Football Finishes Fourth in NESCAC, Loses to Tufts

The Middlebury football team fell to the Tufts Jumbos 35-13 this past Saturday, concluding its season with a 5-4 record and a fourth-place finish in the NESCAC conference. Though Middlebury put up a tough fight, Tufts took the game in the third quarter, sealing the Panthers’ fate.

Throughout the first half, both teams were able to come away with a pair of touchdowns. Middlebury set the tone in its first drive of the quarter, plucking away at yardage, until sophomore QB Will Jernigan punched the ball in from the seven-yard line. A high-intensity Panther defense came onto the field in response, looking to deflect a Jumbo touchdown.

Tufts, however, made its way down the field a few minutes later. With 6:12 left in the quarter, the Jumbos connected in the end zone to even out the scoreboard, 7-7. The rest of the quarter went scoreless.

Two more scores created a thrilling second quarter, starting with a Panther interception by junior Coltrane Marcus. After this turnover, Jernigan was able to hit senior wide receiver Jimmy Martinez with a 28-yard reception. Martinez brought the ball down to the nine-yard line, where Jernigan sealed the touchdown. After a missed extra point attempt, the Panthers were up 13-7.

One more Jumbo score right before halftime, making the score 14-13, altered this Panther momentum.

Going back onto the field after halftime, Tufts was able to come out guns blazing. Three more touchdowns later, and a clock set to 0:00, both teams’ seasons ended. The 35-13 win placed Tufts third in the conference, while the Panthers ended up fourth.

Overall, the Panther team’s season was highlighted by a big win against Williams, redeeming the last-second loss of the 2017 season. The team also beat a .500 record, placing them in the top half of the conference. 

---