Week 8 Preview: Amherst vs. WilliamsEdit

Contact: Mike O'Brien

"The Biggest Little Game in America"
Amherst College (7-0) vs.
Williams College (2-5)
Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014 * Pratt Field
Amherst, Mass. * 4 p.m.

JEFF REPORT PODCAST

THIS WEEK IN THE NESCAC
Hamilton @ Bates (12 p.m.)
Trinity @ Wesleyan (12 p.m.)
Tufts @ Middlebury (12:30 p.m.)
Bowdoin @ Colby (12:30 p.m.)
Williams @ Amherst (4 p.m.)

LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday's game will feature live stats and will be televised on the New England Sports Network (NESN) with a webcast to be streamed by the Northeast Sports Network (NSN) following the conclusion of the game. NESN's broadcast will feature Tom Caron (play-by-play), Matt Goldstein (color commentary) and Katy Fitzpatrick (sideline reporter).

If you are unable to watch the game in person, please join us at one of the 50 telecast viewing parties across the country. Telecast locations can be found here.

"BIGGEST LITTLE GAME IN AMERICA"
Williams holds a 71-52-5 edge in 128 meetings dating back to 1884. The Jeffs recorded their first win in 1886, but would not get another until 1892, as the Ephs piled up an 8-1-1 mark through the first 10 games. The rivals were relatively even against each other until Amherst strung together a six-game win streak from 1981-86. Williams responded by putting together the rivalry's longest unbeaten stretch, going 12-0-1 from 1987-99. The Ephs enjoyed another four-game streak from 2005-08, but Amherst has since regrouped, taking four of the last five showdowns en route to undefeated seasons in 2009 and 2011. Saturday's game will be the first in the historic rivalry to be played under the lights.The "Biggest Little Game in America" is the longest played rivalry in NCAA Division III and is the fourth most played NCAA football series.

LAST MEETING
The Jeffs rolled up 203 yards on the ground to defeat Williams on the road, 20-7. Playing in the 525th and final game on the grass at Weston Field, the Jeffs notched their third-consecutive victory over the Ephs, the team's longest streak in the historic rivalry since capturing six-straight from 1981-86. With the win, Amherst closed out the year with a 7-1 mark to finish in a three-way tie atop the league standings, earning at least a share of the conference championship for the third time since 2009.

Kenny Adinkra '16 led the Jeffs' rushing attack with 92 yards. Nick Kelly '17 added 50 on 16 touches with a touchdown, while quarterback Max Lippe '15 had 38 yards. Completing 60 percent (21-of-35) of his passes, Lippe also threw for 153 yards and a score as Amherst outgained Williams, 356-305, while holding a nearly six-minute edge in time of possession. Nine different Jeffs hauled in a reception in the win, led by Brian Ragone '16, who had 47 yards on five catches with a touchdown.

Amherst forced four turnovers to up its season takeaway total to 23. Jaymie Spears '16, Danny Chun '14 and Kevin Callahan '14 each had an interception to help the Purple & White finish with a conference-best 20 picks in 2013. Spears recorded a team-high seven tackles for the Jeffs, including six solo. Chris Tamasi '15, Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn '16 and Ned Deane '15 each had six stops, with Tamasi also accounting for one of the team's two sacks.

Mike Pomella finished 12-for-20 for 164 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions for the Ephs, while Adam Marske was 7-for-13 for 50 yards. One of the conference's top rushers, Alex Scyocurka managed only 1.8 yards per carry, finishing with 24 yards on 13 touches as Williams picked up just 91 yards on the ground. Darrias Sime led all Eph receivers with six catches for 48 yards.

AMHERST LAST TIME OUT
Junior wide receiver Jackson McGonagle caught a 20-yard touchdown reception from senior quarterback Max Lippe between two defenders with 6:43 remaining in the fourth quarter as Amherst edged Trinity College on the road, 7-6. It was the Bantams' second straight home loss, after winning 53 consecutively. The Purple & White held Trinity to a mere 10 yards passing in a defensive battle, but only accumulated 156 yards of offense. Lippe's streak of 13 straight quarters without an interception came to an end as he tossed for 102 yards (9-for-25) with one touchdown. Senior wide receiver Gene Garay led all players with seven receptions and 74 yards, while running back Nick Kelly '17 totaled 51 yards on 21 carries.

Defensively, the Jeffs added two more interceptions to their league-high 15. Junior corner back Jaymie Spears picked off his fifth of the year, while junior free safety Christopher Gow added his fourth. Junior inside linebacker Thomas Kleyn led the team with 11 tackles (6 solo), while senior outside linebacker Chris Tamasi and junior strong safety Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn both recovered fumbles. Despite throwing for just 10 yards, the Bantams top rushing attack did rack up 223 yards on the ground. Leading the way was Darrien Myers with 87 yards on 11 carries, while Chudi Iregbulem was held to just 64 yards on 29 carries for an average of 2.2 ypc. Iregbulem entered the game averaging a league-high 110 ypg with 10 touchdowns.

Trailing 6-0 for most of the game, Lippe and McGonagle connected on a late fourth quarter touchdown to give Amherst the lead. However, the Bantams took over at their own-45 with 3:25 to play in regulation for a chance to win it. The home team marched down the field, while killing the clock, to set up a 3rd-and-2 at the Amherst-6. After a loss of one-yard on a rush, the Jeffs called a timeout with :37 remaining. On 4th-and-3, Trinity had a chance to take the lead but missed a 24-yard field goal allowing Amherst to run out the clock and claim the thrilling win.

