AMHERST, MA – Amherst College senior quarterback Alex
Vetras (Bellevue, WA) has been named the NESCAC Football Offensive
Co-Player of the Week for his record-breaking performance at
Wesleyan University on Saturday. Vetras led his team to a 37-10 win
as the Lord Jeffs improved to 5-0 on the season and increased their
winning streak to 13 games.
Vetras threw four touchdowns to bring his career total to 40,
marking the 21st consecutive game he has thrown for at least one
score and the sixth consecutive game he has thrown for at least
two. For the fourth time in as many games he was not picked off,
giving him an unprecedented 13-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio
for the season. Vetras needs to throw only three more TDs to tie
the school's single-season record of 16, which is shared by
four former Lord Jeffs.
Accompanying his four touchdowns at Wesleyan were 289 yards, giving
him 4,714 for his career. Rich Willard '98 threw for 4,837
yards in his time at Amherst and has held the school's
all-time record for more than a decade, but Vetras will need only
124 this Saturday against Tufts to surpass Willard's
mark.
Vetras used a school-record 39 completions on only 51 attempts
(76.5 percent) to get his 289 yards at Wesleyan, giving him a
passer rating of 149.95 against the Cardinals. He used 11
receivers, five of whom caught at least five passes and three of
whom caught at least one touchdown. During a stretch that spanned
the first and second quarters, Vetras completed 10 consecutive
passes. Vetras later completed 13 consecutive passes during a
stretch that spanned the second and third periods.
Through five weeks of the 2010 season Vetras ranks second among
NESCAC quarterbacks in touchdowns (13), completion percentage
(62.2) and pass efficiency (137.0), also boasting the fourth
highest yards-per-game average (246.4). No other quarterback in the
conference has a TD-INT ratio of more than 2-to-1.
Amherst does not have an official record for touchdown passes in a
career, but Vetras may have already set the mark. While posting an
18-3 record as a starter, he has thrown at least 13 touchdowns in
each of his three years. In addition to holding the aforementioned
record for completions in a game, Vetras is the school's
record holder in attempts in a game (54), season (296) and career
(779).
This is the third Offensive Player of the Week award for Vetras,
who was honored once as a junior and again after his performance at
Bowdoin earlier this season. Sharing the honor this week is
Williams College's Ryan Lupo '11, who tied a program
record with four rushing touchdowns in the Ephs' 35-24,
come-from-behind win at Tufts.