WILLIAMSTOWN – Junior running back Chance Brady rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns as the Tufts Football team won at Williams College for the first time since 1981 on Saturday, 30-15, in NESCAC action.
Tufts, whose 4-1 start is the program's best since 2007, had not won in Williamstown since a 9-6 Jumbo victory 34 years ago. The Ephs' undefeated streak at home against Tufts had been 17 games in a row. The teams tied 35-35 in 1983 and 7-7 in 1985, but Williams had won the last 14 contests played in The Berkshires.
Jumbo junior quarterback Alex Snyder completed 18 of 26 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score. The Tufts defense had three fourth-down stops in the game, including a goal-line stand, and Jumbo special teams blocked a field goal.
Williams quarterback Austin Lommen passed for 363 yards, completing 33 of 53 attempts. Darrias Sime received 10 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown while Mark Pomella made eight catches for 116 yards and a score.
The Jumbos led 13-0 at the half after Brady rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries in the opening 30 minutes. However, the hosts closed the gap to 13-7 on their first possession in the second half. On the fifth play of the drive, Lommen connected with Pomella for a 40-yard touchdown pass at 12:50 of the third quarter.
Tufts answered by scoring 17 consecutive points to lead 30-7 early in the fourth quarter. Junior kicker Willie Holmquist booted his 10th field goal of the season to tie a Tufts record, a 37-yarder that gave the Jumbos a 16-7 advantage at 12:50 of the third quarter. Snyder and senior Xavier Frey had a 25-yard connection to the Williams 18 highlighting the drive.
Tufts senior linebacker Patrick Williams then intercepted Lommen in Eph territory. Taking over at the Williams 28, Jumbo junior Mike Rando had a 17-yard run to the Eph 1-yard line. After a penalty, Rando scored his first career touchdown on a five-yard pass from Snyder at 6:33 of the third to put Tufts ahead 23-7.
With their passing game clicking, Williams was moving the ball well on its next drive before penalties derailed it and forced a punt. Getting the ball at their own 41, Tufts engineered a seven-play, 59-yard scoring drive to lead 30-7 with 14:42 on the fourth-quarter clock. Snyder completed a 24-yard pass to junior Ben Berey and Brady had a 17-yard run during the possession. Snyder scored from one-yard out.
The Ephs answered quickly, using just 2:43 to move 80 yards in nine plays. Lommen and Pomella had a 29-yard pass play and the QB hit Sime for an eight-yard scoring pass. After a two-point conversion throw from Lommen to running back Colin Brown, Williams was within 30-15 at 11:54 of the fourth quarter.
Though the end result was a punt, the Jumbos used 6:15 of clock on its next drive with Brady runs of 13 and six yards helping convert what had been a second and 17 situation.
Getting the ball back with 5:33 remaining in regulation, Lommen completed passes of 15 yards to Sime and 22 yards to Harris setting up first and 10 at the Tufts 22. However, a sack by Jumbo junior Zack Thomas helped kill the momentum and the Ephs turned the ball over on downs. The Jumbos ran out the final 2:45 to earn the victory.
The game hadn't started on the right foot for Tufts as Snyder was intercepted by Williams' Amyhr Barber on the third play from scrimmage. The Ephs took over at the Jumbo 39, but the defense held them to seven yards on four plays including a fourth-down tackle by Williams.
Tufts then marched 69 yards in 11 plays for their opening score. Snyder passed 11 yards to Brady converting a third and seven early, then threw 16 yards to senior Jack Cooleen on third and 15 keeping the drive alive. Brady's 24-yard touchdown run at 7:57 of the first quarter put Tufts up 7-0.
Williams would make its first headway offensively on their third possession. Lommen passed 34 yards to Sime on the first play of the drive. A Tufts pass interference penalty moved the Ephs down to the Jumbo 32. However, a pair of Eph penalties helped the Jumbo defense stall the drive and Williams punted.
After another three-and-out stop by the Tufts defense early in the second, the Jumbos took over at their own 44. They went 54 yards in nine plays culminated by a one-yard Brady touchdown run. The extra point failed and Tufts led 13-0 at 10:05 of the second quarter. During the drive they converted a third and four with a 12-yard run by Rando. Snyder and Cooleen also had a 19-yards pass play.
Sime dominated the next possession with four receptions covering 53 yards to help Williams earn a first and goal at the Tufts one-yard line. However, the Jumbos kept the Ephs out of the end zone on four straight plays with tackles by Ife Adebayo, Williams and J.P. Garcia, as well as a pass break-up by Brett Phillips.
A 33-yard punt return by Connor Harris set Williams up at the Tufts 35 late in the half. However, their 37-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Jumbo freshman Alexander LaPiano and Tufts took its 13-0 advantage into halftime.
The Jumbos finished with 435 yards of total offense, including 250 on the ground. With the two touchdowns, Brady now has eight on the season which matches the most by a Tufts back since 2001. His 165 yards today were a career high and came on 27 rushes for a 6.0-yard average.
In addition to his interception, Williams led Tufts with 11 tackles. Garcia finished with seven. The Jumbos held Williams to just 35 yards rushing on 17 carries.
Elijah Eaton led Williams with 10 tackles (seven solo) while Alex Brandeis recorded nine solo stops.
This marked the second win in a row for the Jumbos over Williams, including last year's 27-20 Tufts victory in Somerville.
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