Tuesday,
September 30, 2003
Written By Julie Fox
MEDFORD
- Tufts University senior cornerback Mark
Tilki (Derby, CT/Derby) has been named a New England Small College Athletic
Conference (NESCAC) Defensive Co-Player of the Week for his efforts in Tufts'
24-14 win over the Bates College football team on Sunday (September 28). The Tufts team remains undefeated two games into the season.
Tilki shares this week's award with Steve Kasperski, a junior linebacker at
Colby College.
Tilki
had two key interceptions against Bates. His second came with just 59 seconds
remaining in the game. He
intercepted the ball at the Bates 40-yard line and took it in for a touchdown to
put the Jumbos up by a comfortable ten-point cushion.
His first interception came early in the second quarter at his own 4-yard
line, putting a stop to another Bobcat scoring threat. The Bobcats were leading
7-3 at the time. Tilki also made six solo tackles, tying for the team high in
the game.
The
Jumbo defense accounted for two of the three Tufts touchdowns in the game.
Senior DE Reid Palmer (Ithaca,
NY/Ithaca) had a 91-yard interception returned for a touchdown at the end of
the first half that put the Jumbos up 10-7.
Overall, the Tufts defense forced four turnovers in the red zone and
allowed the Bobcats to score only once out of the five times they were in the
red zone.
Tilki,
who was named All-NESCAC First Team last season for his work as a return
specialist and All-NESCAC Second Team as a cornerback, is currently leading the
Jumbos in scoring with two touchdowns. Although
he has only returned three kickoffs, Tilki has 144 return yards for an average
of 48.0 yards per return. He
returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown last week (Sept. 20) against
Hamilton College with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter to put
the Jumbos up 23-6 and essentially deflate the Continentals.
The Jumbos went on to win 23-14.
Tilki
is second on the team and eighth in the NESCAC in all-purpose yards per game
(120.0), tied for the team lead and third in the league in interceptions (2),
and has returned seven punts averaging 8.0 yards with a long of 20 yards.
He has seven solo and one assisted tackle in two games for a total of 7.5
tackles.
Head
Coach Bill Samko's team will host Bowdoin College in their home opener,
and Homecoming game, this Saturday, October 4.
Bowdoin is currently 0-2 on the year, with losses to NESCAC powers
Amherst College and Williams College.
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