For almost four full years, Tufts University failed to win a football game.
Now the Jumbos are undefeated, and the latest triumph was at Bates College’s expense.
Zack Trause took away the Bobcats’ short-lived lead with an 82-yard kick return for a touchdown late in the third quarter Saturday, and the senior added a 49-yard punt return early in the fourth to send Tufts on its way to a 42-24 victory in Somerville, Mass.
Bates (0-2) took a 24-23 edge on Matt Cannone’s 6-yard touchdown toss to Mark Riley and Drew Korn’s point-after kick with 1:21 remaining in the third quarter.
It capped a nine-play, 71-yard drive and produced the third lead change of the day. Frank Williams ripped off a 27-yard run to key the series.
Tufts tucked a productive defensive series — pinning Bates for minus-16 yards — between Trause’s two special teams gems.
Jack Doll later connected with Falmouth’s Jack Cooleen for their second touchdown of the day, a 6-yarder. The Jumbos scored those three touchdowns in a span of 3:33.
Doll completed 29 of 39 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Ben Berey had 14 grabs for 117 yards the other Tufts TD through the air.
Chance Brady paced the Jumbos with 19 carries for 98 yards. Trause also notched a touchdown on the ground. Tufts, which ended a 31-game losing streak (the longest in NCAA Division III) against Hamilton a week ago, rolled up 405 total yards.
Bates (0-2) lost to Tufts for the first time since 2009. Tufts hasn’t been 2-0 since the year before that.
Cannone was 16 for 22 passing for Bates, and his 182 yards and three touchdowns were career bests. Riley caught nine for 142 yards and two scores.
Korn answered Trause’s first-quarter touchdown with a 19-yard field goal. Cannone and Riley hooked up for a 54-yard TD that gave its first advantage, 10-7, with 6:24 left in the first half.
The lead grew to 17-7 exactly four minutes later on a 6-yard strike from Cannone to Mickoy Nichol. But Tufts’ two-minute drill cashed in with a 13-yarder from Berey to Doll in the closing seconds.
It was 17-13 at the half after the failed PAT.
Cooleen hauled in a 23-yarder to put Tufts in front. Vince Falk’s chip-shot field goal made it 23-17 with 5:09 to go in the third.
Tucker Oniskey had a sack and Ryan Lawson made two tackles for loss to lead Bates’ defense. Patrick Williams intercepted Cannone and Tommy Meade scooped up a fumble for the Jumbos.
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