Week 4 Preview: Amherst vs. Colby

Contact: Ben Badua

Amherst College (2-1) vs.
Colby College (0-3)
Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012
Pratt Field * Amherst, Mass. * 1 p.m.

Jeff Report - Week 4

LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday's game will feature live statistics and a webcast. 

THIS WEEK IN THE NESCAC
Bowdoin @ Hamilton (12 p.m.)
Wesleyan @ Bates (1 p.m.)
Colby @ Amherst (1 p.m.)
Tufts @ Trinity (1:30 p.m.)
Middlebury @ Williams (1:30 p.m.)

THE SERIES
Amherst and Colby have met 35 times since 1903, with the Jeffs holding a decisive 30-4-1 edge. Amherst went 10-0-1 in the first 11 matchups from 1903-54 before the series was put on a 30-year hiatus. When play resumed in 1984, the Jeffs took four-straight before another five-year break put the rivalry on hold. Colby recorded all of its wins during a four-year stretch from 1992-95, but it's been all Amherst since, with the Jeffs winning 15 in a row, including the last two by scores of 30-3 and 30-7, respectively.

LAST MEETING
The Lord Jeffs put points on the board in every quarter, while holding Colby to just 241 total yards en route to a 31-7 win in Waterville, ME. Blake Grauer '12 threw for a pair of scores and a career-high 283 yards, with Amherst's other two touchdowns coming on a Landrus Lewis '13 punt return and a Gordie Lockbaum '12 interception return.  

Despite turning it over three times, the Jeff offense rolled up 427 yards, while the Amherst defense recovered a fumble, recorded three sacks and an interception, holding the Mules to 48 rushing yards on 30 carries. The Jeffs ran the ball 41 times for 144 yards, with Eric Bunker '12, Steven Jellison '14, Mike Samela '12 and Ryan Silva '14 sharing the workload.

Up 10-0 in the latter stages of the first half, Lewis fielded a punt at the Amherst 24-yard line and took it the distance with just one minute remaining. Carrying the momentum into the third quarter, Grauer linked up with Ben Kettering '12 for a 10-yard touchdown to make it 24-0.

Colby answered with a five-play, 70-yard scoring drive of its own, putting up its only points of the afternoon when senior receiver/running back Connor Walsh threw his first career touchdown pass on a 25-yard play to Nick Joseph '12. Amherst closed out the scoring in the final frame when Grauer hit Will Reed '12 for a 47-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 31-7. 

AMHERST LAST TIME OUT
The Amherst football team saw its 10-game win streak dating back to last season finally come to an end last Saturday with a 24-3 loss to Middlebury on Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium. The Panthers rattled off 21 unanswered points in a decisive second quarter to break the game open. Averaging 308.5 rushing yards entering the game, the Jeffs managed just 146 on the ground, led by Ryan Silva '14, who picked up 86 yards on 21 touches.

With its pass defense only giving up 107.0 yards per game during the first two weeks of the season, the Amherst secondary had its hands full against McCallum Foote and an explosive Panther passing game, surrendering 379 yards and two touchdowns. Middlebury finished with a 421-249 edge in total offense, averaging almost five yards per play, while going 10-of-20 on third down.

Beginning on the Amherst 44 after forcing the Jeffs into a quick three-and-out deep in their own territory, the Panthers needed just five plays before Foote found Billy Chapman for an 11-yard strike early in the second quarter. Piecing together a six-play, 64-yard drive that took just 1:06, Middlebury added to its tally when Foote once again linked up with Chapman, this time for an eight-yard touchdown reception. Getting the ball back at the 50 with 50 seconds left in the half, Foote took Middlebury down the field before rushing for his first career touchdown to make it 21-0.

Opening the second half with a 14-play, 61-yard drive that ate up 6:21 off the clock, Amherst netted its only points of the afternoon on a Jake Schmidt '14 29-yarder that trimmed the deficit to 18 at the 13:17 mark of the third quarter.
 

COLBY LAST TIME OUT
Surrendering 10 points in the final 2:31, Colby dropped to 0-3 with a 31-28 home loss to Wesleyan. First-year quarterback Justin Ciero had a career day for the Mules, throwing for 283 yards and three touchdowns, while also gaining 102 on the ground with another score.

Piecing together an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on the game's opening possession, Colby held leads of 7-0, 14-7, 21-14 and 28-21. Ciero gave the Mules their final edge on a 5-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. Taking advantage of a Colby fumble, Wesleyan tied the game at 28-28 on a LaDarius Drew touchdown with 2:31 to go. Forcing a three-and-out, the Cardinals moved the ball 54 yards in 1:07 to set up the Sebastian Aguirre's game winning 20-yard field goal.
 

SCOUTING AMHERST
Averaging 308.5 yards through its first two games, Amherst carried one of the league's most potent rushing attacks into Middlebury, but struggled to gain traction against a stout Panther defense, gaining just 146 yardson the ground. With the Jeff running game struggling to get going, Amherst picked up just 249 yards of total offense, nearly 200 below its season average.

Ryan Silva '14, who entered the game as the NESCAC's second leading rusher (156.5), managed just 86 yards on 21 carries (3.7 ypc), as the Jeffs came away with just three points, despite averaging 30.0 in the two weeks prior. While an efficient Max Lippe '15 has completed 36-of-55 (65.5 percent) of his passes this season with no interceptions, the Amherst passing game has lacked big play ability, with the sophomore quarterback averaging just 107.7 yards per game with three touchdowns.

Defensively, the Jeff secondary did a good job of holding Hamilton and Bowdoin in check, giving up a league-low 107.0 yards, but Amherst had its hands full against an explosive Middlebury passing game, surrendering 379 yards through the air. Averaging nearly five yards per play, the Panthers racked up 421 yards of total offense, scoring three touchdowns in a decisive second quarter run.

Ranked first in the NESCAC, the Jeffs' run defense has been consistently stingy this season, allowing just 75.3 yards per game. Holding Middlebury to 1.6 yards per carry, the Panthers gained just 42 yards on the ground. Defensive lineman Travis Dickenson '13 has made his presence felt in opposing backfields all season with a team-high seven tackles for loss, while linebackers Ned Deane '15 and Danny Chun '14 lead the team in stops after combining for 27 tackles (18 solo) a week ago.

SCOUTING COLBY
Colby dropped to 0-3 in 2012 with a heartbreaking 31-28 loss to Wesleyan last Saturday. Falling to Williams (41-7) and Middlebury (42-13), the Mules looked to finally have a chance to break into the win column, but surrendered 10 points in the final 2:31 against the Cardinals to remain winless.

Leading an offense that ranks eighth in yards per game (273.7), first-year quarterback Justin Ciero had a career day against Wesleyan, accounting for all four touchdowns. A dual-threat, Ciero passed for 283 yards and three scores, while also picking up 109 and another touchdown on the ground. Averaging 173.7 yards through the air and 100.0 in the run game, Colby has strived for a balanced attack. Running back Spencer Gopaul '13 leads the team in rushing with 50.7 yards per game, while wide receiver Indigo Dow '13 has a team-high 10 catches for 131 yards.

Linebackers Henry Nelson '15 and Ryan Ruiz '16 lead a Mules defense that ranks third in the NESCAC in rushing yards (104.7), but last in passing (305.3). On the season, Nelson has recorded 24 tackles (20 solo), while forcing two fumbles, with Ruiz adding 23 stops (17 solo). Senior co-captain Phil Amato sits third on the team in tackles with 21.

PROBABLE STARTERS

STATISTICAL LEADERS

STATISTICAL COMPARISON