Amherst College (0-0) at
Bates College (0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015 * Garcelon Field
Lewiston, Maine. * 1 p.m.
JEFF REPORT PODCAST
LIVE COVERAGE
Amherst's 2015 season opener will feature live stats and a webcast courtesy of Bates sports information.
THIS WEEK IN THE NESCAC
Middlebury @ Wesleyan (12:30 p.m.)
Amherst @ Bates (1 p.m.)
Williams @ Bowdoin (1 p.m.)
Trinity @ Colby (1 p.m.)
Tufts @ Hamilton (1 p.m.)
THE SERIES
Amherst and Bates have met 29 times since 1901, with the Purple & White holding a decisive 23-4-2 edge. Amherst has won the previous seven meetings dating back to 2002, and has outscored the Bobcats 186-19 with four shutouts during that stretch. The last Bates victory over Amherst occurred in 1999 as the Bobcats claimed a 19-7 home victory. Amherst's current seven-game winning streak is its longest streak against its NESCAC counterpart, surpassing the previous long of six consecutive wins from 1984-to-1989.
LAST MEETING (Box Score/Recap)
Amherst and Bates met in the season-opener last year for the first time since the 2011 campaign. The Purple & White relied on their stingy defense, holding the top rushing attack in the conference the prior year to just 133 yards on the ground and only 246 total yards. Amherst held the edge in the passing game, throwing for 215 yards, compared to the Bobcats' 113, while gaining 126 on the ground for 341 yards of total offense.
After several early turnovers by both teams, the Purple & White struck first when Alex Berluti '17 found Gene Garay '15 in the endzone with 3:42 to play in the first quarter, giving the home team a 7-0 lead. After two scoreless quarters, Bates eventually responded in the fourth following a one-yard touchdown run by Matt Cannone, however, Amherst denied the Bobcats' two-point attempt to maintain a one-point advantage. Several seconds later, Nick Kelly '17 rushed down the left side of the field for a 42-yard score as Amherst prevailed, 14-6.
SCOUTING AMHERST
Coming off a perfect 8-0 season, and back-to-back NESCAC titles, Amherst certainly has the bullseye on its back entering the 2015 campaign. Despite the departure of seven all-conference selections from a year ago, the Purple & White look poised to succeed once again under 2014 NESCAC Coach of the Year, E.J. Mills, as they return a bevy of talent and experience that includes a 20-member senior class.
Offensively, Amherst brings back two starters on the offensive line, as well as all five running backs from last year's title team. Headlining the group will be junior Nick Kelly, who earned Second Team All-NESCAC honors last season after finishing third in the conference in yards (585) and yards per game (73.1), while posting a league-high 4.8 yards per rush. Amherst has an experienced core of quarterbacks to replace three-year starter Max Lippe '15, including sophomore Reece Foy who saw action in four of Amherst's eight games as a first-year.
On the defensive side, Amherst figures to remain one of the top units in the league. The Purple & White return seven starters from a defense that led all of Division III in scoring (8.9 ppg) last year, and ranked 15th in the country in total defense (273.1 ypg). Preseason All-America selection Jaymie Spears '16 headlines a group that looks strong in all areas.
SCOUTING BATES
The Bobcats finished the 2014 season with a 4-4 mark, the program's third straight .500 or better season since 1979, and finished tied for fifth in the final NESCAC standings. They return 12 starters from last year's squad, including eight on offense and three on defense.
Bates ranked 10th in the league in total offense (265.3 ypg) last season, but excelled on the ground and finished fourth in rushing yards (141.2 ypg). Wide receiver Mark Riley, a First Team All-NESCAC selection as a junior, looks to build on an impressive season in which he pulled in 41 catches for 572 yards and four touchdowns. The Bobcats also return their leading rusher from a year ago, senior slotback Shaun Carroll (281 rushing yards, 3 TDs), but must replace the team's 2014 offensive MVP, quarterback Matt Cannone.
On the other side of the ball, junior Mark Upton headlines a unit that returns three starters from last year's defense that ranked fifth overall in the conference (320.8 ypg). Upton, a First Team All-NESCAC honoree in 2014, racked up 73 tackles (10.0 TFL) with 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
PROBABLE STARTERS
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AMHERST OFF.
QB – R. Foy
RB – N. Kelly
WR – J. McGonagle
WR – D. Boehm
WR – N. Widen
TE – R. Thoma
LT – S. Hart
LG – C. Boehmer
C – J. Daniels
RG – E. Zabludoff
RT – M. Arthur
K – C. Wall
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AMHERST DEF.
DE – S. Caldwell
DT – P. Johnson
DE – N. Odewade
OLB – J. Drew
ILB – T. Kleyn
ILB – E. Boynton
OLB – P. Chapman
SS – J. Fairfield-Sonn
FS – C. Gow
CB – J. Spears
CB – S. Soucy
P – McGonagle
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BATES OFF.
QB – P. Dugan
RB – I. Reese
SLOT – S. Carroll
SLOT – F. Williams
SE – L. Eversage
SE – M. Riley
LT – W. Barstow
LG – L. Seebeck
C – J. Fagan
RG – M. Holz
RT – M. Hildreth
K – G. DeWald
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BATES DEF.
DE – T. Oniskey
DT – C. Richardson
DE – S. Antonuccio
OLB – B. Coulibaly
ILB – S. Francis
ILB – M. Upton
ILB – S. Freeman
OLB – A. Jenkelunas
CB – B. Williams
CB – C. Candelario
FS – T. Lyons
P – J. Foley
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RETURNING STATISTICAL LEADERS
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AMHERST
Passing:
Alex Berluti (36-of-57/408 yds/3 TD/3 INT)
Rushing:
Nick Kelly (121 att/585 yds/5 TD)
Raheem Jackson (54 att/206 yds/2 TD)
Receiving:
Jackson McGonagle (18 rec/277 yds/3 TD)
Brian Ragone (19 rec/196 yds/0 TD)
Defense:
Tom Kleyn (60 tackles/31 solo/7 TFL)
Parker Chapman (42 tackles/20 solo/3 BrUp)
Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn (42 tackles/27 solo/2 INT)
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BATES
Passing:
Patrick Dugan (8-of-19/67 yds/0 TD/1 INT)
Rushing:
Shaun Carroll (55 att/281 yds/3 TD)
Frank Williams (42 att/208 yds/0 TD)
Receiving:
Mark Riley (41 rec/572 yds/4 TD)
Shaun Carroll (12 att/96 yds/1 TD)
Defense:
Mark Upton (84 tackles/51 solo/3.5 sacks)
Trevor Lyons (27 tackles/22 solo/4 BrUp)
Tucker Oniskey (26 tackles/10 solo/5 BrUp)
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2014 STATISTICAL COMPARISON
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RUSHING OFF.
A: 144.0 avg.
B: 141.3 avg.
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TOTAL OFF.
A: 308.6 avg.
B: 265.3 avg.
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RUSHING DEF.
A: 108.8 avg.
B: 102.6 avg.
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TOTAL DEF.
A: 273.1 avg.
B: 320.8 avg.
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PASSING OFF.
A: 164.6 avg.
B: 124.0 avg.
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SCORING OFF.
A: 21.6 avg.
B: 17.5 avg.
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PASSING DEF.
A: 164.4 avg.
B: 218.1 avg.
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SCORING DEF.
A: 8.9 avg.
B: 21.5 avg.
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