SOMERVILLE, MASS. – In a pivotal week 4 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) competition between the Tufts University Jumbos and the Trinity College Bantams. It was the Bantams who came out victorious to move the needle one game closer to a third consecutive NESCAC championship. Despite a second straight week of being in a dogfight going into the half, down 14-16, The Bantams opened the flood gates scoring touchdowns on every second half possession to reach the 42-24 final.

For the first time this season the Bantams scored a first quarter touchdown as the offense, in dominating fashion, took the opening kick down the field in 5 minutes capped by a two-yard rushing score by Junior Tyler Dinapoli. The Jumbos responded with an equal drive, in distance and time, that only netted them three points.
Early in the second it was the Jumbos that struck again this time on a one play 34-yard touchdown strike from Tufts standout fifth year quarterback Michael Berluti to put the Bantams in a 10-7 deficit. On the ensuing Tufts drive it was the Bantams defense that created the spark as Junior safety Jason Irizarry forced a fumble. The Bantams off the turnover, guided by fifth year quarterback Zander Zebrowski, drove the length of the field capped by a seven-yard rushing score by Junior wide receiver Nolan O'Brien. However, with fifty-seven seconds left in the half Tufts scored off an immaculate sequence of chunk plays to enter the half leading 16-14 after missing the point after.

Head coach Jeff Devanney had this to say after the game about his team's first half performance, "We didn't play very well in the first half, particularly on defense, but at half time everybody was calm. everybody said, you know, let's just pay attention, listen to the adjustments, and go and play better."

And play better the Bantams did, after turning on the jets last week against Williams at home in the second half a similar story played out. It was the defense that broke the game wide open with graduate safety Dan Calderon having blocked a Tufts punt which was quickly converted to six points by incredible duo of Zebrowski to O'Brien.

Tufts did not go down without a fight, as the Jumbos then went on a four-minute drive down the field to go up by a field goal after a successful two-point conversion to make it 24-21. Zebrowski then orchestrated the offense down the field with help from his receivers but finished the drive himself with a six-yard rushing score making it 24-28. Coach Devanney has this to say about his receivers today, "I'd say our skill guys like our receivers are just balling out right now."

Tufts would not cross the fifty again until their final drive and the defense battened down with a quartet of juniors keep the momentum going for the team, Irizarry leading the team in tackles with six, safety John Fiore III had two tackles for loss, and two passes defended each from corner Charlie Cooper and defensive lineman Luke Pickard. Speaking about his elite secondary coach Devanney sung their praise saying, "The corners played so well, all three corners today just really locked it down for the second half."

Early in the fourth it was Zebrowski who connected with Senior wide receiver Sean Clapp from eight yards out to put the Bantams up two scores in a seven-minute drive. With a little under three minutes left in the game the Bantams were able to seal the win with a one-yard rushing touchdown from Dinapoli, his second of the day as he bookended the scoring to reach the final of 42-24.

In a more diversified air attack, it was still Zebrowski who looked the part both through the air and on the ground to the tune of 367 total yards. He now averages over three hundred yards per game and has more yards than half the league. He also has yet to turn the ball over and the team is currently +5 in turnover margin. O'Brien also leads the league in all-purpose yards hovering around 150 per game.

The Bantams sit atop the NESCAC at a crisp 4-0 being the only undefeated team remaining with five games left to play to crown a winner. They return to action next Saturday at the Coop against the visiting Hamilton College Continentals with a scheduled 1:30 PM kickoff.