WILLIAMS LAST TIME OUT
The Ephs were shutout at Farley-Lamb Field by Little Three rival Wesleyan, 22-0. The Cardinals dominated the game in all aspects, recording an astonishing 312 yards rushing and 23 first downs while holding Williams to 120 yards of pass offense, and only three yards on the ground. It was the first time Wesleyan defeated Williams in Williamstown since 1984. The 22-point margin of victory was the largest over the Ephs in 99 years and the shutout marked the first time Wesleyan held Williams scoreless since 1956.

The Cardinals' running back, Lou Stevens, ran for 191 yards on 32 carries and scored Wesleyan's only touchdown. He averaged 6.0 yards per carry. Quarterback Jesse Warren went 14-of-23 for 83 yards, while Jay Fabien led the receiving corps with 24 yards on three catches.

Williams quarterback Austin Lommen went 12-of-24 for 101 yards and two interceptions. The Ephs' leading rusher, Jean-Luc Etienne, gained just 13 yards on four carries. Darrias Sime, Etienne, and Alex Way led Williams in receiving with 28, 24, and 20 yards, respectively.

SCOUTING AMHERST
The Jeffs sit alone atop the NESCAC standings with a perfect 7-0 record, and have pulled off two thrilling road wins against top-three teams in the conference this year. On Saturday, Oct. 18, Amherst edged Wesleyan in overtime, 33-30, and most recently went into Jessee/Miller Field to hand Trinity a 7-6 loss with a late fourth quarter touchdown. It was the Jeffs' first road win against the Bantams since the 2000 season. The Purple & White have outscored opponents 156-62 this year, including a 7-0 shutout win at Middlebury (5-2), the second highest scoring team in the league (23.3 ppg). Amherst has scored 30 or more points in four of their seven games this season, and is riding a 10-game winning streak dating back to last year.

Offensively, the Jeffs are averaging 22.3 points per game behind a balanced attack. They throw for 163.9 yards and rush for 150.7 to total 314.6 ypg of offense. Sophomore running back Nick Kelly leads the unit, and has posted three 100-yard rushing games this season. He is averaging 5.1 yards per carry for a total of 78.0 per game, third highest among league leaders, and became the first Jeff rusher since the 2011 season to gain 500-plus yards in a season (546). His five touchdowns are fifth most in the conference. Since entering the second half of the Week 4 game against Colby, senior quarterback Max Lippe has thrown for 538 yards on 51-of-85 attempts with four touchdowns and one interception, and went 13 straight quarters without a turnover. His favorite target has been classmate Gene Garay, who ranks fourth in the league in yards per game (53.6). He has 36 receptions on the year for 375 yards and two touchdowns, and has rushed for one as well.

Amherst boasts one of the league's top defenses yet again in 2014. They are the only team to allow less than 10 points per game, giving up just 8.9 through seven contests, and allowed more than 10 points just once this year. Amherst also leads the league in interceptions (15) and ranks second in sacks (20). As a unit, they surrender 270.7 ypg on 156.7 through the air and 114.0 on the ground. The front seven has caused problems for opponents all season, and is led by seniors Chris Tamasi, Max Lehrman and Ned Deane. Tamasi, a senior outside linebacker and tri-captain, has 12.5 tackles-for-loss and 54 total (33 solo). He and Lehrman rank second in the league with 4.5 sacks each, while nose guard Paul Johnson '17 sits tied for fourth with four. Fellow tri-captain and inside linebacker, Deane, leads the team and ranks fifth in the league with 65 tackles (32 solo), while junior defensive backs Jaymie Spears and Christopher Gow have combined for nine interceptions. Spears' five pics are tied for second most in the league, while Gow ranks fourth with four of his own.

SCOUTING WILLIAMS
Following a 2-6 campaign a year ago, the Ephs opened the 2014 year on a high note with a decisive 36-0 home-opening win against Bowdoin. However, Williams was shutout the following Saturday at Trinity (38-0) and has gone 1-6 since Week 1. The Ephs lost four straight from Sept. 27 to Oct. 18 by a combined 107-52, but did lost three consecutive by seven points or less. The Ephs defeated Hamilton on the road Oct. 25 (21-14), but were shutout for the second time this season last week to Wesleyan (22-0) at home.

With a 2-5 record entering today's rivalry game, the Ephs' offense is averaging 15.6 points on 277.3 yards of total offense. Williams is the only team in the NESCAC gaining less than 100 yards on the ground, with a league-low 79.9 ypg. However, they have fared well throwing the ball thus far, and rank third in the league in passing (197.4 ypg). Junior quarterback Austin Lommen leads the offense and sits fourth among league leaders with an average of 185.4 ypg. He also ranks fifth in touchdowns (7), but has thrown for just as many interceptions. Senior running back Alex Scyocurka carries the rushing load, with 106 attempts on the year. He averages 3.7 ypc for a total of 56.0 ypg, and has scored six times.

Williams has had a difficult time stopping the run as well, and ranks last in the conference in rushing defense, giving up close to 200 yards per game (192.4). The Ephs allow 20.4 ppg and 353.4 ypg, with six interceptions, six fumble recoveries, five sacks and one defensive touchdown. Leading the unit is junior linebacker James O'Grady with a team-high 58 tackles (34 solo), while senior defensive back Tom Cabarle leads the secondary with four interceptions. After shutting out Bowdoin, the Ephs have allowed 20-plus points in five of their last six games.

PROBABLE STARTERS

2014 STATISTICAL LEADERS

2014 STATISTICAL COMPARISON