Teams: Football: Schedule & Results

JUMBOS EARN 24TH CONSECUTIVE VICTORY AGAINST BATES, 15-7 IN LEWISTON

COLLEGE FOOTBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 15, Bates 7

At Lewiston, ME
Saturday, October 3, 2009

Game Statistics

Pat Bailey had 156 all-purpose yards in the victory

LEWISTON, Me. -- The Tufts University football team won 15-7 at Bates College on Saturday before a Parents & Family Weekend crowd of 1,200, using a bend-but-don't-break defense and a time-consuming offense to salt away the Jumbos' first win of the season. Tufts evens its record to 1-1, while Bates falls to 0-2. The win is the 24th in a row for Tufts against the Bobcats, a streak that dates back to 1986.

The Tufts defense did not allow a touchdown. Bates' lone score came on Cam Evans' interception and 12-yard return in the second quarter, which pushed Bates ahead 7-3, after Tufts got on the board first with a 35-yard field goal by Adam Auerbach (Glen Rock, NJ).

Tufts senior Andrew Elfman (Wellesley, MA) blocked a Bates punt early in the game and it was recovered by junior Brian Danshaw (Colleyville, TX), but the Jumbos couldn't turn that into points. After the defense forced a three-and-out, the Jumbo offense took over at their own 43. Junior tailback Pat Bailey (Beverly, MA) had 28 yards rushing on the drive and Auerbach capped it with the field goal. The first quarter ended 3-0.

The Bates touchdown on the short interception return came at 9:57 of the second quarter after Tufts had stopped the Bobcats on fourth down from the 11-yard line. The Jumbos regained the lead on the next possession with an 11-yard pass from senior quarterback Tom McManama (Wakefield, MA) to sophomore tight end Nick Croteau (Pepperell, MA), making it 9-7 after a failed point-after attempt. Thirty-one yards rushing by freshman Mike Howell (Phoenixville, PA), a Bates pass interference penalty and a 15-yard run by Jumbo senior Tim Puopolo (Wenham, MA) helped the cause. The Tufts defense stopped Bates again deep in Jumbo territory late in the half and the game went to halftime with Tufts up 9-7.

Bates possessed the ball for over nine minutes of the third quarter, but scored no points to show for it as the Jumbo D buckled down. Tufts extended its lead early in the fourth quarter, as McManama, under heavy pressure from three Bates pass-rushers, flung the ball across the field, over the outstretched arms of Bates safety Kyle McAllister, and into the hands of junior Pat Bailey (Beverly, MA), who scampered the rest of the 71 yards to the end zone, putting the Jumbos on top 15-7 with 12:07 left in the game. Tufts took the ball over two more times in the game and kept the ball on the ground and the game clock running, removing 6:46 and 3:01 off the clock. The Jumbos finished the game with 168 rushing yards on 41 attempts.

Bailey rushed 18 times for 67 yards and caught four passes for 89 yards and the score. McManama completed six of 12 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Junior linebacker Matt Murray (Winthrop, MA) and senior safety Tom Tassinari (Andover, MA) shared the Jumbos' team lead in tackles with 11 apiece.

Ryan Katon completed 14 of 30 passes for 152 yards for Bates. Tom Beaton rushed eight times for 63 yards in a revived Bobcat rushing attack (39 carries, 133 yards. Matt Gregg led Bates receivers with eight receptions for 91 yards. Myles Walker had 12 tackles for the Bobcats, including three for a loss. Ted Durkin and Brett McAllister had 11 tackles apiece.

Bates outgained Tufts in total offense, 304 yards to 280, and notched 19 first downs to the Jumbos' 13.

Tufts will host Bowdoin next Saturday (Oct. 10) in its home opener at 1:00 pm. Bates travels to Williams College for its first road game next Saturday.

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