Middlebury's
Tomás Kenary tipped a Tufts' pass, which
John McCool snatched up and ran in for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to secure a 19-10 victory over the Jumbos. The Panthers extended their winning streak to six-straight triumphs, improving to 7-1 on the season.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Tufts came out strong, with Drew Guida intercepting the ball for a touchback on Middlebury's opening possession.
- The Jumbos took over with 12:29 left on the clock, but their drive that spanned nearly the rest of the quarter did not result in a touchdown. McCool tallied three tackles at the end of the drive, including an assisted stop with Rocco Stola on the one-yard-line to turn Tufts over on downs.
- Taking over near midfield to start the second stanza, the Panthers marched down the gridiron before Zach Levy converted a 20-yard boot to give Middlebury a 3-0 edge.
- Two drives later, Levy split the uprights again, this time from 33 yards out to extend the Panther lead to 6-0.
- With just over five minutes left in the half, Teddy Daniel picked off a pass and returned it to the Tufts' 40-yard-line to put Middlebury in a good scoring position. Later, a two-yard rush by Carter Stockwell gave the Panthers a 12-0 lead.
- The Jumbos would not be denied points in the opening half, as Vaugh Seelicke's 16-yard field goal sailed through the uprights to make it 12-3 at the break.
- The third quarter was eerily similar to the first, with Tufts intercepting a pass on Middlebury's initial drive. The Jumbos marched down the field on their possession, with a two-yard rushing touchdown eventually coming from Chartellis Reece. Seelicke's extra point was good, cutting the Tufts' deficit to 12-10, which is where the score would stand until the final minutes of the contest.
- With 5:47 left in the game, Kieran Sheridan forced a fumble that Dave Filias recovered for a touchback. The Panthers' tried to carry that momentum into its offensive drive, but the Jumbo defense clamped down, forcing Middlebury to punt.
- Tufts took over with just 2:32 showing on the clock, but the Panther defensive unit was all over Jumbo quarterback Michael Berluti, recording three-straight pass breakups. The play-of-the-game came on second-and-10 at the Tufts' 49-yard line. Kenary tipped a pass that McCool scooped up and ran 59 yards into the endzone. Levy converted the extra point, securing the impressive 19-10 victory.
NOTES
- The squad broke up 11 passes during the contest, which ranks second all-time in a single game. Stola had four of those pass breakups, tying the school record alongside teammate Muldoon who achieved the same feat a season ago. The team has also broken up 51 total passes this year, which ranks second all-time.
- Levy tied the school mark for most field goals in a season with 10 total this fall.
- Kenary moved up into second place on the single-season sacks list, totaling two today for 11 this fall. The Panther also increased his career school mark to 24 wrap-ups.
- Backup quarterback Brian Moran had a career-best 104 yards through the air, including a 33-yard laser.
- Prior to the start of the contest, the squad honored seniors Kwesi Adu-Diawuo, Cian Callahan, Walker Coleman, Jimmy Cosolito, Cole Crider, Brendan Easter, Travis Emery, Jack Greenburg, Cal Hartman, Luke Hayes, Kennon, Matthew Kushwaha, Sean Link, Alex Maldjian, McCool, Macken McDonald, Peter Merlini, Sam Messina, Muldoon, Sheridan, Nolan Tibball, Sam Wilson and Donovan Wood.
Middlebury looks to secure the NESCAC Championship next Saturday when it travels to Colby for a 1:00 p.m. start. The Panthers and Trinity are currently tied at 7-1 at the top of the conference standings. If both teams were to secure wins next week, they would each earn a share of the title.
