Football Preview: Tufts at Bates, Saturday at 1 p.m.
Game Notes: Tufts at Bates, Oct. 3, 1 p.m. at Garcelon Field
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| Tom Beaton ’10 and the Bobcats hope to become part of many a first down on Saturday against Tufts. |
The Bates football team (0-1) hosts the Tufts University Jumbos (0-1) Saturday, Oct. 3, at 1 p.m., as part of Parents & Family Weekend. Coming off a tough 35-14 loss to Trinity last weekend, the Bobcats are looking to turn things around Saturday on Garcelon Field.
The Bobcats are looking to carry forth the positives from last weekend, which included over 200 yards in the passing game as well as a plus-2 turnover margin, while eliminating the mistakes from the previous week.
SCOUTING TUFTS
Last week the Jumbos suffered through a defensive battle with the Wesleyan Cardinals, in which each team only scored once, with Tufts ending up on the short end, 7-3. Tufts gained only 133 yard through the air behind senior quarterback Tom McManama, and are looking to improve on that number. However, Tufts rushed for 101 yards last week against the Cardinals and look to continue their strong run game that currently has them ranked fourth in the conference.
In last weekend’s match-up Tufts strong pass defense, led by senior All-American safety Tom Tassinari, held solid against the Cards, only allowing 55 yards through the air with no touchdowns. But the Jumbos did allow 163 yards on the ground last week.
SCOUTING BATES
The Bobcats are looking to rebound against a tough defense this week as they look to revive a run game that was overpowered against the Bantams, totaling 30 yards rushing last week on 29 attempts. Sophomore Ryan Katon continues his quest to become one of the top quarterbacks in the conference, after completing 25 passes on 43 attempts for 210 pass yards and one touchdown against the conference defending champions. However, if last week’s game is any indication, the Bobcats could see their fortune in the run game improve.
The Bobcats look to improve their run defense this coming week against the NESCAC’s fourth-ranked rushing offense. They will also look meanwhile to strengthen their pass defense, one that is currently ranked fifth in the conference but will try to eliminate the big plays that plagued them in their opener. Sophomore Bret McAllister appears to be following in his older brother Kyle’s ball-hawking footsteps, recovering three fumbles last week as well as leading the Bobcats in tackles.
Overall the Bobcats need to build on the positives of last week while mitigating a strong pass rush which may have caused added pressure on Katon in Week 1. If the Bobcats establish a run game this weekend and take steps to shoring up their run defense, the Bobcats will have a great opportunity to beat the Jumbos.
STATS CORNER
It was quite a debut as a starting outside linebacker for sophomore Brett McAllister, who shared the team lead with 10 tackles (seven solo), and recovered a whopping three Trinity fumbles. No one else in the conference had more than one “FR” in Week 1…. McAllister tied for the team lead in tackles with senior Rich McNeil, a rarity for a defensive end to amass so many takedowns…. McNeil was named the team’s defensive MVP for the game. Senior tight end Sean Wirth, meanwhile, was the team’s offensive MVP. He established a career-high in receptions against Trinity, grabbing eight passes from Katon for 62 yards and an impressive 9-yard touchdown grab near the sideline. His eight catches were fourth-best in the NESCAC last week…. Senior WR Tom Beaton is second in the conference in all-purpose yards, with 136 (18 rushing, 87 receiving, 4 in punt returns and 27 in kickoff returns)…. Katon was one of six signal-callers in the conference to surpass 200 passing yards in Week 1, and he ranks sixth in passing efficiency thus far at 96.2…. Junior Gavin Segall-Abrams forced a fumble against Trinity, a rare feat for a kicker or punter.
TUFTS’ PROBABLE STARTERS
PRO I OFFENSE
LT 78 A.J. Carreiro Sr. 6-2 295
LG 71 Tom Didio Jr. 5-11 265
C 55 Ralph Faia Fy. 6-0 250
RG 50 Andrew Daley So. 6-2 285
RT 56 Adam Wueger Sr. 6-2 310
TE 83 Nick Croteau So. 6-2 230
WR 2 Billy Mahler Jr. 5-10 175
WR 80 Steve Cusano Jr. 6-0 190
QB 7 Tom McManama Sr. 6-2 205
FB 48 Noah Hatfield-Biondo Sr. 6-2 230
TB 22 Darren Ferguson Sr. 5-9 190
50 DEFENSE
DE 75 Dan Stebbins Sr. 6-3 260
DT 86 Mike Cunningham Sr. 6-3 255
DT 84 Alex Gresham Jr. 6-0 245
DE 91 Donnie Simmons So. 6-3 230
LB 6 Brian Danshaw Jr. 5-10 200
LB 44 Ferras Albitar So. 6-0 220
LB 34 Matthew Murray Jr. 6-0 215
CB 25 Will Miller Sr. 5-9 185
SS 5 Alex Perry Sr. 5-10 210
FS 21 Tom Tassinari Sr. 6-3 220
CB 30 Andrew Elfman Sr. 5-10 190
SPECIALISTS
K 49 Adam Auerbach So. 5-11 205
P 8 Tim Puopolo Sr. 5-9 195
BATES’ PROBABLE STARTERS
MULTIPLE I OFFENSE
LT 75 Dave Myerson Sr. 6-2 250
LG 78 Justin Medeiros Sr. 6-2 265
C 59 Tom Berry Sr. 5-11 235
RG 52 Matt Conetta So. 6-1 270
RT 70 Mark Sylvester Fy. 6-2 250
TE 87 Sean Wirth Sr. 6-7 240
WR 4 Matt Gregg Sr. 6-1 185
WR 1 Tom Beaton Sr. 5-9 180
QB 8 Ryan Katon So. 6-1 205
HB 82 Ryan Weston So. 6-5 260
RB 25 Judd Smith Sr. 5-10 190
4-4 DEFENSE
DE 49 Rich McNeil Sr. 6-2 240
DT 90 Devin Horvath Jr. 6-1 255
DT 91 Mark Liu Sr. 6-1 260
DE 96 Tyler Kuehl So. 6-3 255
OLB 24 Brett McAllister So. 5-10 190
ILB 47 Santo Dettore So. 6-0 215
ILB 46 Ted Durkin Jr. 6-2 240
OLB 41 Myles Walker Jr. 6-2 215
CB 3 Kyle Starr Fy. 5-9 160
FS 28 Kyle McAllister Sr. 5-10 180
CB 14 Cam Evans So. 6-0 195
SPECIALISTS
K/P 16 Gavin Segall-Abrams Jr. 6-1 190
LS 87 Sean Wirth Sr. 6-7 240