules (13 rec/211 yds/2 TD)
SPECIAL TEAMS
Bradley Soules (19 punt returns/13.7 avg)
Kevin Swiniarski (7-for-10 fg/12-for-14 PAT)
TRINITY PROBABLE STARTERS
OFFENSE
QB - Erik Paisley
RB - Tom Pierandri
LT - Matt Schiffman
LG - Brendan Bowes
C - Justin Kuehn
RG - Jared Carillo
RT - Devin Malay
TE - Jake Sexton
WR - Joe Wahl
WR - Daniel Mackay
WR - Bradley Soules
DEFENSE
NT - Nils Hodlin
DE - Jamie Creed
DE - Michael Blair
ILB - Greg Tanner
ILB - Fernando Cuartas
OLB - Mark Padilla
OLB - Alex Esdaile
CB - Skip Whipple
CB - Matt Glasz
FS - Tim Mullaney
SS - Aaron Goldstein
2003 TRINITY SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Sept. 20 - @ Colby (W 30-6)
Sept. 27 - WILLIAMS (W 10-0)
Oct. 4 - HAMILTON (W 45-7)
Oct. 11 - @ Tufts (W 23-3)
Oct. 18 - BOWDOIN (W 51-0)
Oct. 25 - @ Middlebury (W 16-0)
Nov. 1 - @ Amherst (1 p.m.)
Nov. 8 - WESLEYAN (Noon)
2003 NESCAC STANDINGS
Trinity (6-0)
Amherst (4-2)
Colby (4-2)
Tufts (4-2)
Wesleyan (4-2)
Williams (4-2)
Middlebury (2-4)
Bates (1-5)
Hamilton (1-5)
Bowdoin (0-6)
