Ephs Lord It Over Amherst With 20-0 Win

Williams Sports Info
07:52PM / Saturday, November 10, 2007

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Courtesy Williams Sports Info

WILLIAMSTOWN - For the first time since 1995 (a scoreless tie played in terrible conditions), and 1991 before that, the Williams College Ephs (6-2) shut out the Amherst Lord Jeffs (4-4) at Weston Field, 20-0.

Amherst has not won a game played at Williams since 1985. The win gave Williams their 45th Little Three title.

FLASH VIDEOS

National Anthem
Coach Post Game Interview
Celebration Time
Extra Point
The Kickoff
The Open Band
Running Out on the field
Senior Interview # 1
Senior Interview # 2
Senior Interview # 3
Touchdown
Warm Ups1
Williams Chant
Williams Run 01
Williams Run 02


PHOTOS
Photos PJ Renaud here



There was no shortage of pre-game energy Saturday, generated in large part by ESPN's "College GameDay" coverage, as thousands of fans were camped out hours before the game to get an early start on the homecoming festivities.

Amidst the frenzy, one could've easily missed the brewing match up going on between the Weston Field end lines - the NESCAC's No. 1 defense in the Amherst Lord Jeffs, and the No. 1 offense in Williams.

Judging by the first half alone however, one might've thought Williams led in both categories, as the Ephs dominated on both sides of the football. Williams amassed 216 yards of total offense to Amherst's 50, and avoided turning the ball over while Amherst quarterback Lucas Loeffler was picked off twice. In fact, if not for the Jeffs keeping the Ephs from converting on all but one of their three red-zone scoring chances, the score could've gotten out of hand very early.

Despite not allowing the Jeffs a first down in the first quarter though, Williams was unable to put any points on the board early. After forcing an Amherst punt from their own end zone though, Williams would find themselves in great field position to start the second quarter. Senior Eph Quarterback Pat Lucey, playing in his final game, would put the favorable starting position to good use.

On first down at the Amherst 32-yard line, sophomore receiver Nick Caro would beat both defenders hounding him to the end zone and make a diving catch on a just - good - enough pass from Lucey, resulting in the Ephs first score and a 7-0 lead.

Regarding the play, Eph coach Mike Whalen said, "It's a set out of which we can run the ball or throw the ball, so it's very difficult because you have to pick your poison."

Amherst would register a first down on the ensuing possession for the first time all game, as the Jeffs finally were able to move the ball into Williams territory.

The success was short-lived however, as a great pass rush by the Ephs resulted in an ill-advised pass by Loeffler. The severely under thrown ball, no doubt influenced by an impending sack, fell right into the hands of Williams senior cornerback John Snipes.

Although Williams would be forced to punt on their next possession, the Ephs would continue to win the field position battle by playing outstanding defense.

Williams would finally take advantage towards the end of the second half, starting with another long completion from Lucey to Caro, this time for 22 yards over the middle. Later in the drive Lucey would dive to pick up the first down on fourth and two, keeping the drive alive and allowing Scott Sobolewski to kick a 28-yard field goal, giving the Ephs a 10-0 lead to take into the second half.

Unfortunately for the Jeffs, the halftime break couldn't disrupt the Williams defensive onslaught, as senior cornerback John Snipes recorded his second interception of the game on Amherst's second drive of the half.

Jeffs quarterback Loeffler tried to go deep, however Snipes was all over his man - a recurring theme for the Ephs secondary.

After a Williams punt followed by another defensive stop of the Lord Jeffs, the Ephs would embark on a 10-play, 78-yard drive that would be the beginning of the end for the Lord Jeffs.

Lucey got things started with back-to-back passes of 20 yards or more, the first to freshman tight end John Carroll over the middle for 23 yards, and the second to senior tailback Kevin Flynn for 21 yards.

Flynn would stay involved moments later in the drive, this time receiving a swing pass from Lucey which, thanks to an outstanding cutback by Flynn, brought the Ephs inside the Amherst 10-yard line.

After a Lucey run drew the Ephs within 6 yards of the goal, junior Brian Morrissey was able to punch it in for the touchdown and a 17-0 lead.

"We knew we weren't just going to run it right down their throats, but we thought we could pound the ball at them a little bit and maybe wear them down," said Whalen.

Given the Ephs' iron curtain of a defense on Saturday, the 17-point lead may as well have been 40, as Williams held the Jeffs to just 146 yards of total offense while forcing four turnovers.

"I can't really say enough about the defense. They suffered through some adversity earlier in the year, gave up some points early on, but today they really stepped up and just gave us great field position all day to go along with a couple turnovers," said Whalen.

Fittingly it was a defensive play that essentially sealed the game for Williams, as a swarm of Williams defenders caused Jeffs wide receiver Brandon Bullock to cough up a screen pass to end the third quarter. Williams DB Tim Batty recovered the fumble, giving the Ephs great field position that would ultimately lead to Scott Sobolewski's second field goal of the game, this time from 27 yards out for a 20-0 Williams lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Ephs essentially played keep-away, and the Jeffs never seemed to even threaten the end zone. One Williams possession had meaning however, if only because it contained a single play symbolic of Lucey's career: after evading an Amherst pass rush, Lucey stepped up in the pocket and, with a hand on his jersey, delivered a 10-yard strike to Morrissey for a first down.

The pass zipped in between two defenders and into Morrissey's hands as Lucey was dragged to the ground. No matter the conditions (as he showed during back-to-back 200-plus passing games in steady rains this year), opponents, or amount of pressure, Lucey simply kept completing passes during his career at Williams.

By going 19 of 32 for 235 yards on the day, Lucey broke Williams single-season records in both completions and attempts, and finished just shy of Joe Reardon's '04 career touchdown mark of 38 (Lucey threw one TD on the day to finish with 37).

When asked what it felt like to play his final collegiate football game, Lucey matter-of-factly said, "I don't think it's really hit me yet." However he was quick to praise his coaching staff, in particular coach Whalen and offensive coordinator Bill Barale:

"Coach Barale is the best coach I've ever had, he's really taught me a lot...I definitely wouldn't be the same quarterback if not for him."

After the win and Gatorade shower, Whalen reflected on this year's team, the seniors, and the program's future:

"You can't really put into words how happy I am for these kids - when you think back to that Bates game in week three and we're down 20-0, I think a lot of people were probably second-guessing where this program was going; and that's the thing about these kids, they're so resilient, they just never gave up."

Whalen probably echoed the feelings of many of the roughly 12,000 fans who c0me out to watch the "Biggest Little Game in America" every year when he spoke of ESPN's involvement this week, as their "College GameDay" program was broadcast live from Williams - the first time in 150 episodes that the show has been to a Division III venue:

"There were certainly a lot of distractions, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you walk that fine line where you want the kids to enjoy it because it's never going to happen again here at Williams College, but you're also nervous, wondering in the back of your mind, 'is it going to take away from our focus?' But the guys at ESPN were great and treated our kids real well, and I hope the country got a look at what Division III football is all about, because both teams played really hard today - the emotion on the field is second to none."

As happened two years ago, when Williams defeated Amherst at home, Whalen thinks this victory will be a great motivator for the team:

"I think this game will have a lot to do with how we do next season. Our kids seem pretty fired up to work hard in the off-season."

In true team-first fashion, Lucey provided a quote that summed up the entire day:

"Whalen always talks about how lucky he is to be able to look down the line and see me going in at quarterback, and every time I tell him I'm way luckier just to be here."

Alumni, faculty, and students alike felt exactly the same way on Saturday.