Teams: Football: Press Releases

Monday, October 29, 2007

RUSSO SELECTED NESCAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AFTER TUFTS WIN AGAINST AMHERST

MEDFORD -- Tufts University senior quarterback Matt Russo (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) has guided a rejuvenated Jumbo passing attack during the past few weeks. After the team set passing records at Williams on October 20, Russo threw three touchdown passes in a 29-10 victory over Amherst on Saturday and has earned New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Russo completed 20 of 26 passes against Amherst for 205 yards. His four-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Kevin Gleason (Holden, MA/St. John's Shrewsbury) at 7:34 of the first quarter gave Tufts the lead for good at 6-3. He then scored on a one-yard plunge on fourth down in the second quarter to give Tufts a 13-3 advantage. Perhaps his best ball of the day was a 20-yard strike over the middle to junior Max Cassidy (New Fairfield, CT/New Fairfield) for a 23-3 Jumbo lead at 1:28 of the third quarter. Russo capped his day with a five-yard TD toss to junior Stephen Black (San Diego, CA/Francis W. Parker) with 6:07 to play in the fourth quarter, putting Tufts up 29-3.

Black was Russo's top target, catching six passes for 52 yards, but the quarterback had completions to seven receivers overall. Russo recovered from throwing his first pass of the game for an interception that put the Lord Jeffs on the Jumbo 21. The Tufts defense kept Amherst to a field goal, and then Russo went to work. He competed all five of his throws for 57 yards on the 11-play, 68-yard scoring drive that finished with Gleason's touchdown. He was five for five again on the next Tufts possession, passing for 48 yards before taking it in himself. The string of 10 straight completions ended on the first play of the next Tufts drive, which included four of his six incompletions on the day, but still resulted in a Tufts field goal. Tufts turned to the run more in the second half, but Russo was a perfect six for six for 62 yards in the third and fourth quarters, including the two touchdowns.

With Russo at the helm, the Jumbos were five for five in red zone chances against Amherst, three for three on fourth down, and finished with a 16-minute advantage in time of possession. The win, Tufts' biggest over Amherst since a 23-0 score in 1982, kept the Jumbos in a first-place tie atop NESCAC with a 5-1 record. They have games remaining at Colby next Saturday and at home against Middlebury, also currently 5-1, on November 10.

In the 34-13 loss at Williams, Tufts broke team records with 39 completions, 57 attempts and 378 yards. Russo, who was 30 for 45 for 308 yards and two touchdowns in the game, is now ranked second in NESCAC for quarterback efficiency this season. His 99 completions in 175 attempts for 1,074 yards and 10 touchdowns with seven interceptions are a 119.0 rating. His 10 touchdown passes and 56.6 completion percentage are both third in the conference.

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