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Game Notes: Williams (5-2) at Amherst (7-0)

Game Notes: Williams (5-2) at Amherst (7-0)
Saturday, November 9, 1996 at Pratt Field, Amherst, Massachusetts

  • This is the 111th meeting of the oldest Division III rivalry, begun with a 15-2 Williams win in 1884. Williams leads the series 60-45-5. The winner of the "Biggest Little Game in America" with take home the Little III Title, claimed each year through competition among Amherst, Wesleyan and Williams. Williams has claimed 38 Little III titles, while Amherst has 26 to the Jeffs' credit.
  • The two teams boast the best defenses in the NESCAC, allowing opponents the fewest points and yards in seven games. Williams has given up 1,700 yards and 63 points, while league-leading Amherst has been rock-solid, allowing only 48 points from 1,337 yards. The Jeffs have tripled and doubled those respective numbers offensively, scoring 187 points off of 2,965 yards as top-rated offense in the NESCAC.
  • Both teams are ranked according to the ECAC Division III New England Poll. Amherst holds steady at No. 2 with four first place votes while Williams rises to No. 6 from the No. 8 spot last week after a loss to Hamilton The Jeffs have also garnered seven first place votes in the Lambert/Meadowlands Awards Poll.
  • Each team features two Pre-Season All-Americans in its line-up. Williams left tackle Eric Kelley will block for running back Mark Kossick, while Amherst's Alex Bernstein '97 (Edina, MN) will help contain Eph offenses at defensive tackle. Josh Mason '97 (Greenfield, MA) returns at tailback after missing last year's game with a broken leg.
  • While Amherst rolled to a 24-7 win at Trinity last week, Williams struggled against Little III foe Wesleyan in Williamstown. The Cardinals drove the length of the field twice in the closing minutes of the game, scoring with 2:57 left to bring Wesleyan within one point of victory. But the Ephs held onto a 13-12 lead when an 80-yard Wesleyan drive culminated in a missed field goal with 0.07 left.
  • The matchup will be televised live on the New England Sports Network (NESN) as the eighth of nine ECAC Chevy Dealer of New England Games of the Week. Beginning at noon this Saturday, Tom Larson will announce the game, while Amherst alum and former NFL-All Star Jean Fugett '72 will provide color commentary. The game will also be shown in tape-delay the following week on Sunday at 7:30pm.
  • Last year, Williams entered the season finale with a 7-0 record before 5-2 Amherst tainted their perfect season with a 0-0 tie on ESPN2. This outcome broke a 21 game win-streak for the Ephs that was then refashioned as a 22 game streak without a loss. The tie was the best showing by the Jeffs against Williams since their last victory in 1986.
  • This year, the records are reversed, as Amherst goes for its sixth ever perfect season and Williams is struggling with two losses. Amherst has posted an 8-0 season as recently as 1984, in addition to 1964 and a 7-0 season in 1942. There are also two 1-0 years in the early history of Lord Jeff football in 1879 and the inaugural year of 1877.
  • Williams enters today's game with the game plan of 1973, 1972, 1961 and 1957: to spoil 8-0 for the Jeffs. In each of those seasons, Amherst rolled to seven wins before registering their only loss in the final game of the season. In each of the four games, the Ephs handily humbled the Jeffs.
  • After the Trinity victory, Head Coach Jack Siedlecki surveyed the season thus far: "Seniors, you have just one more payback left." Since Siedlecki took over the Amherst football program four years ago, the Class of '97 has seen the slow avenging of eight losses the team had registered in 1992. Defeating Hamilton, Bowdoin and Tufts that first year, the Jeffs added Bates, Middlebury and Wesleyan to the list in their sophomore season. This year, Amherst has ended an eight year domination by Colby in a 34-0 win and the seven-year reign of Trinity last week. In the NESCAC, the only school left to beat is Williams.
  • For the first time in ten years, Amherst enters the final game as the favored team with the better overall record. However, Siedlecki approaches the game differently: "I think this is a very even game. Williams is four points from being in the same position that we are. We've won a few close games like Middlebury and Wesleyan. Sometimes the difference between 7-0 and 5-2 is just a couple of bounces and some lucky breaks."
  • Big plays have put both teams in their current positions. The Ephs missed an extra-point attempt in a 14-13 loss to Trinity early in the season, while a Hamilton interception with 1:20 to play sealed a 16-13 victory over the Ephs. The Jeffs, however, have come out on the other side of tough situations: inside linebacker John Walsh '97 (Wellesley, MA) intercepted a Panther pass for a 17-10 win over Middlebury, while cornerback Peter Reidenbach '97 (Orinda, CA) snatched a Wesleyan pass in an 18-13 triumph.
  • This year's matchup falls on Amherst's Homecoming Weekend, which also coincides with the kickoff of The Amherst College Campaign with the goal of raising $200 million over the next five years. An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 alumni are expected back to the College on the Hill.
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