Williams travels to Amherst for the annual matchup between the two arch-rivals. For those not familiar with the history behind the rivalry, Wikipedia has a good short summary. The big news this year is that the game will be played at 4 PM, the latest start time ever in the series history. NESN will broadcast the game as well for those not able to make it to Amherst. The NESCAC and Little Three Championships are Amherst’s to lose this season, so there is a lot riding on this weekend.
Williams (2-5)
What’s on the line? A share of the Little Three Championship
Last week: Lost to Wesleyan 22-0
Offense: The Ephs offense has gained most of their yardage through the air over the course of the season, especially over the last three weeks. Last week, the offense struggled tremendously only gaining 123 total yards while possessing the ball for only 18:20 minutes. QB Austin Lommen ’16 is third among NESCAC signal callers with a completion percentage of 62.1 percent but struggled last week throwing two interceptions and 101 yards. It’s going to be tough for Lommen to exploit the Lord Jeffs’ defense, but as long as he can keep the ball in the Ephs’ possession that should give Williams a shot.
Defense: The Ephs front four this year have not been getting the pressure on opposing QB’s that they were expecting coming into the year. To date, they only have five sacks, which is second-worst in the league. This has also led to teams running all over the Ephs, who are giving up the most yards per game on the ground (192.4). Last weekend the Ephs certainly appeared to be gassed as it was hard for them to get off the field with the Cardinals holding the ball for over two thirds of the game. The Lord Jeffs’ run-first offense is likely to give the Ephs problems if they can’t make an adjustment.
Ephs X-factor: The Running Backs Running back Alex Scyocurka’s ’14 workload has decreased tremendously over the past two weeks, which has resulted in some very poor rushing efforts collectively as a team. Whether it’s him or Jean Luc Etienne ’15 getting the bulk of the carries, they need to have a big game not only so they can score more points, but also to give the defense a much needed rest. If the defense is on the field as much as they were last week again, the score won’t be looking too favorable for the Ephs.
Amherst (7-0)
What’s on the line? The third perfect season in school history and the outright NESCAC and Little Three Championships
Last week: Defeated Trinity 7-6
Offense: The Lord Jeffs average the fourth most points per game in the conference with 22.3 ppg. The Jeffs rely heavily on the running attack led by Nick Kelly ’17. He has been the catalyst for the offense all year with six total TDs and 754 all-purpose yards on the season. QB Max Lippe ’15 has made smart decisions since reclaiming the starting position. He has thrown only one interception despite not amassing huge stats like other signal callers in the league. Overall, this offense is not one of the elite ones in the league, but they have done just enough to get them to this point. With the strength of this team being the ground game, look for Kelly to be fed the ball early and often.
Defense: The Jeff’s give up only 8.9 points per game, which marks the fewest in the league. The front seven is a constant threat in opposing pockets with already 20 sacks on the season. Not only is the front seven playing at an elite level, the secondary is as well. They currently have a league leading 15 interceptions. In six of seven games the Jeffs have played, they have held opponents to under 10 points and the one game they didn’t was against Wesleyan. The Ephs are not even close to as potent of an offense as compared to the Cardinals so look for this trend to continue.
X-factor: Nick Kelly. As has been said above, he has carried this team offensively all year and needs to continue that for one more game to preserve the perfect season. The Jeffs should be more than fine on the defensive side of the ball so they won’t even need Kelly’s best game to get the win. As long as Kelly can give them at least one TD and 70 yards, the Jeff’s should be in good shape.
Prediction: Amherst 23 – Williams 3