AMHERST, Mass. – Max Lippe '15 led a second half surge by the Amherst College football team as the Jeffs overcame a halftime deficit to cruise to a 35-10 win over Colby College at Pratt Field.

Saturday afternoon marked the second time this season the Jeffs (4-0) have scored 30-plus points en route to victory as they cruise to their 19th straight win against the Mules, who fall to 0-4 on the year.

Unable to get anything going offensively in the first half, Amherst trailed 3-0 at the break. Lippe entered the game on the Jeffs second drive of the third quarter and his first pass attempt went 68 yards to Brian Ragone '17 down to the Colby-1 yard line. The senior quarterback proved to be the difference maker, going 7-for-9 for 142 yards, two touchdowns and zero turnovers. Nick Kelly '16 put on another stellar performance on the ground, rushing for his second consecutive 100-yard game. He finished with 110 yards on 16 attempts, for an average of 6.9 yards per carry. His longest run of the game was a 36-yarder down to the Colby-16 as the drive finished with a touchdown. Kelly also totaled 59 yards on two kick returns including a long of 38.

Offensively, as a team, Amherst finished above its average on the year with 392 yards of total offense. The Purple & White threw for 195 yards and rushed for 197. They held a 19-15 advantage in first downs and slight edge in time of possession, 31:05 to 28:55.

On the defensive side of the ball, Ned Deane '15 led the team with a game-high 13 tackles (6 solo, 7 assists) and returned an interception 19 yards for a score. Paul Johnson '17 continues to pressure opposing quarterbacks, adding another sack on the season to up his total to four. Parker Chapman '17 and Niyi Odewade '17 each recorded a sack as well, while Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn '16 and Jaymie Spears '16 picked off Colby quarterback Gabe Harrington. The Jeff defense allowed 289 yards of total offense, with just 73 on the ground and 216 through the air.

Harrington led the Colby offense, going 17-of-29 for 216 yards and a score, but threw three interceptions. Jabari Hurdle-Price rushed 22 times for 66 yards and Nick Joseph recorded 87 yards receiving on two catches, including a 45-yard touchdown reception.  

The Mules put together a great opening drive to start the game, but came away scoreless. After consecutive false starts made it 1st-and-20, Harrington found Mbasa Mayikana for gains of six and 11, respectively, before a five-yard run by Luke Duncklee gave the away team a first down. Driving down the field, Colby faced a 4th-and-2 at the Amherst-25 and went for it, but Odewade broke up the play for a loss of three, while forcing a fumble as well.

After a three-and-out, Colby pressured the Jeffs defense once again and attempted another fourth-down conversion on the Amherst-33. However, they were unsuccessful yet again as Chris Tamasi '15 stopped Duncklee short of the first-down.

The Mules did get on the board first, however, when a 46-yard field goal by Louw Scheepers early in the second quarter put the away team ahead by three. Amherst put together several long drives to get into visitor territory shortly after, but was unable to come away with any points as they entered the locker room down, 3-0.

On the team's second drive of the third quarter, Lippe tossed one deep down the field to Ragone, who had his defenders beat. The junior pulled in the catch but was dragged down by a Mules' defender at the 1-yard line, before Raheem Jackson '17 punched it in for the first touchdown of the game.

The Jeffs forced a three-and-out to regain possession with 9:10 remaining in the third quarter. After three-consecutive rushes by Kelly totaled 46 yards, Amherst was in scoring range once again at the Colby-16. Several rushes later, Jackson pushed through the line yet again for another 1-yard touchdown to put the home team ahead, 14-3.

Despite the momentum quickly shifting in Amherst's favor, Colby scored just four plays later to cut the deficit to four. The drive started with an incomplete pass, a two-yard rush by Hurdle-Price and a 20-yard reception by Ryder Arsenault before Harrington connected with Joseph in the endzone for the 42-yard score. The drive lasted just 1:26.

However, Amherst retaliated on their next drive when Brian O'Malley '17 got things going with an 11-yard first down run on the first play. A 15-yard completion to Devin Boehm '17 later in the drive, followed by three Jackson runs eventually put the Jeffs inside the Colby-10. Facing third-down from the six-yard line, Lippe found tight end Henry Falter '15 wide open in the right side of the endzone to put the home team ahead, 21-10. They would never look back.

The next Colby possession ended in just two plays when Harrington threw it right to Deane, who took it 19 yards to the house. After another Mules turnover, Amherst capitalized once again when Lippe found Gene Garay '15 for a 24-yard touchdown. After the completion, Garay showed off his agility and stopped on a dime, juking past the defender en route to the 35-10 win.

Amherst returns to action Saturday, Oct. 18 and will head to Wesleyan to face an unbeaten Cardinals squad beginning at 1:30 p.m.