SOMERVILLE – Trinity College sophomore QB Sonny Puzzo threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to sophomore WR Bryan Vieira on the first play of overtime as the visiting Bantams took a 34-27 victory over Tufts in an exciting NESCAC football game on Saturday at Ellis Oval / Zimman Field.
The Jumbos had scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns 3:43 apart to turn a 24-13 deficit into a 27-24 lead with 7:11 remaining in regulation. However, the Bantams drove the field in the final 2:33 of the fourth quarter and senior Kyle Pulek kicked a 27-yard field goal with six seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
After Puzzo and Vieira connected on the first play of overtime, the Trinity defense stopped the Jumbos on downs as the Bantams remained undefeated at 4-0. Tufts, which had started 3-0 for the first time since 2007, fell to 3-1.
Puzzo completed 22 of 39 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns for Trinity. He also rushed for two scores. The Bantams gained 523 yards of total offense, including 114 yards rushing on 17 carries by freshman running back Max Chipouras.
Tufts became the first team to score points against the Trinity defense this season. Junior QB Alex Snyder and senior TEXavier Frey hooked up on a pair of touchdown passses. Junior RB Chance Brady gained 132 yards on 32 rushes including a 19-yard touchdown.
The Jumbo offense was slow to get started, punting on four of its first five drives and turning the ball over on the other. The Tufts defense was keeping it even until Puzzo executed a read option around the left end for a 57-yard touchdown run at 4:42 of the first quarter putting Trinity up 7-0.
Trailing by seven after one quarter, the Tufts offense got going. They went on a nine-play, 81-yard scoring drive with Brady carrying seven times for 38 yards. Snyder hit Frey on a fade pattern from 24 yards out to tie the score at 7-7 with 11:36 remaining in the second. Those were the first points scored against Trinity's defense in 14 quarters this fall.
Jumbo freshman cornerback Tim Preston intercepted his third pass of the season on the next Bantam drive. His 14-yard return gave Tufts the ball around midfield. That resulted in a 32-yardWillie Holmquist field goal putting Tufts ahead 10-7 with 6:01 on the second quarter clock.
The Bantams would strike with another big play to regain the lead. Puzzo and Vieira (3 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TDs) connected on a beautifully-thrown long ball for a 64-yard touchdown that gave Trinity a 14-10 advantage with 2:35 remaining until halftime. Puzzo threw for 157 yards and ran for 57 in the first half.
Tufts freshman Jack Dolan's 38-yard kickoff return on Tufts' next possession gave the offense the ball at the Trinity 37. An 18-yard Snyder to junior TE Nick Dean completion led to a 30-yard field goal by Holmquist making it 14-13 Bantams at halftime.
The second half started with fumbles on back-to-back plays. Chipouras had runs of 29 and 38 yards helping move Trinity to the Tufts 3-yard line. However, they fumbled at the goal line momentarily keeping the score at 14-13. The Jumbos gave it right back to them by fumbling on the next play and Puzzo squeezed into the end zone from one yard out as the Bantams took a 21-13 advantage at 12:07 of the third.
Trinity would control the third quarter, adding a 33-yard Pulek field goal with 5:54 on the clock expanding their margin to 24-13. The Jumbo would advance to the Trinity 10-yard line late in the quarter, but a fumble they recovered and a personal foul penalty derailed the drive. The Bantams held the 11-point lead heading into the fourth.
The momentum would change in the hosts' direction after a Trinity fumble early in the fourth quarter was recovered by Jumbo sophomore DT Micah Adickes at the Bantam 36. Snyder passed 32-yards to junior WR Mike Rando down to the one. After a loss, Frey caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Snyder at 10:54 of the fourth pulling Tufts within 24-19 after a missed two-point conversion pass.
On Trinity's next possession, Preston made his second interception of the game and fourth of the year with a 41-yard return to the Trinity 14. However, Snyder was intercepted by Trinity's Dago Picon-Roura at the goal line.
Another Trinity fumble in Tufts territory, recovered by Jumbo sophomore J.P. Garcia, gave Tufts the ball at the Bantam 19. On the next play, Brady powered into the end zone from 19 yards out. Frey caught a two-point conversion pass from Snyder giving Tufts a 27-24 lead with 7:11 remaining in the fourth.
After the teams traded punts, Trinity took over with 2:33 remaining in the fourth and went 71 yards in 13 plays setting up Pulek's game-tying field goal. Puzzo had five completions in eight attempts for 61 yards on the drive.
For Trinity, junior Darrien Myers finished with eight receptions for 79 yards and senior WR Ian Dugger made seven catches for 81 yards. In addition to his two field goals, Pulek punted six times for a 41.0 average including a 61-yarder. Sophomore LB Liam Kenneally led Trinity with 11 tackles including two for losses. Picon-Roura finished with seven tackles and half a sack to go with his interception.
Tufts' Preston added seven tackles and a pass break-up to his defensive effort. Sophomore LBSteve DiCienzo led the Jumbos with eight tackles. Adickes had two sacks totaling 14 yards in losses among his five stops.
Trinity won despite being penalized 13 times for 144 yards and turning the ball over five times in the game.
Tufts returns to the road next Saturday at Williams in a 2 pm start. Trinity hosts Bowdoin at 1 pm.
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